Philip James McCallen

By Gilly Carr

Philip James McCallen was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, on 7 June 1901. He was married, but no record can be found of his wife in Jersey during the Occupation, indicating that she had perhaps evacuated. McCallen indicated on his Occupation registration form that the couple had no children, but his French prison records state that they had one child. Further, it is worth adding that on all court records and prison records, McCallen’s surname is spelled McCallan, even though his registration card and form (and signature) spells his surname as McCallen.

At the time he comes to our attention, McCallen lived at 8 Grand Union Road and worked as a motor driver and, later, as an engineer. On 16 June 1942 he was court martialled and sentenced to one year and six months’ imprisonment for ‘fraud and embezzlement.’ The document in Jersey Archives which states this describes his address as ‘Silvertide, First Tower, St Helier’. While the name of ‘Silvertide’ struck fear into the hearts of most inhabitants of Jersey, the Geheime Feldpolizei or GFP had their headquarters in a house of the same name in a different part of St Helier – in Havre de Pas. This means that the ‘Silvertide’ where McCallen lived was a different place, even though this address is not provided on his Occupation registration card or form. The Jersey political prisoner log book states that McCallen was deported under escort on 1 July 1942, along with Gordon Brehaut, a Guernseyman who had been sentenced in Jersey, and Alfred Baker from Sark.

A second document in Jersey Archives states that the Attorney General was informed on 27 September 1943 that, in a decree dated 29 June 1943, McCallen’s sentence was ‘deferred until the end of hostilities’ and that, ‘upon his release on 15 September 1943, was interned.’ Where, then, was McCallen between 1 July 1942 and 15 September 1943, and where was he interned? To answer this question, we must turn to the French archives.

These show that, like Gordon Brehaut and Alf Baker, with whom he was deported, McCallen was sent to Caen Prison from 2 July to 15 July 1942. After this, he arrived at Troyes Hauts-Clos Prison on 16 July 1942 with Brehault. On 8 August 1942, both he and Brehaut were transferred to Clairvaux Prison, and from here McCallen was sent alone to Châlons sur Marne Prison on 30 September 1943.

McCallen’s records state that he was interned upon his release. According to Roger Harris, author of Islanders Deported, he was sent to Laufen  Internment Camp. On 20 February 1945 he was transferred to Spittal Drau Internment Camp. In June 1945, those liberated from Spittal-Drau were repatriated to the UK.

Sources

Philip McCallen’s occupation registration form and card, Jersey Archives Archives ref. St.H/6/4730, 471 and 4732.

Philip McCallen’s court records, Jersey Archives ref. D/Z/H6/3/81.

Philip McCallen’s entry, Jersey’s political prisoner log book, Jersey Archives ref. D/AG/B7/7.

Philip McCallen’s records at Caen Prison, Calvados Archives ref. 1664 w 35.

Philip McCallen’s records at Troyes Hauts-Clos Prison and Clairvaux Prison, Archives Départementales de l’Aube, Troyes, ref. 1039W14 & 1360W362.

Harris, R. 1979. Islanders Deported. Ilford: CISS.