Robert Charles Green

By Gilly Carr

Robert Green, relative (perhaps younger brother) of Gordon Green, with whom he lived along with their younger brother Gerald, was born on 10 September 1923 in London. At the time of the registration of Islanders in January 1941, Robert Green was 17 years old. We do not know why or when he came to Jersey but he was, at this point, single and without an occupation. As Gordon Green was born in Jersey, it seems likely that the family had Jersey connections and that perhaps their parents had either died or else had moved to England for the duration of the war.

Robert Green comes to our attention because, on 7 January 1942, when he was now working as a labourer, he was sentenced by the Court of the Field Command 515 to 9 months’ imprisonment for ‘serious larceny’.  He was sentenced with Robert Bell, Charles Grihault and Ronald Staples, suggesting that the men were working together. As they were sentenced by the German court, we can also surmise that the alleged theft was from the Germans.

Green was deported with the three other men on 5 February 1942. They arrived the following day, on 6 February, at Caen Prison. On 15 July Green was transferred to Fort d’Hauteville Prison in Dijon. Ronald Staples, on the other hand, who was also still imprisoned with him, was sent to Troyes Haut-Clos Prison. It was more usual for men with a similar length sentence to travel together, so these men were probably deliberately split up.

The following day, on 16 July, Robert Green arrived in Fort d’Hauteville. Although his sentence was due to expire on 6 October 1942, he was held until 13 November 1942 and was then transferred to St Denis Internment Camp in Paris with Robert Bell via ‘security service in Dijon’.

In a later testimony, Robert Bell records that after 18 months in St Denis, he was transferred to Laufen Internment Camp with other single men deported from the Channel Islands in September 1942. As Robert Green, like Bell, was born in the UK, it is entirely possible that he had the same wartime trajectory. Both men survived the war. Another internee, William Percival, later noted that Robert Green was with him in Spittal internment camp, indicating a series of internment camp experiences.

The family of Robert Green are invited to get in touch with the Frank Falla Archive if they wish to share information about his story.

Sources

Robert Green’s Occupation registration card, Jersey Archives ref. St/H/5/4811.

Robert Green’s Occupation registration form, Jersey Archives ref. St/H/5/4812 and 4813.

Robert Green’s record, political prisoner register copyright Jersey Archives ref. D/AG/B7/7.

Robert Green’s court records, copyright Jersey Archives ref. D/Z/H6/3/19.

Robert Green’s records from Caen Prison, Calvados Archives ref. 1664 w 33.

Robert Green’s records from Fort d’Hauteville Prison, Dijon, Archives départementales de la Côte-d’Or, ref. 1409 w 1-13.