'Rascal' landlord ran WW2 black market inside pub

The Plough Inn is thought to be Guernsey's oldest pub, dating back to 1810 - but for former landlord Chris Dean, the venue means so much more than that to him.

His family have ran the pub for generations, dating all the way back to the Nazi occupation of the island.

Although the historic pub has been shut for a year and could be turned into residential accommodation, Chris Dean has countless memories relating to his family's ties to the Plough.

None more intriguing than the story of his grandfather, Harry St Clair Dean, who ran a black market in the pub during Nazi rule, ended up in a German jail and was eventually found dead inside the building 10 years after World War Two ended.

"Although my grandfather died before I was born, my mum told me a lot about his life," Chris Dean said.

"From what I can gather, I think he was a bit of a raconteur and a bit of a rascal."

Dr Gilly Carr, a historian who documented Harry St Clair Dean's life in the Frank Falla Archive, said he lived an interesting life, even though some details of it were a bit haphazard.

She said: "Harry St Clair Dean was born on 29 December 1898 or 1889 - he wrote different dates on different registration documents.

"According to his occupation registration card, he served in the army during the First World War, retiring in 1919."

Chris Dean said his grandfather managed to find a way to act in resistance to the Nazis in World War Two.

"My grandfather had a black market going in the pub where he was dealing with stolen goods," he said.

A now-blocked secret pathway to the Plough Inn was used by Harry St Clair Dean to smuggle the goods.

Chris Dean added his grandfather also had a wireless set, which were banned by the occupying German forces, to receive news updates from the UK.

He said his grandfather also had a camera, another item which had been banned by the Germans.

Carr said Harry St Clair Dean fell foul of the German authorities on several occasions.

"A number of documents survive in Guernsey Archives showing his presence in court," Carr said.

She added that on 25 February 1944, a letter was written from the German authorities in Guernsey to the island's Bailiff stating "an amount of 12,000 RM (notes and coins) was seized from him last year".

Chris Dean added his grandfather was sent to court and when he refused to pay a fine, he was imprisoned.

Harry St Clair Dean was moved to France, then ended up in Hamelin Prison in Germany, where "he spent the rest of the war".

Chris Dean said his grandfather was "more or less starved" and beaten quite badly.

"He was like 15 stone when he left Guernsey and when he returned he was only seven-and-a-half stone," he said.

Carr added Harry St Clair Dean "was given meagre rations".

She said: "He testified to a reporter that, as an Englishman, he was brutally treated, punched, kicked and beaten by German guards."

Towards the end of World War Two, American troops arrived at the prison and found Harry St Clair Dean in a "poorly" state, according to his grandson.

Chris Dean added: "They built him back up and then they put him in charge of the camp and the prisoners that were there, up until the time that they got him back to the UK and then back to Guernsey."

Carr said Harry St Clair Dean was made controller, police chief and general secretary of the prisoners still remaining.

"He was able to organise the supply of food and clothes for his prisoner comrades," she said.

Carr added upon returning to Guernsey in 1945, Harry St Clair Dean told a reporter it was difficult for Guernsey people to realise just how unpleasant the Nazis could be.

A quote attributed to Harry St Clair Dean said: ''You have to go through it to know the extent and thoroughness of their brutality."

Chris Dean said his grandfather returned to running The Plough Inn and stayed there until he died in 1955.

"The details surrounding his death are a little bit strange," he added.

"He had a barman working for him in here in the Plough who had gone off for his lunch.

"When he came back he found my grandfather dead at the bottom of the stairs."

Chris Dean said his family and The Plough Inn had a lot of history together.

After Harry St Clair Dean's death, Chris Dean's father, uncle and cousin would each run the pub before he took it over in 1989, staying there until the late 1990s.

"We're all very proud of the history of the pub and the fact that we've been a part of it for so long," he said.

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