Ceylon - Prisoner of Boer War Camp
Currency Notes

A paper camp currency of rupee and cent notes was printed locally. Paper Currency is only known from the overseas Prisoner of Boer camps at Diyatalawa and Ragama, in Ceylon and the southernmost Indian camp at Trichinopoly.
They were current only inside the issued camp and had been introduced for purposes of trade. No prisoner was allowed to be in the possession of more than £1 (Rs 15/-).

Prisoners' Enclosure
1901-1902 - Diyatalawa Camp notes
1901-1902 - Ragama Camp notes
The Ceylon Ice and Cold Storage Company's Store
1901-1902 - Ragama Camp notes
1901-1902 - Ragama Camp notes Series B

A second type of Diyatalawa notes were printed with layout similer to the notes used in the POW camp at Trichinopoly in south India. According to John Ineson, they are probably a pattern which was discarded.

Boer prisoners consisting of burghers captured while under arms from the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), first arrived in Ceylon on 1900 August 9th and subsequently others followed until 5,089 prisoners had landed with the last on 1901 June 1st. Diyatalawa was the main camp. Mount Lavinia was the convalescent camp opened on 1900 December 17th. Dissidents and irreconcilables who would not sign the orth of allegiance to the British Crown were housed at Ragama Camp which got it's first inmates on 1901 January 8th. Camps for prisoners on parole was also opened at Urugasmanhandiya on 1901 September 11th and also in Hambantota on 1901 September 19th.

When informed that a sum of money had been placed to the credit of a prisoner-of-war in one of the South African banks, he was allowed to draw against it in the miniature bank-notes issued by the Camp Commandant. Newly arrived Boers had good deal of money, mostly in Transvaal gold sovereigns, which were deposited with the Camp Commandant. These sovereigns were exchanged at Rs 15.25 of local money. The Boer prisoners were paid for the labour, the maximum rate for the more skilled captive artisans being Rs 1.25 for a 7 hour work day.

HERINERING RAGAMA KAMP	BRITSCHE 1902 BESCHAVING
In memory of Ragama Camp	British 1902 Civilization
SCUM OF THE SCUM Medal from Ragama Camp

Visitors recall that one of the most interesting features viewed in the camp was these groups at work. While in one corner of a temporary workshop three of four were assisting at a make-shift turning lathe of a very primitive fashion, in another there were busy sawyers of nadun or tamarind, or carvers at work on ebony and other hard Ceylon woods bought from Don Carolis. Although as stock-keepers and shepherds most of these craftsman had never handled the tools they were putting to use, the skill shown in cabinet making and carving was surprising. There were marts where the results of their labour were on show and for sale. There were paper knives made of bone and horn, inlaid chests and boxes, and walking sticks of all varieties. There were carved name-brooches which at the time were much in fashion, there were picture-frames, pipes and tobacco jars. Two rupees per item seemed to be the prevailing price; but as mementoes of a visit to the camp, apart from the carved inscription, Made by Boer Prisoners-of-war, these articles were considered worth a good deal more than their intrinsic value. The immense interest displayed in the articles which the prisoners-of-war industriously manufactured eventually led to an Exhibition of Boer Curios in Colombo.

The Diyatalawa Camp was ringed by the deep trench and barbed wire entanglements, came to be called Boer Town. It was divided into two laagers or settlements. The one nearer to the railway station was dubbed by the prisoners themselves Kruger's Dorp, and was occupied mainly by Transvaalers. The Burghers from the Orange River Colony occupied the other, which they christened Steyn's Ville.

There were in all 22 cases of escapes made by the "prisoners"; of these 20 were recaptured in the immediate vicinity of the camps. The remaining two were arrested at Rangoon. Besides the five guard-huts immediately outside Diyatalawa, there were further out on the hills several thatch huts, each on an eminence, and with a flagstaff from which a white flag floated. In the event of an escape, a red flag was run up instead as soon as news of it reached these outer guard posts. The flags were replaced by lamps at night. The signals were familiar to every labourer in the camp, and villager in the neighbourhood. It meant a reward of Rs 50/- for every recapture, or news which led to one.

