The annual ceremony remembers the plight of the thousands of forced and enslaved labourers who were brought to Jersey against their will during the Occupation by Organisation Todt, the Nazi civil and military engineering organisation responsible for the Atlantic Wall fortifications. The first person to officially lead the organisation of the ceremony was former Spanish Republican forced worker the late Francisco Font. His son, Gary, took over in 2001 and has this year handed over the reins to Jersey Heritage.

The charity has also launched a new themed cycling route that commemorates the experience of forced and enslaved labourers in Jersey. The Forced Labour Camps in Jersey route is in partnership with Liberation Route Europe (LRE) and Gary Font has worked with Jersey Heritage on the content.

Chris Addy, Jersey Heritage’s World War II Fortifications Curator, is organising the Slave Workers’ Memorial Ceremony. He said: “It is a privilege for Jersey Heritage to be asked to organise this important annual memorial ceremony and we feel honoured that Gary Font has entrusted it to us. He is very modest about his quarter of a century contribution to remembrance and regards himself simply as a guardian of the Slave Workers’ Memorial Ceremony, like those representing the many nationalities and beliefs who have supported it without question year after year. However, Gary has demonstrated incredible devotion and commitment over the years and we are committed to ensuring the ceremony continues in the same manner and spirit that he has maintained for the past 25 years.

“Alongside the ceremony, we have launched the new Forced Labour Camps in Jersey cycling route, which is an opportunity for people to discover the stories of forced and enslaved workers during the Occupation and further demonstrates our commitment to ensuring these stories are not forgotten.”

Starting as an informal commemoration in the 1960s, the Slave Workers’ Memorial Ceremony became a formal event in 1971 when the memorial itself was inaugurated. It has taken place on Liberation Day since then. The service is attended by over 100 people each year, with more than 40 wreaths laid.

Gary Font said: “On behalf of myself, the founders and families of those who attend the Slave Workers’ Memorial Ceremony each year, it is with great pleasure I pass on the guardianship to the safe hands of Jersey Heritage, who I know with their experience, understanding and empathy will ensure the ceremony always remains a valued part of our Island’s history.”

Picture opportunity: The Slave Workers Memorial Ceremony 2026 takes place at Westmount at 3pm on Saturday, 9 May. The ceremony is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. Anyone laying a wreath is asked to arrive before 2.15pm.

This year, descendants of Ramon Lluch-Planes, a Spanish Republican forced worker who died in Jersey, will attend for the first time having recently discovered the tragic fate of their grandfather. They will stand alongside multiple generations of families of forced workers to share in the act of remembrance.

Forced Labour Camps in Jersey route

The new route links the 13 places around the Island where forced labour camps were located during the Occupation. They are all marked with LRE Vectors of Memory, which are symbolic trail markers that honour people, places and stories throughout Europe. The Vectors, which were designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, are the first to be laid in the Channel Islands.

The new trail is at www.liberationroute.com/themed-routes/180/forced-labour-camps-in-jersey

Jersey Heritage is a joint member of the LRE with Visit Jersey. The LRE website also hosts two other Jersey-themed routes, the Liberation of St Helier and the Jersey Stolpersteine Trail. The latter joins up the first 20 memory stones laid in Jersey in 2024 to remember local victims of Nazi persecution. A second part of this trail dedicated to the ‘Jersey 21’ (Islanders who never returned from Nazi prisons and camps) is due to follow soon.

Image:  taken on the responsibility of organising the Slave Workers’ Memorial Ceremony, held in the grounds of Jersey Crematorium at Westmount on Liberation Day.