1899 (Oct 26) cover from India with ½a & 1a plum pair all with 'K' perfins of King Hamilton & Co Calcutta (embossing on the flap) to an officer with the "1st Gloucester Regiment/Indian Contingent/South African Field Force", significantly delayed for no obvious reason with superb 'GEZIEN/15APR1900/CENSOR' & largely fine vertical-oval 'CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE SAR/[eagle]/PRETORIA' cachets both in violet, the cover opened and resealed with stamp selvedge tied by very fine 'ARMY PO 50/ JY1/00/SAFRICA' cds, endorsed "To go to England" with 'BRISTOL/JY20/00' squared-circle & a different type of 'JY28/00', endorsed "Ceylon" in blue pencil but again significantly delayed with Colombo transit of 'OC2/00', endorsed "KANDY" with poor arrival backstamp of 'OC4/00', repaired closed tear on the face & opened-out for display. Captain George Swinton Tulloh was taken prisoner by the Boers at Ladysmith in -.11.1899 & released after the British captured Pretoria on 5.6.1900. Tulloh took home leave but, in -.8.1900, the 'First Glosters' were transferred to Ceylon to guard the Boer POWs held there. See Lot 3333. (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1900 (Oct 25) from 'PIQUETBERG/CGH' with BN '1113', roughly opened at right & overall soiling; and (Nov 27) from British Field PO 41 in Natal with GB 1d lilac x2, the flap & label rejoined; both to Diyatalawa with the scarce first-type black/white 'V.R./Opened under Martial Law' label (with 'V' over 'd' or over 'e' of 'Under'). Richard Stroud did not record the 'V' over 'e' variant. (2) (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1900 (Nov 30) usage of 5c Letter Card to Holland with 3c pair & 5c tied by 'DIYATALAWA CAMP/DE3/00' cds & huge Camp censor cachet in violet, 'AMSTERDAM/23/DEC/00' arrival backstamp, no fewer than nine different postmen's handstamps and very fine strike of the marvellous 'Informatie Burg Stand/Amsterdam-Vruchteloo' (= ...fruitless search), boxed 'INCONNU' (unknown) & superb unframed 'REBUT' (return) handstamps, 'AMSTERDAM-ANTWERP/10/JAN/01' TPO & 'COLOMBO/MR5/RETURNED-LETTER- OFFICE' cds (no year) backstamps, a couple of very minor blemishes. A wonderful item. The letter within dated 30.11.1900 & signed "Dr JD Koster" states - translated - "...[our camp newspaper] ceased to exist after three issues. As it poked fun at politics, it was not very popular with the heads of the camp..." Koster was a medical doctor who had served with a Dutch ambulance unit in South Africa. He was paroled to provide medical services in the Kandy area. See also Lot 3313. (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1900 (Dec 18) address panel from a registered parcel to "ORC" (Orange River Colony) with 5c & 6c pair tied by 'DIYATALAWA CAMP' cds, superb strike of the huge Camp censor cachet in violet & fancy 'R'-in-box cachet. Registered parcel items are rare survivors. (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1900-02 covers x6 and Envelopes 5c (roughly opened) & 6c x2 with very fine censor cachets comprising the huge 'DIYATALAWA CAMP/PASSED/CENSOR' x3 (the earliest initialled, which is rarely seen), 'PASSED CENSOR POW/DIYATALAWA' types with censors' initials 'EJB' (EJ Baumann), 'OH' (O Hansen) x2 or 'FRNF' (FRN Findlay) x2, and the very scarce 'POW/PASSED/CENSOR/HAMBANTOTA', also the huge 'RAGAMA CAMP/...' x2 (both good to fine strikes only, both items with faults) all in violet, all but the last two are fine to very fine. (10) (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1900-02 picture postcards of the camps at Diyatalawa (to Australia) or Ragama x2 (one defective to Suriname), satirical hand-illustrated card & 'Snake Charmer' both from Ragama Camp, and an advertising cover for postcard publisher AW Andrée, condition variable. Scarce group. (6) (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1901 (Jan 14) irregular usage of Ceylon 6c Postal Card to England with Indian 1a purple-brown tied by Indian 'ROYAPETTAH/17JA01' cds (a suburb of Madras), the message headed "Trincomalee/Ceylon/14th Jan 1901" states "...I shall land in Madras...Four prisoners escaped off the Catalonia just after I left it, which was very lucky because [I avoided being] court-martialled with the rest". The incident occurred on 13.1.1901 (the day before this card was written) in Colombo Harbour, where five POWs arriving from the Cape managed to swim to a Russian vessel which took them on board & carried them to Europe where they were feted as