Russian Pyotr Bokatenka time in Occupied Jersey

His Story

He was beaten up by brutal Todt guards

Befriended by loyal folk, and betrayed by informers

Forced into German slave labour, beaten up by brutal Todt guards, a witness of foul murders and cruelty, hunted, hungry and eventually befriended by warm hearted Jersey people. Those, in brief, are the experiences, since July, 1942, of a young Ukranian, Pyotr Bokatenka (Dennis), as he told them in graphic and often harrowing story to an “Evening Post” representative.
Peter was born in Weseln — Koot ? a village in the Kilovograd province of the Ukraine. His parents were peasants. For ten years he attended a State school and, on leaving, became a cinematograph operator at Znamenks ? (Znamenskoi). After a time he tired of cinema work and returned to his home on the collective farm, where he drove a tractor. Then came the war — July 1941. Pyotr who was 17, was soon making things difficult for the Germans who over ran his village. The German occupation laws were rigid. Travel from one village to another was forbidden and it was not surprising when the young men began to make trouble. In July, 1942, the heads of the village gave the young men over to the Germans, those who tried to escape were shot. The others were placed in a train and sent to Germany and from there onto France.
“That train experience will long remain in my memory,” stated Pyotr, who spoke English very well. “Many of us were crowded into a truck and there we remained for a month. The conditions were terrible. Our food consisted of black bread and soup which was given to us in small rations. When we left that truck at St Malo many of us were to weak to walk.”

In Jersey

The Russians reached Jersey on August 16th, 1942 and punched along by their Todt guards, they were marched to a camp at St Brelade. Two weeks later young Bokatenka was transferred to the Five Mile Road, where murder and savage cruelty became almost daily occurrences, but at the time only a few Islanders were aware of the real state of affairs. Men too weak to work were either shot or clubbed to death and then buried by the roadside. Mere boys were whipped and foully treated. Bokatenka saw youths feeble with illness and hunger, mercilessly hit with spades by the Todt guards until they collapsed and were left to die. To his knowledge at least seventy died in that Jersey horror camp during the short time he was there.
A Todt guard gave Bokatenka a thrashing so he determined to escape. That night he made a get away but was recaptured and given another thrashing. He escaped again but at that period the Russians were being blamed for all the widespread thefts and consequently food was hard to get. Once again this lad — he was only 18 — was caught and this time taken before the Feld Kommandant, who sentenced him to ten days in a punishment camp at St John’s Quarry. After a week in the prison he was given 24 strokes with a birch. Next an Austrian soldier took a note from him to College House and was soon sent back to the camp at the Five Mile Road.

A Merciless Beating

Weak from hunger and his suffering, young Bokatenka fell ill, but the O.T. chief, dissatisfied with the boy’s work, gave him another meciless beating, smashing his teeth and cutting open his lips “I became desperate,” added the Russian, “And I made up my mind to escape again, I knew mine fields surrounded the camp but I did not care, anything was better than my existence. I just wanted to die. That night I ran through the minefields, but the next day, with my clothes torn, I was arrested by the Jersey Police at St Mary as a vagabond. The Jersey Police car came and fetched me and I was taken to College House. This time I was not beaten and they gave me a note to get some clothes, but when I showed it to the Camp Commandant he only laughed .
“I escaped again, but I found it very difficult to get food. Some people gave me food, but others refused. I tried the Town, where I found people kinder. But of course there were exceptions. At a house in Tower Road I asked for food and a woman asked me to wait inside. Then a German Officer entered and when he found I was a Russian he began punching me. He took me to West Park Pavilion, where I was given another beating and later on I was taken to the Fort. The feld Gendarme punched me in the mouth and my face was covered with blood. Next day I refused to wash and said I was going to show myself to the Feld Kommandant. The Feld Gendarme tried to persuade me to wash and offered me cigarettes. I refused, but eventually I was forced to wipe blood from my face. At College House I refused to go back to the Five Mile Road and sent me to St George’s Camp at St Ouen. That Camp was also heavily guarded, and there were minefields all around, but I knew I could only die once and so, after a month, on May 5th, 1943 I escaped once more, and it proved to be for the last time.

