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Cape Town's First POW Facility – Breakwater Prison (Belmont & Graspan) 4 days 16 hours ago #101620
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I recently purchased a lot of 48 lantern slides at auction for £80. Poorly listed, I bought them pretty much unseen, so when they arrived I was delighted to discover they were all the work of the renowned war and society photographer, Horace W. Nicholls.
Amongst them were many images I was already familiar with, these having been published in either Black & White magazine or his book “Uitlanders and Colonists”. Others I did not know, and without captions, identifying their subject matter posed a challenge. One was a formal photograph of a group of Highlanders, in front of what appeared to be a prison. The fenced enclosure behind the soldiers was populated by a number of individuals that looked distinctly like Boers. But where could this be? Were the incarcerated men Burghers who had been charged and found guilty of offences and thus imprisoned? The quest was on. I knew Horace Nicholls’s photographs were mostly taken on the Natal front. Such images as those of Yule’s retreat from Dundee (used for the dust jacket of Pakenham), the Imperial Light Horse at Maritzburg and the armoured train at Chieveley are well known. So, I at first concentrated my search in the Maritzburg/Durban area, imagining that the depicted prison must have been in one of those towns. Having drawn a blank, a broader Google image search eventually returned a shot that had clearly been taken by Nicholls on the same day. It included the same prison rails, and helpfully was accompanied by a second photograph showing the exterior of the gaol. Other pictures in the article allowed me to identfy two further slides in the lot, one of which I would never have guessed showed the gates of a prison.The title of the Illustrated London News Supplement of 5 May 1900 was “The Boer In Durance at Cape Town”. So, I had been looking in completely the wrong part of the country. On the far right of the exterior shot could be seen the masts of docked sailing ships, so the building had to be close to the sea front. The first obvious contender was the Castle, Cape Town, but this was not a match. So, I turned to Google Earth and started searching for a structure with corner turrets. Eventually I spied a square building that showed similarities, and switching to Street View, there the former prison was, almost completely unaltered. Google indicated that it is now the Protea Hotel, Cape Town Waterfront, on Portswood Road. A potted history on the hotel’s webpage confirmed the building had been “Breakwater Prison” in an earlier life. So, now I knew the location, I needed to find out why Boer prisoners had been incarcerated there. This, I thought would be quite straightforward, now that I had the name of the prison. But I was surprised to discover there are barely any references to Boers being imprisoned at Breakwater. A two-line article appeared in the press at the end of November 1899, stating that a number of POWs from Belmont had been taken to Breakwater Prison on the 27th of that month. And a second piece, written on 29 December 1899, states that “175 of the Boer prisoners hitherto confined at Cape Town Breakwater here have been removed on board the Manilla to Simonstown”. It seemed that some of those taken at Graspan might also have been held there. A short article about conditions at an unspecified Cape Town POW facility notes that outdoor sports, including football, had been arranged for the prisoners. I believe the only other Cape Town facility holding Boer POWs at this time (early December 1899) was the Prison Ship H.M.S. Penelope, anchored off Simonstown. A game of football on a ship would be a struggle. So, for a very short period of time, from 27 November to 29 December 1899 (four and a half weeks), 175 Boer prisoners, taken at Belmont and Graspan, were held at Breakwater Prison, otherwise known as the Convict Station, Cape Town. The Morning Advertiser names two of the prisoners as Mr Carl Jeppe, member of the Volksraad for Witwatersrand, and Commandant Cornelis Rissik, who led one of the commandos at Belmont. Interestingly, POW returns indicate that these men, despite being captured on 23 and 25 November 1899, did not receive prisoner numbers until early April 1900. The prison normally housed approximately 1,000 inmates who were subjected to forced labour in the docks. These were primarily convicts that had been sentenced under the Illicit Diamond Buying Act, which had been passed for the protection of the legitimate industry of Kimberley. Further research has ascertained that Horace Nicholls did indeed spend most of his time in Natal. However, on 13 December 1899 he passed through Cape Town on his way to catch the S.S. Briton, bound for England. Like René Bull, shortly after reaching the UK he began a lecture tour, the first venue being the Royal Albert Institute, Windsor. An article in the Windsor & Eton Express describes many of the slides he showed, including: “Boer prisoners of war in the prison yard at Cape Town; teatime in the prison yard; Boer prisoners of war playing football and quoits in the Recreation Ground”. The reference to football confirms that the Graspan POWs were confined in Breakwater Prison. 
