27th July 1920

Author and actor Anthony Faramus is born

Anthony Faramus, who became an author and actor, was working as a hairdresser in St Helier when arrested in late 1940, a few months into the occupation. While incarcerated locally, he met Eddie Chapman, who was then on the run from the mainland police, and whose exploits as Zigzag, a double agent during the Second World War, were portrayed in the film Triple Cross.

There are several versions of Faramus’ wartime activities. In one version, he, Chapman and Douglas Stirling, had been desperate to leave Jersey despite the fact that there was no easy way to do so. Chapman suggested they turn traitor, and spy for Germany. As we now know, Chapman immediately reported to British authorities once back on the mainland and helped British intelligence feed false information to Germany.

The friends are split up

While Chapman was successful, Faramus was not. Both were transported to France, but while Chapman was trained in the art of spying, Faramus was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp, then Mauthausen, where inmates were routinely worked to death.

Remarkably, Faramus survived his time in the concentration camps and after the war found work as an extra in films. He documented his wartime experiences in the book, Journey into Darkness, and died in 1990.