Bailiff responds to campaign for Brigadier Snow remembrance - Jersey Evening Post
by Elen Johnston · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
Bailiff responds to campaign for Brigadier Snow remembrance
by Elen Johnston 13 July 202610 July 2026
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THE BAILIFF has backed calls for Brigadier Alfred Snow’s contribution to the Liberation of the Channel Islands to be remembered – but stopped short of supporting a memorial dedicated solely to the commander.
In a letter sent to the British Channel Islands World War Two Remembrance Campaign, Bailiff Robert MacRae acknowledged Brigadier Snow’s pivotal role in the liberation of Jersey and the wider Channel Islands, but suggested that any lasting recognition should reflect the collective effort behind the Islands’ freedom.
The response follows a campaign launched by campaign leader Kevin South after the discovery earlier this year that Brigadier Snow’s ashes were scattered in an unmarked communal grave at Taunton Deane Crematorium in Somerset.
Mr South had written to the Bailiff asking for support to establish a permanent remembrance – suggesting either a memorial, commemorative marker or assistance in ensuring Brigadier Snow’s resting place was permanently marked.
He praised Brigadier Snow as the officer who formally proclaimed Jersey’s liberation in Royal Square on 9 May 1945 by reading King George VI’s message to Islanders.
The Bailiff recognised Brigadier Snow’s leadership of Force 135 and his importance to Jersey’s history, but stressed that the liberation was the work of many servicemen and women.
“The Liberation of the Channel Islands was a considerable task which was supported by the Ministry of Defence and a vital process to demilitarise the Island and return it to civilian rule,” he said.
“This was carried out by many men and women and I would question whether it is appropriate to single out one person.”
The Bailiff highlighted the example of the SS Vega, whose role in bringing Red Cross relief supplies to the Islands during the Occupation is commemorated through a symbol recognising the ship, her crew and the humanitarian mission they undertook – rather than only her captain.
Mr McRae expressed sadness at learning that Brigadier Snow’s grave is unmarked, adding that if surviving family members existed, he hoped they would support efforts to secure recognition.
Rather than a memorial dedicated solely to Brigadier Snow in Jersey, the Bailiff suggested a broader tribute that reflected his role across all four Channel Islands.
“Acknowledging that Brigadier Snow facilitated the freedom of Jersey and all the Channel Islands, it may be appropriate to have a stone in his home town or resting place to be recognised by all islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark),” he wrote.
“This would mean that local organisations and representatives as well as Island representatives could have the opportunity to recognise Brigadier Snow in an appropriate way.”
Mr South welcomed the Bailiff’s response, describing it as “absolutely fantastic”.
The location of Brigadier Snow’s ashes was recently confirmed following months of historical research, ending decades of uncertainty over the final resting place of the officer who commanded Force 135 and later served as Military Governor following Liberation.
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