The later NCO prisoners were mostly soldiers.

With regard to the water supply, - it has been mentioned that the very wet season prevented the well being dug as deep as had been intended.

Further a trench, in which a drain pipe was laid, had to be dug in the greatest difficulties (owing to the superabundance of water turning the sand into quick sand) in order to carry off the surplus water from the well and prevent its rising above the floor of the well house and flooding the electric motor.

In digging this drain trench interesting Neolithic remains were found, some of which are preserved in the Museum of the Société Jersiaise.

The upper layer of sand was white and loosely compacted, - it was of very irregular depth. Below that was a yellow sand closely compacted, - one could carve a pattern on this sand and it would stay for days.

Between these two layers at one particular point was a black layer tapering out at the ends, but nearly 3" thick in the centre of the section made by the drain trench. This black layer was full of limpet shells and small pieces of pottery; there were also fresh-water mussel shells, bones of deer etc. and a polished stone axe. A shattered vessel was found full of limpet shells apparently placed ready to cook.

The trench excavation was slightly widened by the members of the Société Jersiaise during their search, but there must still be in the ground a large store of Neolithic remains to be found by further widening the trench.

Though miles of trench were dug for water and drainage as well as for foundations, this was the only place in which the black layer was found.

The shortage of water became pronounced at the end of the summer of 1915, -the springs being lowest in the Blanches Banques area in November. Search was accordingly made for other sources of supply, and many wild suggestions were made by amateur engineers in the Camp or elsewhere, - such as pumping water from the sea for sanitary purposes, or from St. Ouen's Pond.

Finally, the writer came across the small spring on the La Moye Golf course, now known as Watercress Spring. Though the trickle from this spring only ran 30 yards before disappearing in the ground, the writer at once saw its possibilities as it was situated at an even higher level than the 30,000 gallon reservoir and could supply the latter by gravity (thus saving pumping, and collecting every drop of the 24 hours' run of the spring).

Accordingly this spring was opened up and paved, a collecting tank sunk in the ground, and a 3" galvanised iron pipe (diminishing to 2½" where the fall became greater) was laid from the collecting tank to the reservoir. This galvanised iron pipe was laid without dips or rises and so was self cleansing, - it followed the contours of the sand hills accordingly in order to get cover.

Later on the well itself was lowered in the dry season; and another spring opened up near the well and its supply led into the well to re-inforce it.

This latter spring, called the Neolithic Spring, did not come out on the surface, - a well was therefore dug to the water level and below, and a drain trench dug up to meet the bottom of the well. Thus when the valve at the bottom of the well was opened all the water in the well could be drained off without pumping and the spring running in gave a constant supply.

Later still in 1918, a re-inforced concrete reservoir of cell pattern was constructed
to collect the whole 24 hours flow of this spring, and once a day this reservoir was opened up into the well pump which threw the water collected up into the reservoir, taking only 2 hours pumping to do it.

Readings of the depth of the well were taken daily, and of the flow of the springs weekly. It was found that either heavy rains or drought showed their effects three months after. The low water period was November, the highest water was March or April. There was always a superabundance of water in March, for instance in March 1919 there was over 300,000 gallons per day from the two springs. But a dry summer (June, July, and August) meant that the springs would yield comparatively very little three months later (September, October, and November) and this was the time they were low in any case.

There were many Boards of Visitors sent from time to time by the War Office to visit the Camp.

In addition there was the inspection made on 20th April, 1916 on behalf of neutral nations by the Embassy of the United States.

The result of the visit was given in a White Paper, Miscellaneous N.30 (1916) presented to Parliament and published by authority.

The report mentioned 883 military and 314 naval prisoners at that time (see page 13 of Report).

The following quotations may be made (page 14 of Report):-

"The infirmary (hospital) has its own kitchen and sanitary arrangements and offices, and seems to be a model of what such a hospital should be"

and (on page 15 of Report):-

"This Camp seemed almost to be a model of its kind, and the men appeared to be in extraordinary good physical condition".

TE NAISH
Major RE

13th April, 1920
Total cost £25,000