heroes. This is believed to be the only postal article with a direct connection to the escape. (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1901 (Feb 1) usage of QV 10c pink Registration Envelope with red wax seal with superb reversed impression of the 'WATERLOW & SONS/[crown]/LONDON' seal used at Diyatalawa Camp, to Transvaal with 6c pair tied by 'DIYATALAWA CAMP' cds, small piece of the flap missing. A bizarre seal. (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1901 (Feb 14; Valentine's Day) address-panel from a Dutch parcel endorsed "Drukwerk" (= Printed Matter) with 5c tied by 'HAARLEM' cds, to "Mr Felix Willemse/Prisoner of Water/to/Ceylon" endorsed in another hand "Camp Dijatalawa/Tent 41/Hospitaal", minor blemishes. A very scarce Printed Matter usage. (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1901 (Feb 16) cover from CofGH with 1d tied by very fine 'CERES/CGH' squared-circle, to "Prisoner of War/Off the Bavarians/co Colonel Vincent/Djatalawa Camp/Ceylon", Colombo transit & 'DIYATALAWA CAMP/AP9/01' arrival backstamps. Many Germans served as volunteers with the Boers in South Africa. (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1901 2c Postal Card from the Dutch Consul in Colombo to Ragama Camp with 'MAHARA' cds & message signed "BA Wennink" who asks "...whether you have received all post parcels your father sent you...The first 4 shillings your father sent me I have used to pay import duty and railfreight...I am not sure whether I sent you the 5 shillings [he] sent me...when there was no more duty and freight on parcels". Fascinating postal commentary. (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1901 (May 6) registered cover to France with 5c x5 tied by 'THE CAMP' cds (LRD; recorded 3½ months only), superb boxed 'R' cachet, light toning; and 1902 (June 21) usage of 6c Envelope to Holland wth 2c 3c & 4c tied by very fine 'RAGAMA CAMP' cds; both with large 'RAGAMA CAMP/PASSED BY/CENSOR' cachet in violet across the flap. (2) (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1901 (May 9) large-part QV 10c pink Registration Envelope (reduced at left) from the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank (Colombo) to "The Commandant/Prisoner of War/Diyatalawa" with rare Three Issue Six Colour franking of 1886 5c x2 & 25c x2, 1893-99 30c & 2r50c and 1899-1900 15c (defective) & 1r50c, 'COLOMBO/REGISTERED' cancels & black/pink 'Insured/VALEUR DECLAREE' label on the reverse, 'CAMP COMMANDANT'S OFFICE/14MAY1901/ * DIYATALAWA * ' cachet in violet on both sides & superb strike of the Commandant's facsimile autograph handstamp 'AC Vincent' also in violet, small flap-repair & minor blemishes mostly on the reverse. A remarkable domestic item enhanced by the usage of two of the large format values, all of which are rare on cover. (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1901 (May 31) domestic inter-camp cover to "L Groenewald/Hut 52/Diyatalawa Kamp" with 5c tied by very fine 'GALKISSA' cds and intact & undamaged 'E [crown] R/OPENED UNDER MARTIAL LAW' label over 'DIYATALAWA CAMP/JU1/01' arrival backstamp proving that the label was applied at the Camp, light Camp censor cachet on the face. Most such labels were badly damaged on opening. Galkissa PO was situated at Mount Lavinia & was renamed thus in 1909. From 17.12.1901, there was a convalescent camp at the Mount Lavinia Grand Hotel. (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1901 (July 19) stampless cover to Germany with 'DIYATALAWA CAMP' cds & superb fancy 'T'-in-box handstamp, Leipzig arrival cds of 4.8.1901 & endorsed "40" in blue, minor imperfections. (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1901 (Aug 8) mourning cover with Cape ½d & 1d x2 tied by 'MOSSEL BAY/CGH' squared-circle & small 'maldirige' (= missent) handstamp, to a POW at Diyatalawa in "Tent 79/Hut 1" but redirected within the compound with a light but fine strike of the idiosyncratic and rare 'lemon' 'DIYATALAWA CAMP/ Unclaimed/John F FAURE PM' cachet in magenta, minor blemishes. The fancy cachet unrecorded by Ted Proud: Richard Stroud noted "several examples" between 26.12.1900 & 8.1.1902, a period of only 13 days. It was probably withdrawn because it was inscribed with the postmaster's name: see the next lot. (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1901 (Aug 9) cover from a Boer POW in South Africa with superb 'BURGHER CAMP/9AUG1910/ STANDERTON' cachet in magenta & signed "F Winfield/Supt" and 'ERI' 1d tied by very fine 