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Internees' Camp Newspaper

Thu, 01 Mar 1917

Camp Gazette
Camp Gazette

Internees within the major internment camps produced their own newspapers. Within Knockaloe, each of the four separate sub-camps published one or more newspapers. All newspapers were submitted to the censor. They were then printed and sold to the internees.

Knockaloe Camp 4's monthly Lager-Zeitung newspaper had an average circulation of 2,500.  Of these, around 1,750 copies were sent off Island. To allow this to happen, whilst it was type set in the Camp 4 printing office, the Censor’s regulations required the censored copies be actually printed in Peel. 

 

The Final Report and Statistical Record on the Internal Administration of the Prisoners of War Camp No IV submitted to Government House, Douglas on 15 March 1919 by the Camp Secretary, internee E C Kny explained a little about the Lager-Zeitung:

The “Knockaloe Lager-Zeitung” had been conceived in September 1916, by a committee of three ex Stobs internment camp internees who resolved to establish a “Camp Gazette”. Over 26 months, 20 issues were produced.

Its purpose was “Firstly, the promotion of interest in the internal activities, and their record; secondly, to show the relatives abroad that the inmates of the Camp were making the best of it.”

Each copy sold for 1d and the monies raised were used for charitable purposes to the Hospitals, Schools and Relief fund. 

We should like to thank Dr J Kewley Draskau for kindly translating these excerpts from the Knockaloe Camp No IV Lager-Zeitung for the Charity. Isle of Man born and based Dr Kewley Draskau is fluent in many languages, including Manx Gaelic. She is a senior research fellow with the University of Liverpool and has written various books and papers, many focusing on Knockaloe and this period of Isle of Man history, and lectures worldwide. Dr Draskau has previously made a detailed study of internment camp newspapers and we are so grateful for her voluntary support.

With their wide circulation, copies of Knockaloe and other internment camp newspapers can be found in private collections, archives and libraries around the world.  The Copies above were obtained as follows:

• Issue 1 of the Lager - Zeitung newspaper dated October 1916, held within a private collection
• Issue 2 of the Lager - Zeitung newspaper dated 18 November 1916, held within the American Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Date accessed 2 March 2016 https://wwionline.org/resources/institutions/swarthmore-college-peace-collection/
• Issue 5 of the Lager - Zeitung newspaper dated 1 March 191718 November 1916, held within the American Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Date accessed 2 March 2016 https://wwionline.org/resources/institutions/swarthmore-college-peace-collection/

The copy of The Final Report and Statistical Record on the Internal Administration of the Prisoners of War Camp No IV was obtained, with thanks, from the archives of Manx National Heritage http://www.manxnationalheritage.im/

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