First World War internee watercolour of Knockaloe Camp
Date made: 1915-1918
Description: A watercolour view of Knockaloe camp by P.O. Flugge showing the waterlogged conditions in the camp. The sketch shows two internees walking on stilts and another internee walking with his trousers rolled up and wearing blocks on his boots to keep him out of the water. Most of the internees are wading in calf deep water and a guard is stood with his rifle outside a sentry box in the water. One of the internees is washing his hands at a tap on the end of one of the huts and two others are carrying buckets of water from the tap. In the background two internees can be seen sitting at the bucket latrines next to the barbed wire fence.
This sketch appears to have been framed and hung on the wall in the watercolour sketch of a chalet or hut interior (MNH collection ID Number: 2008-0170/4).
Background:
During the First World War (1914-1918) the Isle of Man was used as an internment base for civilian ‘enemy aliens’. They were held in two camps, a requisitioned holiday camp in Douglas and a purpose built camp located at Knockaloe near Peel on the west coast of the Island. These held at their peaks over 4,000 and 23,000 men in some cases for nearly five years between opening in 1914 and final closure in 1919. Over 30,000 men passed through Knockaloe between 1914 and 1917, more than the population of Douglas. Other historic names referring to the camp include Knockaloe P.O.W. Camp, Knockaloe Prisoner of War Camp and Knockaloe Alien Detention Camp.
Measurements: overall: 18 cm x 25.5 cm
Materials: paper
Object name: watercolour painting
Collection: Art Collection
ID number: 2008-0170/11
Subject tags : #WW1INTERNMENTMUSEUMCOLLECTIONS