I noted a letter in The Gleaner of December 16 asking about Gibraltar Camp. This was a large evacuee and refugee camp set up during World War II, on the outskirts of Kingston - in fact, on the old Mona estate, which is now the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies.

Some 1,800 Gibraltarian evacuees arrived in Jamaica between October and November 1940, aboard two ships which travelled directly from Gibraltar across a u-boat infested Atlantic. Thousands more were to arrive via the United Kingdom, but they didn't get further than London, due to the threat at sea. Maltese evacuees were also expected, but opted to stay home.

Later, in 1942 and 1943, the Gibraltarians shared the camp with mainly Jewish refugees from war-torn Europe. The two major groups were Polish and other allied refugees, who sailed from Portugal and who were accepted for the duration of the war, and Dutch refugees en route to the Dutch West Indies, who sailed from Spain. The Dutch stayed for periods from months to over a year before continuing their planned journey or making alternative arrangements. Many of the Polish refugees also travelled onward during the war. Most of the Gibraltarians returned home in October 1944, leaving behind nearly 100 dead, buried mainly in Calvary Cemetery, and taking with them some 100 babies born here.

Friends

The camp was like a township, equipped with its own facilities. While the civilian residents could go out and about, and some made friends in Kingston, Jamaicans were generally restricted from entering the camp.

After the Gibraltarians left, the camp was briefly under military command before being handed over for the nascent University of the West Indies - then, of course, the University College of the West Indies.

I recently completed a PhD dissertation on Gibraltar Camp and hope to have opportunities to share the knowledge gained on a place and space that has largely been lost to local heritage, despite its significant presence during the 1940s.

I am, etc.,

SUZANNE FRANCIS-BROWN

sfbjamaica@gmail.com