A man who grew up in Jersey when it was occupied by the Nazi's told Rotarians about his experiences this month.

David Rive, born in Jersey, spent five years of his childhood living under the German occupation in St Helier.

Addressing Banstead Rotary Club, Mr Rive recounted the transformation of the picturesque Channel Island into a fortress covered with machine gun nests, barbed wire and mines.

Mr. Rive described the hardships faced by island residents as they were put to work by the occupying forces and forced to survive on a meagre diet of improvised seaweed-blancmange and sourdough bread as blockades and the invasion of Normandy cut off crucial supply lines from occupied France.

The islander described how aid packages from The Red Cross combined with the ingenuity and resilience of locals sustained Jersey's residents until the end of the war.

The meeting closed with Mr Rive selling a number of self-produced booklets detailing the experiences of wartime Jersey, with all proceeds donated to The Red Cross.

The Banstead Rotary Club also made a donation to the charitable organisation whose assistance had been so vital to the survival of the islanders.