Knockaloe

As today is Remembrance Day for the fallen of all conflicts I thought I would do something connected to the First World War but far away from Flanders Field which is this Isle of Man miniature sheet commemorating the postal history of the Knockaloe Internment Camp.  This was a place where "enemy aliens" were detained for the duration of the war, mostly Germans and Austrians. The 24,000 men were in effect inside a self-contained township which was originally envisioned for 5,000.  It was built of wooden huts covering 23 acres and the left hand drawing on the sheet is from a coloured steel engraving of the camp by the internees and inserted are pictures of Peel Castle and Patrick Church where 200 of the internees, who died during internment were buried.  These were repatriated in the 1960s to the Cannock Chase German War Cemetery in Staffordshire apart from some Jewish and Turkish graves which still remain.

There was a wealth of talent within the camps of academics, artists, musicians and craftsmen but it was considered one of the toughest camps on the island, those with influence moved out to other camps so the remaining inmates of  Knockaloe were egalitarian and it was considered a socialist camp.  

The top pair of stamps show a postcard of drawings of the accommodation, just seen is a line of washing between the huts which is repeated on the background of the stamp

 and a 1915 envelope with a censors stamp.  The camp had a printing press and they produced Christmas cards and as can be seen in the bottom set of stamps "Easter Greetings to Home".  The camp did not close until 1919 when many of the inmates were deported, many against their will as they had established a life in Britain prior to the war, as can be inferred from the stamp of a registered letter sent in 1915 to Miss Hilda Reeves in London.

An entry to Viridian Postcard's Sunday Stamps