Loyal Friends and Foul Traitors

“I went to Mr. W.F. Sarre at Clifton, Millbrook, St Lawrence, and he readily gave me clothes and food. I stayed with him for nine months but had to leave when a wicked neighbour threatened to report him to the Germans. I went to Mr Edgar Simon, at St John’s, where I stayed for one month. At that time I think all the Russians in Jersey were taken back to St Malo. The Germans there were many escaped Russians in Jersey and were offering 30 marks for their capture and much more for wireless sets. At St John there were two men who were informing the Germans, and so I had to leave Mr. Simon. From there I went to Mr C.J. Le Sueur , baker and grocer, at Six Rues Villa, St Lawrence. Mr Le Sueur was very kind but I had to stay inside all day as the Germans were searching for me. Next I moved to Mr. E.G. Cudlipp, Woodlands, Mont a L’Abbé. He too, was very kind but we were afraid of Mr -----, who lived nearby, for the German police were always being entertained by him, and so after seven months with Mr. Cudlipp, I had to move again. I next spent two months with Mr. Gefroy, at Vale Chalet, Millbrook, then I stayed with Mr. S.D. Blampied, Broadfields, St Lawrence, and with Mr Le Cornu, the postman, of Overdale, St Ouen.

Shot at by a German Guard

While I was staying with Mr Le Cornu I heard that Roy Perkins, of Tregear’s, proposed to escape to France. I wanted to go with him but the trip was postponed owing to the rough weather. I stayed the night with Roy’s people and the next night I went to visit Mr. Sarre. I was stopped by a German Guard who, after questioning me, marched me off to his headquarters, I went with him for a way but when we reached some crossroads I escaped. He fired at me and missed, and then blew a whistle, I went across the fields and then through a hedge and in the darkness, I rolled down a cotil into a valley. With my face cut and clothes torn, I made my way up to Mr. Cudlipp at Mont à L’Abbé. That night wearing glasses and a mack, I walked to St Lawrence to tell Roy Perkins what had happened to me.
“I returned to Mr Le Cornu at St Ouen’s, but as he had a family and food was short I did not want to burden him, so I left. I wandered the countryside, sleeping here, eating there and often I was hungry. Last Christmas I met Mr. Frank Le Marquand, of Le Riches Stores, and he sent me to his sister, Mrs. J. Le Feuvre, Roseland, St Peter, and she gave me food and clothing, but I couldn’t stay as her relatives included a Jurat and a Constable. Since then I have stayed one week with Mr Le Marquand at his house in Clubley Estate and the next week with Major T.F.V. Cooke, Westmount, and so on until now, when I am staying permanently with Mr. Le Marquand — and I am very happy.”

He would like to stay in Jersey

That is Pyotr Bokatenka's story. It must be much the same as that of many other young Russians. Peter says that he knows of at least fifteen who have escaped, all of whom have been befriended by Jerseymen. His one great wish now is that he will be allowed to stay in Jersey for a few months so that he can pay off the debt of £20 he has borrowed from a Jerseyman.
Pyotr speaks English better than he can write it and therefore he has asked “The Evening Post” to thank all the people mentioned who have befriended him, in addition he thanks Dr. Mortimer Evans and Dr McKinstry for helping him to obtain Red Cross parcels and for treatment, and three young men who gave him their identity cards — Messrs. Denis Le Flem, “Seaview”, Mont Cochon, Arthur Perron, of Messrs. A. De Gruchy and Co., and Edward Du Feu, “Edano”, St Lawrence. He also thanks Messrs. Le Flem senior, “Seaview”, Mont Cochon; Waltaer Bastard, “Manor Farm”, Rue De Bas, St Lawrence; R. Le Mottée, “La Villaize”, St Ouen; John Huchet, “Abbey Gate”, St Lawrence, and A.J. Laurens, photographer, York Street.

Note: The wife of William "Bill" Sarre survives and the family still has the gold watch awarded them for the help they gave to Pyotr and other escaped slave workers.

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