A BBC investigation has uncovered new details about the fate of a Soviet prisoner of war known only as 'Tom' on the island of Jersey. He has been identified as Bakijon Akramov, a native of Namangan, Uzbekistan, who was among thousands of Soviet citizens forced into labor by the Nazis during the occupation of the Channel Islands.

According to the investigation, Akramov was taken by the Germans from Ukraine and arrived in Jersey in the autumn of 1941. Along with other prisoners—Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians—he was forced to build defensive lines, bunkers, and anti-tank fortifications. Witnesses described brutal conditions: hunger, beatings, and exhausting labor.

In 1943, Akramov managed to escape. He was sheltered by a local family, John and Phyllis Le Breton from St. Mary parish. Despite the mortal risk, they hid the fugitive on their farm. He became known as Tom, integrated into the family, helped with chores, taught the children, and communicated freely with them.

After Jersey's liberation in 1945, Soviet authorities began repatriating former POWs. Akramov was taken first to Guernsey and then, presumably, sent back to the USSR. After a few letters, contact was lost.

This mystery prompted the BBC investigation. Journalists and researchers studied archives and identified Tom as Akramov Bakijon, born in 1910 in Namangan. Records from the Central Military Archive confirmed his Uzbek origin. However, his post-war fate remains unclear: former POWs in the USSR often faced NKVD filtration checks and restrictions.

The investigation led journalists to presumed descendants of Akramov in Namangan. The family learned for the first time about his life in Jersey and the people who saved him. Meanwhile, descendants of the Le Breton family were also found. A meeting between the two families, separated by decades and war, became an emotional climax.

Upon learning of the findings, the authorities of Uzbekistan decided to posthumously award John and Phyllis Le Breton the Order of Friendship for their courage and humanity. Despite archival traces and family connections, the key question remains: what exactly happened to Bakijon Akramov after his return to the Soviet Union?

Source: podrobno.uz