The item relates to the First World War at sea. This must have been a struggle that was followed with closely by the inhabitants of the Jersey. The Island had a proud naval background, and many people would have had relatives and friends serving in both the Royal Navy and the merchant service. In addition, of course, Jersey's very survival was dependent on the shipping into and out of the Island; with the security of routes naturally of paramount importance. Although the shallow waters of the Channel Islands would not have been particularly suitable for submarine warfare, both U-boats and mines were present at times around the Islands. They were also commonplace in the English Channel to the north, and were sinking ships there throughout the course of the war.

One legacy of this remorseless battle was the pitiful flotsam and jetsam that found its way to the beaches of Jersey. It was debris that held witness to the destruction of both ships, and the lives of the men sailing in them. This narrative relates to one particular incident seemed to me to sum up the terrible nature of this battle, and a communities reaction to it.

It was about six-thirty in the morning of the 11th of April 1917 when the small boat was first spotted. It was floating around three hundred yards offshore in St Ouen's Bay, in front, and slightly to the left, of Kempt Tower, a substantial granite-built round-tower dating from the Napoleonic wars . The first person to notice was a local man: Francis Le Brun. It can be imagined that empty boats on the water were usually associated with an accident or mishap, and so curiosity seems to have kept him watching its progress. The prevailing tidal conditions were pushing it towards the shore, which on this morning was laced with surf. Whilst he observed, it hit the line of breakers and was turned over a couple of times, loosing a pair of oars in the process.

As the boat moved closer to the shore, Mr Le Brun moved down onto the beach and went to the water's edge. He was joined there by Philip Du Feu, who had also spotted the craft in the water, and seen Mr Le Brun go down onto the sand. Together, as the boat drifted to within wading distance, they plunged in and struggled out through the waves to reach it. Grasping a side each, the two men hauled it out of the water and on to the beach. Gulping deep breathes to recover from their exertions, they turned to inspect their catch. The boat was some twenty-three feet in length and painted black. To all extents and purposes it appeared to be a ship's lifeboat: a conclusion borne out by marks inscribed on the bow: L21, 2B7, IDC, 0, 25 persons. In terms of fittings, it was pretty empty, containing only three copper air tanks and, at the rear, a small locker. This was not all however. The boat contained an occupant.