Thomas Michael Daly

By Gilly Carr

Thomas Michael Daly was born in County Longford, Ireland on 15 October 1921. We do not know when he came to Jersey, but he is likely to have been one of a number of Irish men who came to the Island to help with the potato harvest and was later trapped by the arrival of the German occupying forces. His stated occupation as a labourer supports this hypothesis. Although Daly arrived in the island as a single man, he married Kathleen Barry on 10 February 1944.

Daly comes to our attention through some notes written on his occupation registration card: ‘reported leaving for Germany 30.6.41. Reported returned from Germany 24.1.43’. We do not know why Daly went to Germany but it is assumed here that he was deported for an offence against the German authorities that was not recorded, indicating that he was deported either without trial or without notifying the local authorities.

On 22 December 1943 his name appears in the political prisoner log book as having been charged with theft. He was let out of Jersey jail on 8 January 1944; perhaps he was not convicted.

On 10 June 1944, Daly was once again in trouble with the Germans. He was convicted by troop court to five months’ imprisonment for ‘receiving stolen articles’. We do not know whether or not he was deported a second time.

Sources

Thomas Daly’s occupation registration card photo, Jersey Archives ref. D/S/A/14/A97.

Thomas Daly’s occupation registration card, Jersey Archives ref D/S/A/14/A97.

Thomas Daly’s charge sheet, Jersey Archives ref. D/Z/H6/7/97.