De Krijgsgevangene

Diyatalawa had four camp newspapers, De Prikkeldraad, The Diyatalawa Dum-Dum, the Diyatalawa Camp Lyre and De Krijgsgevangene. The first edition of De Prikkeldraad, published on 10 September 1900, consisted of one piece of paper only. The Dum-Dum, the Camp Lyre and Prikkeldraad were only printed a few times.During December 1901 the first copy of the De Krijgsgevangene was printed as a handwritten copy by G. Walton of Hut 59a. This newspaper were to be printed every week until the closure of this camp.

Here bound together in a red cloth and quarter-leather four weekly original editions. De Krijgsgevangene printed in gilt on the spine. 16 pages in total. Ex-libris stamp of previous owner in front. Newspapers are 220 mm wide and 340 mm in length. Part 1 number 2 dated 12 December 1901. Part 1 number 3 dated 19 December 1901. Part 1 number 4 dated 26 December 1901. Part 1 number 7 dated 16 January 1902. These newspapers were bound together by a previous owner, keeping them in a very good condition. A fold visible halfway through every page, which confirm the way it was folded in half and then sold at camp.

The content written in the then Dutch/Afrikaans and also in English. Out of the "Bannelinge in die Vreemde" by Elria Wessels: Van die koerant se entrepeneurs het dadelik van die geleentheid gebruik gemaak om van hulle goedere en dienste te adverteer. Roelf van der Merwe het byvoorbeeld in sy advertensie nie net klere te koop aangebied nie, maar alles "from a tin tack to an elephant". J. Francis van Hut 70 was gereed om enige tand te trek of the stop en het selfs spesiale tariewe gehad vir die maak van valstande! Die koerant het ook verslag gedoen van al die sportgebeure in die kamp en die spesialae gebeure wat die dae in die kamp so bietjie vinniger verby laat gaan het.