Latest news with #BBCRadioGuernsey
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chalmers targets World final after new personal best
Alastair Chalmers reached the semi-finals at last summer's Olympic Games in Paris [Reuters] Alastair Chalmers says he is targeting the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships in Tokyo after running a personal best. Guernsey's reigning British champion, 25, clocked 48.30 secs in Germany on Sunday, breaking his previous best by 0.24 seconds. Advertisement Chalmers narrowly missed out on the finals at the European Championships last summer before falling in the semi-finals at the Olympic Games in Paris. Should Chalmers finish in the top two at the forthcoming British Championships, he will be guaranteed a place in Tokyo, having achieved the qualifying standard. "So much can happen between now and then, I've just got to stay healthy," he told BBC Radio Guernsey. "I think on the day in Tokyo if I can execute a really good race and I'm healthy and in good shape then there is a good chance I could make that final. "It's going to be hard, but that's the whole point of competition, you've got to turn up on the day and give if your all and not mess up." Advertisement Chalmers has won the last five British titles and is in the form of his life, having improved his best time year on year. "Running the fastest time of your life is always a lovely feeling," he added. "When I crossed the line I was just very happy that I'd run that world qualifier, personal best, I think it was a meet record as well. "I'm just in a great place physically and mentally and it just allows me to go out and run quick on the track against some really high quality athletes." The World Championships in Japan will take place from 13-21 September.
BBC News
11-04-2025
- BBC News
WW2 pilot recalls his part in sinking a German submarine
A 103-year-old Royal Navy lieutenant commander has been sharing stories with Guernsey's Lieutenant Governor of his service during the World War Gen Richard Cripwell recorded the interview with John Barnes as part of the Island Memories is an oral archive of islanders' memories, initially of World War Two, which is a joint project between BBC Radio Guernsey and Guernsey up at the start of the war, London-born Mr Barnes went on to serve for 23 years and said sinking a German U-boat was his biggest contribution to the war effort. 'Attacked by torpedoes' Having joined up as a naval airman second class, basic training was followed by several months flying training in Canada. From there, Mr Barnes said he was assigned to flying Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers, protecting convoys in the Mediterranean and later the remembered his first aircraft carrier well - HMS Argus was "the original carrier, built in 1918".He said: "She was an amazing ship because she was badly placed with lack of watertight doors but she survived the war." He laughed as he recalled being attacked by torpedoes "once or twice" but "they missed, so that was it". Mr Barnes described the Swordfish as a "lovely plane to fly, especially if you liked fresh air, because it was an open cockpit".By February 1943, he joined escort carrier HMS described the work as "interesting" although added it could be boring when the weather was too rough to fly for several said: "I can remember sitting on the stern, waiting to fly and watching my altimeter go up and down by 50 feet [as a result of waves hitting the ship]."He added: "I didn't like flying at night because there was so little light. You were terrified you'd lose the convoy." Mr Barnes got lost in the Denmark Strait once in what he described as "appalling weather".He said a fortnight of cloudy weather after leaving the Clyde in Scotland had meant the ship ended up 12 miles (19km) out of he and his crew attempted to return after three hours, and with visibility of less than half-a-mile (800m), they were radio silence in force, they searched until almost out of fuel and then flew to the nearest turned out to be the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Barnes later found out they had landed near Malariff one crew member waited with the plane, he described how he and one other trekked in gale-force winds across the volcanic landscape to the nearest town to call for help.A search party was already on its way to find the trio and Mr Barnes said they re-joined HMS Biter the following day. 'My best effort' Mr Barnes said they did not often see enemy submarines but he was involved in sinking one on 12 May recalled: "I'd just taken off from the convoy and went straight ahead and there was a U-boat on the surface trying to cross from right to left to get in front of the main convoy."I went straight in and dropped my depth charges."That disabled the submarine as HMS Broadway "finished him off". Later he was told it was U-89. "That was my best effort in the war," he 80 years since the end of WW2, Mr Barnes, who moved to Guernsey in the 1960s, reflected on his said: "It was just something I was part of. I don't think back to it much.""Just some of the good friends I lost, I remember so well. That was war."
