Church Street, Jersey: French Mobilisation

Available for over a year

On 3 August 1914, a sunny Bank Holiday Monday, crowds of people who would normally be spending a restful day in Jersey, instead witnessed hundreds of tearful farewells. By the time Great Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August, the majority of French male nationals had left the island and at a stroke, the sizable French community was without its menfolk. Leaving their families and jobs behind, a large section of society left Jersey to answer a call to arms to defend France. Under the Three Year Rule, 19-year-old able-bodied Frenchmen had to serve three years with the army, starting a 28-year commitment that could see them as reservists called up, whether they lived in France or not. While traditionally we remember those who fought for the British forces, it’s thought nearly two and half thousand Frenchmen left Jersey during WW1 to fight “pour la patrie” (for the fatherland). Location: Former French Consulate, Church Street, Jersey JE2 3NL Image: Church Street – then and now – courtesy of Societe Jersiase