This gallery covers the events of 9 May 1945 and the following days. See After the Liberation for a further gallery of photographs of post-Liberation photographs taken in the following weeks and months
The liberating troops of Force 135 and the German surrender
Before the Occupation the Germans demanded that the island display white crosses as a sign of surrender. On the eve of the Liberation the occupiers were required to do the same
Liberating troops on their way to the Channel Islands
The Liberation fleet
HMS Beagle (Imperial War Museum)
The Bailiff heads out to HMS Bulldog
Bailiff Alexander Coutanche heads out to HMS Bulldog
Heinze surrenders
The surrender
The first two British officers to arrive on shore, Capt Ronald McDonald and Lieut David Milne
LCL130, the first vessel to enter the harbour on Liberation Day
The crew of LC130
One of the taskforce landing craft
Naval officers on one of the ships of the Liberation taskforce
Members of Force 135 examine a large field gun at St Martin
British soldiers escort German prisoners through St Lawrence
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The liberating troops land
One of the taskforce landing craft
Force 135 troops landing at First Tower
Landing craft in St Aubin's Bay
A landing craft in St Helier Harbour
DUKW landing craft cross the Weighbridge after landing in the Victoria Harbour
Liberators landing at La Folie ...
... and marching to town
Tommies at the Weighbridge
A church parade at St James'
Liberating troops parade outside the Pomme d'Or Hotel
Some of the British Liberation forces
A parade of Liberation troops in 1945
Liberating troops being conducted through St Helier by a Jersey policeman
Liberating troops
Soldiers offering cigarettes to liberated islanders
Liberation soldiers from Force 135 at the Weighbridge
Naval members of the liberating forces
British troops march through York Street in a Liberation celebration
An amateur photo of liberating troops outside the Beaufort Hotel
Members of the liberating contingent inside the Airport building
Colonel Robinson at the Weighbridge
Esplanade
La Motte Street
Communications at the Weighbridge
Liberating troops from the Royal Armoured Ordnance Corps in a Morris Tourer
Crowds gather
In the Royal Square
The Royal Square was crowded on 8 May for Churchill's speech
Colonel Robinson addresses the excited crowd in the Royal Square
The crowds at West Park on Liberation Day
Outside the Pomme d'Or Hotel
Brigadier Snow in the Royal Square on 12 May
Outside the Pomme d'Or Hotel
Crowds outside the Pomme d'Or Hotel
The 12 May 1945 ceremonies in the Royal Square
Crowds at the pierhead photographed from LC130
The crowd rushes down Mulcaster Street to greet the liberating troops
A Liberation Day kiss for a soldier
At the Grand Hotel
At the Harbour
The Bailiff at the Weighbridge ...
... and a closer view
12 May 1945
Prisoners of War
Prisoners of war in Conway Street
Prisoners of war on the beach awaiting their departure from the island
German prisoners walk to the Harbour under escort
Liberation, and German troops are taken away to PoW camps
German PoWs
German PoWs
German PoWs
A German officer now a prisoner of war
German officers arrive in Southampton as Prisoners of War
German prisoners marched down Conway Street
German prisoners of war march dejectedly towards their ejection from the island
Lines of German prisoners wait to leave the island
German prisoners embark on a landing craft
Lines of Germans waiting on the beach
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Prisoners of War being transferred from the shore in landing craft
Prisoners of War in a landing craft
The Prinses Josephine Charlotte, which took Germans to England
A German officer escorted into captivity
Prisoners of war on 12 May 1945 escorted by an English soldier
German prisoners at St Lawrence
Sundry Liberation pictures
Brigadier Snow in the Royal Square on 12 May
Freed forced workers
A house decorated to celebrate freedom
Brigadier Snow, Darvall and Colonel Robinson
Brigadier Snow, who led the Liberation forces, visits Alderney
The Empire Day parade on Victoria Avenue
Crowds watch the Empire Day parade on 24 May 1945
Empire Day
A German vessel in the harbour on Liberation Day
A captured German naval vessel
SurgeonLt Ronald McDonald and SubLt David Milne with Jersey nursing staff
King George VI's message to islanders in 1945
At the Harbour
At the Harbour
Prisoners released from Newgate Street jail: Bunny O'Neill, Mr Rondel, Charles Gruchy, Marin Le Cornu, Hugh La Cloche, Basil Thornton, Siebe Kosta, John Bisson
A chance to read a newspaper again
A Liberator's story
On the Albert Pier as the first to arrive are greeted by locals
Role reversal from 1940 to 1945. Now the Germans were required to paint white surrender crosses, this one at Corbiere
Another cross on the New North Quay
Ommaroo Hotel on 9 May
- Liberation: Our main page on the events of 9 May 1945
- See also After the Liberation for more pictures of the following weeks and months
- And Hedley's diary, a personal account of the post-Liberation years
