The man who acted longest as interpreter and under foreman was a German who had lived in America, called Karl Paul.

This man's share in the Great War was both remarkable and speedy. He happened to be in Hamburg at the outbreak, and was promptly impressed much against his will.

He was immediately given a naval uniform and sent out on the mine-laying "Königen Luise", which was as promptly sunk by the British Navy off Harwich, and Karl Paul spent the rest of the War in captivity and did not regret it as far as could be noticed.

His English had a mixture of both German and American accents, and he generally referred to a fellow prisoner as "that bloke" (pronounced blo-ak).

One man who acted as an interpreter of a casual party of prisoners told the RE foreman in charge that he had been a Professor at Oxford University before the War, and stated that he knew a well known member of the Société Jersiaise, and further had stayed in Jersey on holidays in St. Peter's parish. He did not return again to work, as wheel barrow work was evidently not his strong point.

There were several escapes from the Camp, mostly of single individuals who slipped out in ways not always discovered, but all were readily re-captured.

Only on one occasion were the wires found to be cut after an escape.

One man was found to be missing at roll call, was searched for in vain; but found again inside the camp after 2 or 3 days. One man escaped found his way into St. Helier's, and stopped a Sergeant near Fort Regent to ask him the way to Government House as he had something of importance to communicate to the Lieutenant Governor. The Sergeant induced him to come with him to the guard-room where he was confined. He was mad.

There were two organised attempts to escape.

In the first place the prisoners selected one of the "A" line of huts (that is the line nearest the road), from which to commence their tunnel. They had been allowed to put up a summer-house adjoining this hut, - from this summer-house they burrowed under the floor of the hut, and then dug a shaft diagonally downwards until they reached a depth at which the sand was fairly solid. A prisoner stationed in the summer-house, himself unseen, watched the sentry outside the barbed wire, and gave the necessary warnings.

The size of the horizontal tunnel was just large enough to take a man stretched out, but not large enough for him to raise his knees, the miner at the head of the shaft had to wriggle to his post of work, and wriggle back.

The sand proved just hard enough to stand without lining, being at that depth slightly moist.

The excavation was done by a tin can, and the proceeds placed on a flat tray which was drawn back and forth by means of a long string.

The tray when drawn back was emptied by the party under the floor of the hut, the miner then drew it forward again between his legs. The sand accumulated under the hut was got rid of at night when the wind was blowing, which scattered it in all directions and left no trace.

Below the floor the prisoners used a lamp made of a small biscuit tin, and burning beef fat, this is now in the possession of the writer.

The tunnel was carried right under the road, and then inclined upwards, - the prisoners then pushed up small holes to the surface about one inch in diameter for ventilation, - this was done by means of the jointed rods used in the Camp for clearing the drains.

One day, a NCO of the Staff was walking on the short grass on the further side of the road, and using a walking stick, when the stick partly disappeared down a hole in the ground.. This curious event led to investigation, and the whole was discovered.

The next attempt was also made in "A" lines, - in this case a square of the floor was very neatly sawn through and replaced and thus access was obtained to the underside of the floor.

In this case a small party of the prisoners, six or seven, actually escaped, travelled north during the night to St. Ouen's parish, and then returned on their tracks. They carried tinned food with them and blankets, and were noticed by several people but not stopped.

They were finally tracked and surrounded in a small wood near St. Brelade's Bay. It was alleged that the Guard fired a volley at them, before calling on them to surrender! Both of these tunnels were carried out by subscription, - the men doing the dangerous and unpleasant work being paid for it. They were many months in being executed.

With regard to the recreation of the prisoners, the ground set aside for sport was equal to a third of the whole area of the Camp, say 300 yards by 100 yards. They played association football at first, but not later on; they also played a very peculiar game of rounders. But their principal game was a sort of lawn tennis or badminton played with a football*.

A string was stretched between two posts some 50 feet apart about 6 or 7 feet above the ground. Four or five men or more played on each side, and the game was to punch the ball over the "net" without letting it bound on the ground more than once. Any number of men on the same side might punch the ball so long as it did not touch the ground on that side more than once.

* This appears to be a form of volleyball, presumably unknown to Major Naish.

Some prisoners constructed a gravel lawn tennis court, which later was concreted, but it was not used much.

They had also gymnastic apparatus in the open air.

Of course they had a band, and a very good one, - the prisoners were also excellent at choral singing.

They held many concerts and theatrical entertainments in their YMCA hut.