Richard Heaume has been dedicated to preserving the history of our Islands’ WWII occupation for over 75 years. A recognisable figure within the history of Guernsey amongst locals and tourists alike, his passion for ensuring the memory of wartime islanders is honoured as a worthy cause.
His extensive collection of memorabilia has been presented in his prized German Occupation Museum in Guernsey since 1966.
A Childhood Obsession
Richard was born in 1944 during the war and towards the end of the occupation of Guernsey. He grew up on the farm land upon which his museum still sits and where the Luftwaffe firing range was. As a five year old, he spent his days collecting shells and bullets from the remaining sandpits in the fields (which he admits was not the safest of childhood activities).
Yet by the time he was a teen, he was leading a group of fellow friends and enthusiasts in searching out and scavenging important pieces of history in order to save them. The group became the 'Channel Islands Occupation Society' in 1961 and are still going strong today. This has turned out to be a key activity at the time, combined with a huge amount of foresight in such a young boy, as many people wanted no visual reminders of the war. An island-wide desire to hide and forget the occupation years meant that a lot of his work involved clandestine jaunts into the bunkers and tunnels that were being boarded up to ‘rescue’ items before they were discarded or hidden.
The Museum Opens Its Doors
Richard was using an outbuilding on his parents’ farm to house the items saved by the occupation society and in 1966 finally decided to open the museum to the public.
The collection has continued to grow since that day and Richard has added on to the museum in order to accumulate the items, making it feel like a neverending tardis to discover. It is now an awe-inspiring collection of everything from wartime vehicles, such as a horse drawn ambulance which he ‘rescued’ from Sark, old signs and posters, uniforms, letters and documents, weapons and bullets, and even an Enigma machine.
A Lifelong Dedication
Richard’s dedication to what has become his passion has been unwavering, however he can now say that he has done our Islands a proud service by creating such a unique collection. But why did he do it? “The occupation is not just about the bunkers. It’s about the people who were here and life during the war, so it’s our history, and it’s a very important bit of history. One that should never be forgotten.” One that he hopes will continue to be treasured for generations.
Visit the Occupation Museum
Open all year round 10am-1pm and still charging a small cash-only entry fee, it’s a fascinating treasure trove of unique pieces of history - one to visit and spend a little time. More information here.
The Museum also owns Pleinmont Tower, open on Sundays and Wednesday 2pm - 4.30pm and Fort Hommet, open on Tuesdays and Saturdays 2pm - 4.30pm.
