POSTAL COVER FRONT

CEYLON

BOER WAR CENSORED COVER FRONT TO

DIYATALAWA PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, CEYLON

Addressed to: Colonel Jesser-Coope - See below

Postmark: Partial 'Colombo'

With oval purple Censors cachet: 'Passed Censor P.O.W. Diyatalawa' with intials 'E.J.B.'

Date: 7th December 1902

Postage Stamps: Ceylon QV 5 cents lilac

Size:  5.5" x 3.25"

Boer Prisoner Of War Camps on Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - Boer prisoners were first sent to St Helena but when camps there filled up, Ceylon was chosen as a destination.  A large camp was set up at the hill station at Diyatalawa to which this rare cover front is addressed.

COLONEL JESSER-COOPE : At the conclusion of the Boer War in 1881, he went to South Africa with Lord Roberts to establish a system of co-operative military colonies along the Transvaal border as a protection against Boer aggression, which he foresaw. The scheme, which received considerable support in this country, finally came to nothing. On the outbreak of the South African War of 1899 he raised, at General Brabant’s request, the ‘B’ Squadron of Brabant’s Horse, which he commanded. He was present at the siege of Wepener, where he entrenched the Mill Post at Johannesburg and held it throughout the siege. On being invalided out of the service after the battle of Friksburg, he was given command of the Boer prisoners of war interned in Ceylon at Diyatalawa Camp.

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