One of the most important aspects of this project is to rebuild the information on the people who lived at Knockaloe and in Patrick 100 years ago. This will take time to collate. It is estimated that at any one time over 23,000 internees lived at Knockaloe as Internees, spread across 4 camps split into 23 compounds, each housing around 1,000 internees, as well as the thousands of guards, however sadly the records from that time were destroyed and only fragmented and incomplete information remains.
Even within families, the fact that a family member was interned as an “enemy alien” was often never discussed, and so the information is hard to come by and will need to be painstakingly recorded as people contact the website and visit the Visitors Centre.
It has already taken over 10 years of detailed research and collation to bring together the information collated to date on over 45,000 men interned during WW1. It will take many more years of research in many different documents, archives and collections around the world to rebuild this information, and also to go beyond this and tell the story of lives of the internees, the village and the wider families of those who were here many years ago. With many of the descendants being grandchildren of the internees, they are likely to be the last generation to remember first hand these people, and therefore time is against us.
By annually sponsoring a bed, you will be contributing your support to the ongoing work of the Charity, in maintaining and developing the Visitors Centre and the Archive and ongoing research. Your sponsorship of a by sponsoring a bed in a hut for an internee costs just £25 a year.
Annual Sponsorship of £25 per annum:
At the start of each new year we shall send out a newsletter telling you of the work your sponsorhip has contributed to and we shall keep you updated as to special events, new exhibitions. Sponsorship runs from 1 January to 31 December, and renewed in january each year.
Ongoing sponsors are also eligible for 10% discount on all items purchased from our shop.
All sponsors will be permanently recorded on our Archive and as part of our Visitors Centre to recognise their hugely appreciated contribution to the Charity.
'Five Year Plus' Sponsorship of £25 for 5 years or more:
Our voluntary Lead Researcher and Trustee, Alison Jones, who has been researching internees since the outset of this project in 2011, offers a complimentary Internee Review and meeting with all Five Year Plus Sponsor descendants visiting the Centre during our open season.
Each Internee Review Meeting appointment must be booked well in advance to ensure availability, and to allow sufficient time for a detailed review of all relevant information prior to your visit. Each specific Internee Review takes takes many hours to research prior to your visit, and utilises the many thousands of hours research previously donated over the last 10+ years. Please allow at least 1 to 2 hours for meeting with Alison, plus additional time to visit the centre and site.
To sponsor a bed at Knockaloe Camp please contact us at info@knockaloe.im