Gladys Skillett
Encyclopedia
Gladys Skillett, born Gladys Eileen Dillingham, (May 2, 1918 – February 11, 2010) was a British
Guernsey
nurse. In September 1942, during World War II and the German occupation of the Channel Islands, Skillett was one of 834 people from the Bailiwick of Guernsey to be deported to Germany
. Nearly 2,000 Channel Islanders
were to be deported during World War II.
Skillett was five months pregnant when she, and her London-born husband, Sydney Skillett, were sent to the Lindele internment camp
near the town of Biberach an der Riß
, Germany. Skillett gave birth to a son, David Skillett, in a small hospital in Biberach, becoming the first Channel Islander, as well as the first woman from Guernsey, to give birth in German wartime captivity. While in the hospital's maternity ward, Skillett befriended a German woman named Maria Koch, who had also just given birth to a son, Heiner. Koch's husband, Julius Koch, was in the Wehrmacht
. The two women continued their unlikely friendship through the fences surrounding Skillett's camp during the war.
Skillett's Lindele internment camp was liberated on April 23, 1945, by General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
. Skillett delivered supplies to Maria Koch and her family before being repatriated to Guernsey. However, their friendship has endured in series of exchanges between the people of Guernsey and the people of Biberach, which continue up until her death. In 2005, 60 year old David Skillett and Heiner Koch marched together in Biberich's Schützenfest
, along with another of Gladys's daughters, Gloria, who was also born during the German internment.
Gladys Skillett died on February 11, 2010, in at the age of 91. She was survived by seven children. Her husband died in 1980.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
nurse. In September 1942, during World War II and the German occupation of the Channel Islands, Skillett was one of 834 people from the Bailiwick of Guernsey to be deported to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Nearly 2,000 Channel Islanders
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
were to be deported during World War II.
Skillett was five months pregnant when she, and her London-born husband, Sydney Skillett, were sent to the Lindele internment camp
Ilag
Ilag is an abbreviation of the German word Internierungslager. They were internment camps established by the German Army in World War II to hold Allied civilians, caught in areas that were occupied by the German Army...
near the town of Biberach an der Riß
Biberach an der Riß
Biberach is a town in the south of Germany. It is the capital of Biberach district, in the Upper Swabia region of the German state of Baden-Württemberg...
, Germany. Skillett gave birth to a son, David Skillett, in a small hospital in Biberach, becoming the first Channel Islander, as well as the first woman from Guernsey, to give birth in German wartime captivity. While in the hospital's maternity ward, Skillett befriended a German woman named Maria Koch, who had also just given birth to a son, Heiner. Koch's husband, Julius Koch, was in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. The two women continued their unlikely friendship through the fences surrounding Skillett's camp during the war.
Skillett's Lindele internment camp was liberated on April 23, 1945, by General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe François Marie, comte de Hauteclocque, then Leclerc de Hauteclocque, by a 1945 decree that incorporated his French Resistance alias Jacques-Philippe Leclerc to his name, , was a French general during World War II...
. Skillett delivered supplies to Maria Koch and her family before being repatriated to Guernsey. However, their friendship has endured in series of exchanges between the people of Guernsey and the people of Biberach, which continue up until her death. In 2005, 60 year old David Skillett and Heiner Koch marched together in Biberich's Schützenfest
Schützenfest
A Schützenfest is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of both Germany and Switzerland....
, along with another of Gladys's daughters, Gloria, who was also born during the German internment.
Gladys Skillett died on February 11, 2010, in at the age of 91. She was survived by seven children. Her husband died in 1980.