The camp was set up in 1902 and existed for just a few months. One of the noted past-times of the Boer POW was to create handicrafts from whatever local materials they could find, wood, stone, bone and on Bermuda they wove neckties too. These items are highly collectible today. Handicrafts from the bigger camps such as on Bermuda and St Helena are not hard to find, those from smaller camps are rare and Kakul items must rank amongst the rarest due to it's small size and short life. In Pieter Oosthuizen's fabulous book Boer War Memorabilia: The Collectors' Guide (The Alderman Press, 1987) none of the items featured are from Kakul. The War Museum of the Boer Republics in Bloemfontein only have a handful of examples.
The items illustrated below come from a collection of 16 Boer POW handicrafts collected by a British soldier who guarded the camp at Kakul. Eight of the items are marked 'Kakul'
We have just come into possession of a prisoner of war made piece from the Kakul camp. It is made from stone and has been carved into a book shape. The front is inscribed 'Kakool 10 July 1902'. Is this date significant? Would appreciate if anyone could let us know. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe camp closed opened1st April 1902 and closed December 4th 1902
Delete1,396 Boer POW were held there in total, "Arrangements made in India" - published in Simla in 1904.
DeleteHence Boer trench art from Kakul is very rare, as it was the smallest camp and shortest lived POW camp
DeleteI would think its the day the maker was released, ABW war ended 31st May 1902 ,
DeleteE mail me on knotjustpine@yahoo.co.uk
ReplyDeleteThe camp closed opened1st April 1902 and closed December 4th 1902
ReplyDelete1,396 Boer POW were held there in total, "Arrangements made in India" - published in Simla in 1904.
ReplyDelete