The Prison Guard, photographed by Horace W. Nicholls.
Detail showing Boer POWs watching on through the prison fence.
The photograph published in the Illustrated London News, 5 May 1900, which led to the identification of the prison.
The title of the article (see below) indicated that the gaol was in Cape Town. 
The exterior shot of the prison, showing the distinctive square corner turrets, which are still clearly visible on Google Earth today.
The docks in the distance on the far right allowed me to narrow my search for the current building. 
Breakwater Prison today: the Protea Hotel, Cape Town Waterfront (courtesy of Uniq Hotels).
Two photographs from the time, showing the prison (on the right) in relation to Green Point Athletics track.
The second shot was taken while the track was being used as a POW camp. 
Map of Cape Town showing the "Convict Station" in relation to Green Point and the Docks, circa 1911.
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Cape Town's First POW Facility – Breakwater Prison (Belmont & Graspan) 4 days 16 hours ago #101621
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The two other photographs I was able to identify after finding the Illustrated London News article.
Visiting day at the prison: visitors waiting their turn.
The well-laden baskets carried by the soldiers have been brought in by the wife of a wealthy prisoner. 
Prisoners fetching their tea.
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Portsmouth Evening News, 27th November 1899 BOER PRISONERS ARRIVE AT CAPE TOWN. Cape Town, Sunday, 5.40 p.m. The Boers who were taken prisoners at Belmont have arrived. The wounded were sent to the Military Hospital at Wynberg, and the others to the Convict Station [Breakwater Prison], which has been converted into a Military Prison. They were all in a fearfully dilapidated condition, and appeared to have lost heart. Edinburgh Evening News, 28th November 1899 THE BELMONT WOUNDED. A London “Daily Mail” Cape Town telegram says: The ambulance train from Belmont, with 200 wounded, arrived on Sunday after a three days’ journey. Most of the wounded were very weak, and had to be carried on stretchers to the hospital. Very few walked. The Boer prisoners taken at Belmont also arrived, and have been taken to the Breakwater Prison. Cornishman, 30th November 1899 The Boer prisoners taken at Belmont, have arrived at Capetown, and have been taken to the Breakwater prison. Morning Advertiser, 7th December 1899 BOER PRISONERS AT CAPETOWN. Capetown, December 6. Altogether there are now 200 Boer prisoners, including Mr Carl Jeppe, member of the Volksraad for Witwatersrand, and Commandant Rissik, who led a commando at Belmont. More prisoners are expected to arrive tomorrow. Northern Whig, 7th December 1899 BOER PRISONERS AT CAPETOWN. GENEROUS TREATMENT. Capetown, December 2. Notwithstanding statements which have been made to the contrary, the Boer prisoners here declare that they are perfectly comfortable and happy. Arrangements have been made enabling them to play football and quoits, and they are supplied with excellent creature comforts. – (Press Association War Special). Daily News (London), 8th December 1899 AT CAPETOWN. BOER PRISONERS INTERVIEWED. Capetown, Saturday December 2. Some of the Boer prisoners captured at Graspan have been interviewed here. They deny the stories of the Bond Press and the alleged agonies suffered by them on the journey by train. They are allowed every comfort here, and outdoor sports are being organised on their behalf. York Herald, 1st January 1900 Cape Town, December 29. The Boer prisoners who were confined in the docks have been removed to the transport Manila. It is understood they will be conveyed to Simonstown. Eastern Daily Press, 2nd January 1900 EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS. Cape Town, January 1. It is understood that 175 of the Boer prisoners hitherto confined at Cape Town Breakwater here have been removed on board the Manila to Simonstown. It is also understood that the exchange of prisoners is under consideration. Daily Record, 20th January 1900 Close to the docks, at a point known as the Breakwater, is the Cape Town Convict Prison, where about a thousand men are usually employed in dock work. Many of these are “I.D.B.” men – that is, prisoners sentenced under the Illicit Diamond Buying Act, which was passed some years ago for the protection of the legitimate industry of Kimberley. Weekly Dispatch (London), 6th April 1902 The whole [Bushveld Carbineers] troop, it is added, was placed on trial. The leaders, Morant and Hancock, were sentenced to be shot; the others received sentences of imprisonment for life. The troopers under life sentences are, it is believed, now on the Capetown Breakwater works. .. |
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Cape Town's First POW Facility – Breakwater Prison (Belmont & Graspan) 3 days 20 hours ago #101640
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