BBC News
27-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sark toy panda stabbed during German occupation to go on display
A toy panda that was stabbed by German soldiers in Sark in World War Two, will be part of an exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the islands' liberation from Le Page has been telling BBC Radio Guernsey how her toy was damaged by the SS as a was three when her home island of Sark was occupied by German forces during World War remembers: "The SS searched the house with fixed bayonets and pointed their guns at us and it was really very scary." The search was due to suspicions about her father's involvement in the Guernsey Underground News Service (GUNS) which shared secret newsletters with Le Page said: "They pulled out the wicker basket under the bed and put their bayonet through it and it went right through my panda's face, which was quite upsetting." Mrs Le Page's father was Hubert Lanyon, the island all radios were confiscated by the occupying forces, Mrs Le Page said "a group of really brave Guernsey men decided they would produce a leaflet so people could have the news."She said her father volunteered to distribute it in Sark: "I remember him collecting a lot of old books and putting numbers on the back. "Apparently when anyone came in wanting to read this news sheet he would tell them which number book it was in and they would read it and put it back." 'Searched the family home' Mrs Le Page said that a man in trouble with the German forces thought he might get a lesser sentence by naming some of the people involved in GUNS."He told them all the names and of course my father was on the list."She said the SS visited Sark, questioned Mr Lanyon and searched the family Le Page remembers: "We were all standing on the doorstep and I remember him looking at us. "I suppose he was wondering if he would ever see us again".After Mr Lanyon was taken, it was a month before the family heard what had happened to Le Page's grandfather had received special permission to go to Sark to help bake the island's bread. 'New exhibition' He was was able to tell the family that Mr Lanyon had been sentenced to six months in mother appealed to the German commandant which Mrs Le Page said resulted in his sentence being cut down to five months' hard Le Page shared her story as part of the Island Memories Project run by BBC Radio Guernsey and Guernsey Le Page's toy panda will go on display at Guernsey Museum at Candie as part of a new exhibition opening on 28 March, to mark the 80th anniversary in May of the islands' liberation from German occupation.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man 'almost evacuated during WW2' shares memories
A man from Guernsey said he was almost evacuated during the Second World War as a child before his mother had "second thoughts". Hirzel Dorey, now 91, was six years old when World War Two began and has shared his experiences as part of the Island Memories Project. The project records islanders' memories for future generations. Mr Dorey said he had been due to be evacuated, but after the boat he was set to leave on never arrived, his mother decided she wanted him to stay with her. Mr Dorey was the youngest of four brothers living at Brooklands Farm, in Kings Mills, during the Nazi Occupation of Guernsey in 1940. He said farmers had to take milk to a depot at Myrtle Place, which is now the Fleur du Jardin Hotel. He said: "Of course all the news and all the gossip was had from taking the milk twice a day. "I think the Germans were all a bit frustrated as [our talking] was all in Guernsey-French and they just couldn't make anything out." Mr Dorey said he had also remembered an explosion at Le Grantez Mill, as well as an "out of control" tank which hit a wall and killed several occupying soldiers. The Island Memories Project is being run by BBC Radio Guernsey in conjunction with Guernsey Museums to record islanders' memories. With the 80th anniversary of the bailiwick's liberation in May this year, the project is focusing on memories of World War Two. Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to WWII memories preserved for Liberation anniversary WW2 Wren listened to German messages from Guernsey Performance to mark 80 years since liberation Guernsey Museum
BBC News
09-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Guernsey man 'almost evacuated during WW2' shares memories
A man from Guernsey said he was almost evacuated during the Second World War as a child before his mother had "second thoughts". Hirzel Dorey, now 91, was six years old when World War Two began and has shared his experiences as part of the Island Memories project records islanders' memories for future Dorey said he had been due to be evacuated, but after the boat he was set to leave on never arrived, his mother decided she wanted him to stay with her. Gossip during milk rounds Mr Dorey was the youngest of four brothers living at Brooklands Farm, in Kings Mills, during the Nazi Occupation of Guernsey in said farmers had to take milk to a depot at Myrtle Place, which is now the Fleur du Jardin said: "Of course all the news and all the gossip was had from taking the milk twice a day."I think the Germans were all a bit frustrated as [our talking] was all in Guernsey-French and they just couldn't make anything out." Mr Dorey said he had also remembered an explosion at Le Grantez Mill, as well as an "out of control" tank which hit a wall and killed several occupying Island Memories Project is being run by BBC Radio Guernsey in conjunction with Guernsey Museums to record islanders' the 80th anniversary of the bailiwick's liberation in May this year, the project is focusing on memories of World War Two.
