Blanches Banques POW Camp

In 1914, following Britain’s entry into World War I (WWI), Jersey, as a Crown Dependency, was implicitly drawn into the conflict.  In addition to the many enlistees and conscriptions that Jersey sent forth, the Island was also called on to house a prisoner of war (POW) camp capable of holding up to 1,000 prisoners.

In March 1915, after several months of hasty planning and construction, following a request from the War Office, Les Blanches Banques POW camp was opened to receive its first prisoners.  In the absence of any guidelines, the camp took on the layout of a typical British Army infantry battalion’s camp.

Les Blanches Banques is a sand dune system on the west coast of Jersey at the southern end of St Ouen's Bay. The camp was situated on the lower dune plain, about 200m east of La Braye slip,  The compound was about 280m square with guard buildings set outside the 3m high barbed wire perimeter fence.

As the war progressed the initial capacity quota of 1,000 was increased to 1,500, frequently requiring modification of the camp as a result.  Each prisoner hut was 60ft x 15ft and could house up to 30 prisoners.  Meanwhile, the prisoner enclosure was around 300 square yards in dimension and was bordered by ten foot high barbed wire fencing.  To further limit any chances of escape, the prisoner enclosure was supplemented with eight sentry platforms.

The camp was self-reliant and its facilities included a cookhouse, hospital, office block, company office, store, clerk’s quarters, staff quarters, officers’ mess, and guard block.  Additionally, the camp became one of the first structures in Jersey to use an electrical lighting installation, and it benefited equally from its own water supply and drainage system. 

Conditions for the POWs were, by comparison, quite reasonable, as recognized by a US embassy report in 1916, which stated that the camp appeared “almost to be a model of its kind”.  For one thing, the prisoners could take consolation from the fact that they were living in the same standard of accommodation as that of British Army recruits.  

The relatively relaxed management of the prisoners meant that most were able to indulge in numerous leisure pursuits.  The POWs were able to personalise their living spaces, and they were allowed to adapt a third of the total camp grounds for sports.  In addition to this, a YMCA hut was constructed by the prisoners which served as a venue for, among other forms of entertainment, many concerts performed by the prisoners’ band.

The lenient nature of the camp’s operation did, for the most part, result in there being a well behaved prisoner population.  However, as time progressed, such over-indulgence did encourage some lapses in discipline.  This might explain why there were several escape attempts made throughout the camp’s duration, although there was only one plot that met with any success and this was very short-lived, as they were quickly recaptured. 

By February 1917 all but 300 prisoners had been relocated to England to assist in the war effort; there being little desire for their labour in Jersey.  Those 300 that remained were kept behind to assist with Jersey’s potato season, and were also relocated at the season’s end in August.  The camp closed shortly after on 29th August.  However, in April 1918 the camp was re-opened and shortly received 1,000 new prisoners, sent from Britain, all of whom were non-commissioned officers and therefore protected against forced labour by the Hague Convention.  Nevertheless, in October 1919 the camp was finally officially closed.

The site at Blanches Banques today has retained some of the original the camp’s foundations and items of construction.  At the site of the former camp there can also be found various Neolithic objects which were discovered during the construction of the camp. 

Site of Special Interest (SSI)

Today, Les Blanches Banques SSI is Jersey’s last remaining sand dune system. Measuring approximately 100 hectares, it is a site of international ecological importance due to the exceptionally high floral diversity and rarity of the habitat, and the many species of other animals that use the area as a refuge.

The sand dunes of Les Blanches Banques are among the most important in Europe and because of their ecological value they were designated a 'Site of Special Interest' (SSI) in 1996. The Environmental Services Unit manages the sand dune system. Its task is to maintain a balance between the recreational needs of the community and the diversity of wildlife that exists here. 

www.gov.je/Environment/ProtectingEnvironment/Land/Pages/SitesSpecialInterest