Long Island
Boer War Camp
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During the Anglo-Boer war of 1899/1902 burghers fell into the hands of the British forces. The great majority of these were sent to the Bermuda group of islands, Ceylon and St Helena. In addition, camps were established in India and Portugal. It formed part of the British strategy to dampen the militancy of Boer Commandos who were still in the field, to prevent those sympathetic to the Boer cause in the vulnerable Cape Colony from becoming actively engaged in the conflict and to ward off any possible attempt at escaping from the Prisoner of War camps in South Africa.

To leave the familiar surroundings of their own country in order to undertake their voyage to a strange land was an anxious experience for the majority. The first sight of the new country after the voyage was viewed with mixed feelings of happiness on seeing land and uneasiness towards the unknown.

In the same light, the Prisoner of War who were sent to Bermuda were met with disillusionment. The favourable impressions gained from the sea were soon dispelled by disappointment when they saw the small portion of bare and uneven ground on Morgan's Island where approximately 800 Prisoners of War were housed and where the sharp coral reef cut their feet when they went to wash.

Approximately 4600 Prisoners of War were sent to the Islands of Bermuda. Camps were established at Burtt, Darrell, Hawkins, Hinson, Morgan, Ports, St George and Tucker.

The camp at Burrt Island was brought into use in July 1901 and was closed in October 1902. Here some 450 Prisoners of War were under the command of Captain EE Pine.

Major Armstrong commanded the camp at Darrell Island where some 1100 prisoners were held until October 1902.

Some 1300 Prisoners of War were allocated to the camp on Hawkins Island under the command of Captain Traherne. In use from December 1901 to August 1902 when it closed.

On Morgan Island Major Elkington commanded the camp where approximately 850 men were kept between September 1901 and January 1903 when it was closed.

On the Island of St George initially 37 "Colonial Rebels" sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour were kept in the local gaol. They were held in solitary confinement and prohibited from talking amongst themselves or communicating by any other means. They were not allowed to receive visitors, letters or newspapers. The Reverend JR Albertyn was allowed to visit the jail once a week but only to read the 
Scriptures. However, on occasions he was able to transmit messages in Afrikaans under the guise of his sermon to these men in detention from their families.

The number of rebells imprisoned on the Island of St George increased to such an extent that a special camp had to be established on the western approaches of the Island of Hawkins to cope with the 250 who were being held in detention on the island.

Stone buildings on the Island of Ports served as the headquarters for the Camp Commandant. The hospital and the office of the censors serving all of the islands were also on this island.

Some 700 Prisoners of War under the command of Major Morrice were held on the Island of Tuckers until the camp was closed in August 1902.

These islands were away from the recognised sea routes and JA Hassell, the former Commander of the American Freedom Corps, who fought with the Boers, said amongst other things that "The naked eye from the mainland could not distinguish anything going on on their surface. They were entirely out from the familiar routes of local traffic, and the average visitor would not know of their existence unless made specially acquainted by some native."

The islands too provided little opportunity for the Prisoners of War to escape and no visitors were allowed. John A Hassell expressed his opinion as follows - "Some tourists might catch a glimpse of the prison camps and the shameful shortcomings of the English management might be divulged to the world at large ... ... The British Ministry does not want any changes; it does not want to ameliorate the lot of their prisoners, for it is bound to a policy of extermination."

In spite of the impossibility of trying to escape the camps were guarded by a powerful system of forts, towers and batteries, in which the majority of the Bermuda garrison - more than two thousand men - was stationed. Besides a number of men-of-war anchored in the harbour, there were three special warships detailed near to the prison islands, which kept up a close watch during the day, and which also played incessant streams of electric searchlights on the islands and surrounding waters during the night. Indeed, four thousands of the most dangerous outlaws could not be guarded more effectively than these young children and old men." The youngest prisoners were lads of 8 years old and the oldest man was 79 years of age.

The bleak atmosphere of the Prisoners of War was aggravated by establishing their camp on the barren and inhospitable areas of the island. About a third of each island was fenced with three double strands of barbed wire which ran from coast to coast. In this manner parts where trees were growing were cordoned off from the Boers and made available only for use by guards "while the prisoners huddled together in the contracted and remote area, about one thousand on five - nay, on three acres of ground."

Fortunately, the camps on the islands were so close together in some cases that prisoners could talk to each other on different islands. It was known that some of the men swam on the sly from one island to the other.

Accommodation was restricted to canvas tents which on occasions caused the inhabitants much discomfort in the windy areas of the islands.

At intervals during the period from June 1901 to January 1902 British troopships transported the Prisoners of War to the various islands of Bermuda as follows -

During the occupation of the islands by Prisoners of War, 39 died and 35 died at sea on the voyage to and from Bermuda.

Acknowledgement -

RONDOM DIE ANGLO-BOEREOORLOG - C Kriel en J de Villiers

DIE KRYGSGEVANGENES GEDURENDE DIE ANGLO-BOEREOORLOG - SPR Oosthuizen

[Courtesy DEWL]
JexeC/3rd August, 2008