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Grave of Jersey teen who survived concentration camps found | |
(1 day later) | |
The grave of a Jersey teenager who may be one of two British survivors of the Nazi Bergen-Belsen concentration camp during World War Two has been found. | |
Frank Le Villio was 19 when he was arrested by the Germans in Jersey in 1944 after taking a "joyride" on a German soldier's motorbike. | Frank Le Villio was 19 when he was arrested by the Germans in Jersey in 1944 after taking a "joyride" on a German soldier's motorbike. |
Historian Stanley Keiller began researching his story for a talk about his own occupation experience. | Historian Stanley Keiller began researching his story for a talk about his own occupation experience. |
He tracked him down to a pauper's grave in Nottingham. | He tracked him down to a pauper's grave in Nottingham. |
Mr Keiller said: "All the motor vehicles were confiscated; you can imagine a keen youngster couldn't resist the temptation to give a German bike a spin, they had no humour in them at all". | |
After the war Mr Le Villio made his way to Nottingham to live with his father, but died one year later of tuberculosis aged just 21, according to Mr Keiller. | |
The historian, who now lives in Devon, was looking into the story of Harold Osmond Le Druillenec, who survived Bergen-Belsen. | |
Mr Le Duillenec mentions Frank Le Villio in an account of his experience of travelling to the camp he gave to the BBC in 1946. | |
But in the account, recorded for a radio programme, Mr Le Duillenec says he parted ways with Frank before being taken to Belsen. | |
The family of Mr Le Villio say they are confident he also ended up in Bergen-Belsen at some point. | |
However, Historian Gilly Carr, from Cambridge University, said records show he was taken to the concentration camps at Neuengamme and Sandbostel - which she says was known as "little Belsen" - but there is a lack of hard evidence to confirm he was sent to Bergen-Belsen. | |
After Mr Keiller discovered Frank survived the war and made his way back to Nottingham, he put out an appeal in the local newspaper. | |
Father Derek Hailes, of St Cyprian's Church in Nottinghamshire, then contacted him, and was able to confirm Mr Villio had been buried in Wilford Hill Cemetery, Nottingh | |
He told Mr Keiller that Frank Villio had been buried in a "pauper's grave" along with seven others. | He told Mr Keiller that Frank Villio had been buried in a "pauper's grave" along with seven others. |
Following an appearance on BBC Radio Jersey by Mr Keiller a relative of Frank Le Villio, Stan Hockley, approached him to express his gratitude, saying "we never knew where he was". | Following an appearance on BBC Radio Jersey by Mr Keiller a relative of Frank Le Villio, Stan Hockley, approached him to express his gratitude, saying "we never knew where he was". |
Mr Hockley said he would be considering ways to bring Frank Le Villio's remains back to Jersey to be buried with his father and aunt. | Mr Hockley said he would be considering ways to bring Frank Le Villio's remains back to Jersey to be buried with his father and aunt. |
Mr Keiller said: "I'm absolutely delighted that we established a connection with a member of the family."am. |