Item 12: Frank W. Bungardy narrative of life in Holsworthy Internment Camp, ca. 1915-March 1919 - Page 48

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[Page 48]

During this month 17 Internees managed their escape successfully & are still at liberty. The Officials in charge of us here it wher a mistery how & wher he place was, wher the Internees got past the Senterys unnoticed. The Spies & Informers in our midst wich wher in the constant pay of the Military Camp administration, wher unable at first to disclose the place, however at last they got on the trail, in the shape of another hohle in the Exercise paddoc, dug in by Internees during day times & when not working covered again, so that it wher hardly to notice. In this the Internees crawled shortly before the Gates got closed, friends of same covered them up with dirt & grass, leaving only a smal hohle for breathing purposses. When dark & the Senterys wher stationed around the fences the escapees came out of their hohle 50 yards at the back of the senterys, & crawling over ther ground untill they reached the other single Barbwirefence, wich they soon negotiated, the rest of their Job wher easy. As the Spies of this Camp had informed all this to the Provost Marshall Bardsley, this sayd Gentleman tried to make a smart capture, so on the 17th wich usualy came in to clear the exercise guard at about 5pm. On their return to the Guardhouse, they marched straight to the spotty wich had previously been marked by placing several stones around it by some of the Spies thinking some Internees wher in it again. However no bird was in it, but a letter wher found adressed to the Provost Marshall, containing abusive & insulting statements. The next day about 50 soldiers came in to the excerrise paddoc, with Crowbars, picks, matthooks Rifle & bayonets & searched every insh of the ground, becourse the Informers had heard, that their wher continued every evening at 5pm by guards

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