Ragama camp recorded one attempted escape. A Frenchman who was under arrest for insubordination had been confined in the guard room. A glimpse of his record would have shown two previous attempts to elude the vigilance of the guard at Diyatalawa. They had cost the Government Rs. 100/- in rewards. Being seemingly well versed in the art, he once again succeeded in eluding the sentry at Ragama. Having got as far as the railway line, he made for Colombo. A boutique keeper of Ragama, happening to see an European minus coat and a shirt walking hurriedly along the rail track at 8 p.m., suspected something amiss. When accosted, the fugitive offered him Rs  300/- if he guided him across country to Colombo. Sensing he was a prisoner-of-war, and anticipating perhaps a bigger reward, the boutique-keeper loudly announced his suspicions, and with the help which seemed to materialise from nowhere hotly pursued the escapee who had taken to his heels. The runaway, seeing he was 'cornered', showed fight, but eventually submitted to arrest, and found himself soon after being escorted back to the camp by a sergeant and two rankers. He was tried in the camp and sentenced to ninety days' imprisonment. This escape added to his score, for it cost the Government Rs. 50/- paid to the boutique keeper as reward for effecting the capture, and Rs. 50/- more which was divided between three others who came to his assistance.

On the 31st of May, 1902, terms of peace were finally signed at Pretoria. One month later general decisions regarding the disposal of the prisoners-of-war were duly announced: Burghers of the late South African Republic and the late Orange Free State were permitted to proceed to South Africa immediately at their own expense, or to await repatriation as soon as arrangements could be made for their transportation. Foreign prisoners-of-war, except those able to produce evidence that they were nationalized Burghers, were not allowed to return to South Africa. They were permitted instead to leave at once at their own expense if they wished to do so, or await repatriation by the Consuls of their respective Governments. All releases were subject to a declaration of allegiance to the British Crown, and in the case of those leaving at their own expense, proof of possessing means of subsistence. On the 24th of September, 1903, the Secretariat issued the communique notifying the release of the remaining five Boers incarcerated at Diyatalawa, stating that they are now free to go anywhere they liked in or out of the Island except to South Africa. When they took the oath, they can go to South Africa. They were permitted to accept employment in the Island, and information concerning their qualifications was to be supplied on release to the Colonial Secretary's Office.

Hendrik Engelbrecht refused to swear allegiance to the British Crown and was sent to Hamabantota and received a very small amount of Rs.1.25 per month, paid by the local kachchery. He was ejected from his house in 1905. However, public support resulted in Engelbrecht being appointed by Governor Blake the first Warden of the Yala Game Sanctuary which had been started in 1900.

The Diyatalawa which materialised from the empty shell which was left by the Boer prisoner-of-war, owed its modernity to the presence of the Military, Naval and Survey Camps within its borders. Private cottages sprung up, sheltering in the valleys or behind wind-belts. Great demand and short supply of building sites had soaring price of land - since the beginning when sixty rupees an acre was considered a good price.

The Ceylon Ice and Cold Storage Company Ltd. which pioneered the import of frozen foods to Ceylon was bought in 1934 by the New Colombo Ice Company Ltd., and in 1941 changed their name to Ceylon Cold Stores Ltd.. I am curious why the Ceylon Ice and Cold Storage Company Ltd. issued their own currency notes, valid only in their Ragama Camp Store. What relationship did they have to the notes issued for general use within the Prisoners' Enclosure.

Warning These Notes have been replicated and Sold as Replica on eBay. I suspect some of these replicas have been degraded to look old and sold on eBay as genuine. The hand signature is identical and at same exact location. To confirm look under very high magnification, or scan without descreen at 1200dpi. In the replica the signature ink line is clearly printed as dots.

References
The Boer Prisoner-of-War in Ceylon @
Journal of the Dutch Burger Union of Ceylon

1. VOL XXXVI 1946 July
2. VOL XXXVI 1946 October
3. VOL XXXVI 1947 January
4. VOL XXXVII 1947 April

See Also
Paper Currency of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 by John Ineson, published by Spink in 1999.
Prisoners of the Boer War @
In Ceylon and the Dutch East Indies
Originally written by R. L. Brohier
Revised and Reprinted by Deloraine Brohier and Robin A. Woodruff

This book illustrates 10 Boer POW currency notes on pages 76, 119-121.
The 3 images of Type 1 Diyatalawa camp notes on page 76 are about to scale.
But the 5 images of Type 2 CICS Ragama camp notes on page 119-120 slightly smaller.
and the 2 images of Type 3 CICS Ragama camp notes on page 121 slightly larger.

SundayTimes 2014-10-26 : Driven to tell stories of the forgotten Boer PoWs - Interview
SundayObserver 2016-01-03 : Revisiting the Boer War - Book Review
Token Corresponding Society Bulletin 2014 June. Vol.11 No.3 Pages 84-90 Ragama POW Camp Ceylon and the Scum of the Scum by Gary Oddie