'STANDERTON' cds, to "prisoner of war/Bermuda" but missent to Ceylon with 'DIYATALAWA/SP16/01/MO&SBK' arrival backstamp (the ERD; recorded by Ted Proud for only six weeks), endorsed on the face "Unclaimed Diyatalawa Camp/JFF" (postmaster JF Faure) in rosine and "Bermuda" in blue pencil, small repaired tear at right & minor blemishes. The only recorded example of the manuscript "Unclaimed...", but strongly supporting our suggestion that the Unclaimed cachet was withdrawn because it included the postmaster's name: see the previous lot. (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1901 (Aug 16) cover between POWs in Ceylon & Inda with 'PASSED CENSOR POW/EJB/DIYATALAWA' cachet of EJ Baumann and superb 'CENSOR POW/CE NIXON BA/AHMEDNAGAR, INDIA' both in violet, light toning mostly on the reverse. (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

1901 (Sep 20 & Oct 24) covers from Holland with 12½c tied by Dieren or s'Gravenhage cds, both to Dr JD Koster at Diyatalawa redirected to "Kandy" with 'PASSED CENSOR POW/EJB/DIYATALAWA' cachet & Kandy arrival backstamp, a few faults on the reverse. Koster was a medical doctor who had served with a Dutch ambulance unit in South Africa. He was paroled to provide medical services in the Kandy area. Richard Stroud recorded only 22 covers to parolees. See also Lot 3297. (2) (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1901 (Sep 21) usage of 6c Postal Card to "POW Camp/Bermuda Islands/care of Camp Commdt" with very fine 'PRISONERS OF WAR/PASSED/CENSOR/BERMUDA' cachet in blue, and 1902 (Jan 7) similar usage to "Prisoners of War Camp Tent B4/Darrells Island/Bermuda", both with 'RAGAMA CAMP' cds, both from a son to his father. (2) (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1901 (Oct 7) cover from Orange River Colony with very fine 'PASSED CENSOR POW/FRNF/DIYATALAWA' cachet, repaired minor tear at upper-left; and 1902 (Mar 3) beautiful embossed chromolitho PPC from Germany with large 'RAGAMA CAMP/PASSED/CENSOR' cachet, minor blemishes; both redirected to "Hambantota" in rosine, the second with 'HAMBANTOTA/MR25/02' arrival cds. On 19.09.1901, a seaside convalescence camp was opened at Hambantota Prison, on the island's central south coast, about 120km ENE of Galle. This was the smallest of the POW installations. (2) (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1901 (Oct 25) cover-front to "Diatalawa Campo/Hut No 9/Ceylon" with St Helena 1d tied by superb 'Maltese Cross' cancel & 'PRISONERS OF WAR/["initials"]/CENSOR/BROADBOTTOM CAMP' cachet in violet; and 1901 cover endorsed "Krygsgevangene" (= POW) from Diyatalawa to "Broadbotham Camp/St Helena/Tent 88", Colombo transit backstamp. [See also Lot 3904] (2) (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1901 (Nov 2) registered cover from a Boer POW in the Transvaal with very fine 'BURGHER CAMP/ 2NOV1901/KRUGERSDORP' & 'KRUGERSDORP/PBC/AE MAINWARING' in purple on the reverse, to a POW at "Mount livhina" [sic] endorsed in Afrikaans "mit haas..." (= with haste), 'ERI' 1d x5 tied by Krugersdorp cds, the reverse with transits of Johannesburg Durban & Colombo and 'GALKISSA/NO23/01' arrival cds, redirected to "59A Hut/Diyatalawa" in red, the large censor label largely removed to reveal the datestamps & opened-out for display. (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1901 (Dec 20) Transvaal 1d Postal Card to a Boer POW at "Peace Camp/Diyatalawa", and 1902 (Mar 1) CofGH cover to "Dijatalawa/Camp hut 71/Vrieede Kamp" both redirected to "Urugasmanhandiya", minor blemishes. 176 Boers volunteered to join the Indian Army and, on 10.9.1901, they were moved to a so-called Peace Camp at Urugas, some 50km north of Galle. The Indian proposal fell-through and the POWs remained at Urugas as parolees. These are the only items we have seen with direct references to the Peace Camp. (2) (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1901 (early-Dec) homemade wrapper endorsed "Registered/Bookpost" at upper-left, "Open voor inspection" at the top & "Sender/CPTh v Olst" at lower-right, to Holland with 5c & 15c tied by 'DIYATALAWA CAMP' cds, Camp censor cachet in violet, Italian Naples transit backstamp & 'PIROSCAFI/ESTERI' cachet (= foreign steamers) & Amsterdam arrival backstamp of '30/DEC/01', some light soiling & a small repair at upper-left. A remarkable item: registered third-class mail is rare; and Theophilus van Ost was an inmate at Welikada Jail from 11.12.1901 until -.2.1902. See also Lot 3324. (Image1)

Estimate AU$750