I was absolutely thrilled to be offered the chance to speak to Melva Stacey. Incredibly grateful to Melva’s daughter Karin for contacting me and asking if I might be interested in interviewing her mother who is 95 years young about her time here during the occupation.
I didn’t need to be asked twice! Melva told a fascinating account about how life was for her as a teenager, her family, working in the Red Cross message bureau and nursing. Plus much much more. The photo at the top of the blog post is Melva on Liberation day 2024. You can hear the interview here.
I really enjoyed talking to Melva and by strange coincidence it turns out that her father used to be one of the listeners to a radio show that I used to present on local hospital radio and sometimes on the BBC back in the 1980’s and early 1990’s! He used to regularly write in with requests for people in nursing homes and hospitals.
Thanks to Melva for agreeing to be interviewed and to her daughter Karin for contacting me to arrange it.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading the blog post.
I also co-host a podcast with Keith Pengelley in which we talk about the occupation of the Channel Islands month by month using first hand accounts, diaries and our research in the archives. You can find us on all the major podcast services. Just search “Islands at War” or visit our podcast page here.
You can also follow the blog on Twitter at @Fortress_Island where I share other information and photographs. If you prefer Facebook I also have a page there.
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If you have questions or information to share you can contact me by email on Contact@Island-Fortress.Com.
You can also find articles, podcasts, TV appearances and other social media etc here.
I will be adding more as time permits. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please share it on social media or add a comment if you did. Feedback is always appreciated.
Also happy to be contacted with questions about the war in the Channel Islands, media appearances, podcasts etc.
© Nick Le Huray