'We couldn't believe our luck': Michael Burke's SS Vega memories 80 years on

  • The fourth piece of our special five-part series marking the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the SS Vega

  • Sophie Dulson meets Michael Burke from Jersey, who shares his memories of the day he received his parcel

The Channel Islands are marking a special milestone anniversary: celebrating 80 years since the SS Vega docked in Jersey and Guernsey harbours to deliver thousands of precious Red Cross parcels.

From December 1944, the relief ship delivered more than 100,000 Red Cross parcels, helping to keep thousands alive during the Occupation.

Each package contained food, toiletries, and medical supplies to bolster islanders' diets who had to make do with very little during the German Occupation.

They would have provided nearly 500 extra daily calories per person.

Across 2024, ITV Channel's Sophie Dulson interviewed five islanders who revisited their special memories of receiving their parcels.

The SS Vega's cargo

The SS Vega made several trips to the Channel islands from December 1944 to June 1945 Credit: Société Jersiaise

  • 119,792 standard food parcels

  • 4,200 diet supplement parcels for the ill

  • 5.2 tons of salt

  • Four tons of soap

  • 96,000 cigarettes

  • Medical and surgical supplies (equivalent to 1,850kg or 3,700lb)

  • A small quantity of clothing for children and babies

Michael Burke's story:

During the Occupation, Michael grew up near Havre des Pas in St Helier. Credit: Michael Burke

Michael was just a young boy when the Germans came to occupy his home.

He recalls the day they arrived in Jersey in the summer of 1940, explaining: "We saw German planes coming towards us - I remember two German planes with the swastikas on them flying over us.

"My father and I laid down on the sand and they flew over the top of us and went over Mount Bingham and then bombed the harbour."

A few days later, the Germans landed at Jersey Airport and took over the island for the next five years.

Credit: British Pathé

Michael recalls a time when he became subject to the harsh Nazi regime, recounting: "One time a football belonging to the Germans went past me and I didn't kick it back to them.

"A German soldier then came rushing towards me and kicked me from behind and knocked me down and started kicking me, I got up and I had to run home in a real mess.

"I went into the house and my father and mother were there.

"I told my father what had happened and my father couldn't do anything about it."

Credit: Jersey Heritage

Sadly, it wasn't just the violence Michael had to endure, but also the deprivation of basic commodities like food.

He furthers: "The Germans who lived by the Ommaroo Hotel used to put some of their garbage out and I can remember going in and looking through the garbage.

"I remember finding loaves of bread that were all mouldy and taking them back home - quite unbelievable really but that's the way it was."

Despite having very little during the war years, Michael's parents did what they could to make sure he and his sister didn't go without.

He explains: "My mother cooked up whatever she could get for us but we didn't know what we were going to get.

"My father started to collect rabbits to eat but I refused to eat the rabbits - that was the best my father could do.

"I think he used to go to work on the farms and pick a few potatoes up but then he would stick them down his trouser leg so the Germans wouldn't know that he was taking anything home from the farm - it really happened."

This first voyage of Red Cross supplies brought 119,792 standard food parcels to the islands. Credit: Société Jersiaise

During the last year of Occupation, islanders became desperate.

Food was scarce and people had very little to survive on, but when Michael was 11, the SS Vega docked into Jersey's harbour on 30 December 1944, bringing precious food parcels.

Michael vividly remembers: "When the first ship came in, we went up to the top of Mount Bingham and we saw the SS Vega coming in from Portugal, with the supplies on board.

"It was unbelievable. We couldn't believe our luck because people were actually close to starving at that time, so without those Red Cross parcels, I don't know what would have happened."

What did the Red Cross parcels contain?

Credit: ITV Channel

The Canadian parcels contained:

  • 5oz Chocolate, 12oz Biscuits, 3oz Sardines, 16oz Milk powder, 6oz Prunes, 8oz Salmon, 12oz Corned beef, 7oz Raisins, 8oz Sugar, 4oz Tea, 4oz Cheese, 16oz Marmalade, 16oz Butter, 10oz Spam, 3oz Soap and 1oz Pepper and salt

And the parcels from New Zealand held:

  • 4oz Tea, 16oz Corned mutton, 12oz Lamb and green peas, 6oz Chocolate, 16oz Butter, 16oz Coffee and milk, 6oz Sugar, 7oz Peas, 14oz Jam, 16oz Honey, 12oz Cheese and 6oz Raisins

Michael received a Canadian Red Cross parcel, reminiscing: "It was all Canadian goods, I remember the [powdered] milk - KLIM - being one of the things.

"There were lots of special little things in the parcel that we hadn't seen for years.

"I couldn't believe my luck that I lived through it and that we all did.

"Just don't let something like this happen again, but that's an impossible dream."

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