By decree of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the late John and Emily Le Breton, who hid Uzbek soldier Bakijan Akramov from the Nazis during World War II, have been posthumously awarded the Order of Friendship (Do‘stlik). On May 6, Uzbekistan's Ambassador to London Ravshan Usmanov presented the award to the couple's children and grandchildren on the island of Jersey.
The award ceremony took place at the Shiva Rock retirement home, attended by members of the public and British media. Participants noted the symbolic timing of the award, just ahead of the 80th anniversary of Jersey's liberation from Nazi occupation. They emphasized that the Le Breton family's story remains a symbol of human dignity, mutual trust, and friendship between nations.
According to family memories, Bakijan Akramov, called “Uncle Tom,” quickly became a close family member due to his kindness and hard work. The Le Bretons hid him from the Nazis for nearly three years. He returned to Uzbekistan in May 1945.
Speaking at the ceremony, the couple's son Alan Le Breton, born after the war, said his parents and sister often recounted the difficult events of those years. “I express deep gratitude to the President of Uzbekistan for the high award given to my parents,” he said.
Chris Addy, a historian from Jersey Heritage, said that in 2022 the organization launched an appeal to Jersey residents to gather information about families who hid Soviet prisoners of war during the war. Four years of research have also uncovered details about Akramov's post-war fate.
“Thanks to four years of research, we now know Bakijan's post-war fate. A few weeks ago we discovered that he lived a long life, died in 1996, and left descendants. Without the heroism and courage of the Le Breton family, overcoming the horrors of captivity would have been very difficult. Today we are celebrating a great historical event. We express our deep gratitude to the President of Uzbekistan for honoring the late John and Phyllis Emily Le Breton, who gave shelter to Bakijan and saved his life. I am glad to be part of this event, especially given its positive outcome,” the historian said.
He noted that the award, presented on the eve of the 80th anniversary of Jersey's liberation on May 9, is a high recognition of the humanity shown by the island's residents.
The couple was featured by the BBC in 2022. The report said they called the rescued man Tom. The couple's granddaughter Caroline Horne said he became like a family member, with some relatives even calling him “beloved uncle.”
John and Phyllis said of Akramov: “We trusted this man; he was someone we could trust.” “The children loved him very much. When he began to understand a little English, he started reading them fairy tales,” Horne said.
She added that in case of a Nazi raid, several escape routes and hidden doors were pre-arranged so Akramov could flee. After the war, he reportedly moved to another island, Guernsey, after which contact was lost.
Akramov kept a diary, copies of which were handed over to Jersey Heritage, which preserves the heritage of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands. Jersey is a Crown Dependency and not part of the United Kingdom.
Source: www.gazeta.uz