Death at 99 of one of island’s liberators
A D-Day veteran who helped liberate the island in 1945 has died aged 99.
Corporal Jack Quinn, who was from Sheffield, returned to Guernsey in 2022 for that year’s Liberation Day celebrations.
He died at home last Friday following a short illness.
Corporal Quinn joined the Army in 1941, aged 16, as part of the Home Guard, before volunteering for the Royal Marines the following year in 1942.
Initially based at Chatham, he served on HMS Royal Sovereign on convoy duty, then transferred to amphibious.
He carried out his training at Inverness and Achnacarry Castle in Scotland, followed by practice beach landings in Devon.
He was also based for a long period in Poole.
On 6 June 1944, Corporal Quinn participated in the D-Day landings and was awarded the Croix de Guerre with silver star – a French military decoration – for his role in helping to breach underwater defences offshore from Gold Beach.
On 9 May 1945, he was a member of the armed forces that liberated Guernsey, arriving at the Old Harbour at 9.43am.
On a visit to the island in 2022, the first time he had been back since Liberation, he recalled the feeling of euphoria from the islanders he was helping to free.
‘A woman came up and kissed my boots,’ he said.
‘She gave me a piece of potato peel pie which tasted like manure, so I spat it out.’ She said: “You wouldn’t have done that if you had been starving like we were”.’
He also remembered being surprised to see the Woolworths store on the Quay.
‘I remember thinking that we had one of those in Sheffield,’ he said.
He spent two days in the island rounding up German prisoners.
‘It was clear that the average German soldier had had enough too, but the SS and Gestapo were speaking to people like dirt,’ he recalled.
Defence Secretary among those to pay tribute to ‘incredible legacy’
Several tributes have been made to Corporal Jack Quinn following his death.
His stepdaughter, Jill Handisides, said that he often talked about his memories of the Liberation.
‘He couldn’t believe that people were starving. He remembered not seeing any animals except for one donkey which was used to help transport things around.’
She accompanied him on his visit to Guernsey in 2022 for the Liberation Day celebrations, and said that he remembered parts of St Peter Port looking the same as it did in 1945.
‘He recognised the layout of the harbour.
‘One of his other favourite activities as part of his visit in 2022 was going to Sark with the Gurkhas, he absolutely loved it.’
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps also paid tribute.
‘He leaves an incredible legacy, and my thoughts are with his loved ones today.
‘We will never forget the sacrifice and service of Jack and his comrades.’
Corporal Quinn was a veteran ambassador for the British Normandy Memorial, built to honour those who died serving under British command in the Normandy campaign during the Second World War.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the memorial’s official account said Corporal Quinn was a much loved supporter of the memorial project, and last June was appointed as an ambassador.
‘Our deepest condolences to Jack’s family & friends,’ it added.
The 80th anniversary of D-Day will be commemorated at the memorial in June.
