Page 12 - Sutclifffe-APD_Censorship_PoW

Prisoner of War, Internment Camps and Gibraltar Camp , Jamaica.

A further category comprised the German and Austrian Jews in the Camp, and no doubt,
Jews of other nationalities who were also in the Camp; they particularly feared the
Nazi elements in the Camp, and, after a number of incidents, they were allowed to
occupy their own compound. As the war progressed, these Jewish prisoners were
individually vetted so that even prior to mid 1943 many of them were released and placed
on a type of parole basis, having to report to the police, whom, it appears also censored
their outgoing mail . Below is shown an example of such a cover.

The reverse of a cover from D.M . Weiz at Falmouth to New York is shown which bears
a TRD type handstamp having around the top the wording INSPECTOR OF CONSTABULARY and
around the bottom FALMOUTH, both sets of wording being in block serif type which are
separated by asterisks on each side . Across the centre of the TRD in manuscript
appears the wording Censored/name of Officer/Inspector Police/16/6/43. As the letter
would go through the normal Post Office channels it appears that the Postal Censorship
Service relied on the "Police Censorn as there are no other markings. The cover bears
Falmouth dater of the 16~h June, but without a year date.
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After the entry of Italy into the war a further category of prisoner arrived at the
Camp, following the internment of the few Italians in Jamaica. The numbers of these
inmates were increased soon afterwards by the Italians from West Africa and later by
sailors of the Italian Navy from the crews of Italian submarines operating from French
Atlantic ports, some of which were lost in the Caribbean .
It should also be mentioned that certain Jamaican political detainees were also
housed in the Camp, some were trade union members who used the out break of war to
press for changes by refusing to attend to shipping requirements , they were released
on the cessation of hostilities. Many, like Sir William Bustamante achieved prominence
in post war Jamaica and it is reported that he himself acted as Camp librarian. It is
possible that a similar precaution was also undertaken during World War I, but no such
evidence is available here.