Discovery of Unseen Uncle’s Photo Leads to Book Publication

A Jersey resident has authored a book concerning an uncle whose existence was previously unknown to him. Phil Le Brocq found pictures of a young man in an RAF uniform stored in a cupboard at his parents’ residence. “I asked my father who it was and he said it was his brother,“ Phil stated. Pete Le Brocq’s story had remained untold due to his mother’s profound grief following his death in World War Two, shortly after he turned 21. Phil embarked on a quest to uncover his uncle’s history, culminating 35 years later in the publication of his book, *No Time*. While attending Jersey’s Victoria College, Pete Le Brocq harbored aspirations of becoming a pilot. Prior to the German occupation of the Channel Islands, he convinced his mother to evacuate to the UK and subsequently enlisted in the RAF before reaching the age of 16. Within a year, he achieved qualification as a sergeant pilot and completed 39 missions, primarily in the Middle East, flying Wellington bombers over the subsequent two-year period. Although that tour of duty was expected to provide Pete with a break from flying, Phil noted that he transitioned directly to aircraft conducting torpedo attacks on German shipping, continuing through D-Day and subsequent operations. When not flying, he engaged in sketching as a means to alleviate the stress of his missions. During his childhood, he had received instruction from Edmund Blampied, Jersey’s most renowned artist. In July 1944, Pete brought his sketchbook home. He conveyed to his mother his apprehension that his end was approaching and instructed her not to weep if he perished in combat. The day following his return to duty, while departing on another mission, Pete’s Bristol Beaufighter experienced an engine failure and crashed on a Lincolnshire runway due to the collapse of its undercarriage. Pete’s navigator was successfully pulled away from the flames, but Pete himself became ensnared in the cockpit, making him inaccessible. “He was so young,” Phil commented. “I felt that I had to tell his story.” For updates, follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Story ideas can be submitted to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.