8th August 1942
Dennis Leister is deported from Jersey
Dennis Leister, known as John, arrived in Jersey less than six months before the occupation, but didn’t return to the mainland in advance of the Germans’ arrival, having apparently been so intoxicated at the time of the evacuation that he ended up in hospital and missed the boats. His father was German and his mother English.
He was arrested and convicted of theft, and sentenced to six months’ jail, to be served in Europe. After various escape attempts, of varying degrees of success, he joined the German army, married, and fled to Italy as the final battle for Berlin was getting underway. There, he was arrested, taken back to Britain to stand trial and sentenced to three years for assisting the enemy.
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Other events that occured in August
Gerald Durrell features on Desert Island Discs
- When Jersey Zoo founder Gerald Durrell appeared on the BBC's Desert Island Discs he chose writing materials as his luxury.
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Jersey man in court accused of bigamy
- Jersey man Philip Vasse found himself in court accused of bigamy after his first wife was listed as his next of kin.
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Work begins on St Helier harbour
- Until work began on St Helier Harbour, visitors arriving on the packet steamer had to come ashore in small boats when the tide was out.
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The wreckage of the Cloud of Iona is found
- Jersey Airways’ plane, The Cloud of Iona, disappeared between Guernsey and Jersey on the night of 31 July 1936.
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