Item 12: Frank W. Bungardy narrative of life in Holsworthy Internment Camp, ca. 1915-March 1919 - Page 140

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[Page 140]

The discipline ruling amongst the Guards seems to be fosial, as the Officers in charge of the Guard s are mostly Made Officers, and know about Rules & Regulationes indeet less than Soldiers themself. State account of daily. As the comment upon what I wishe to inform the Public on facts of humanity, wich hawe been practised for years inside this Camp, not one Internee had foreseen, to wich depths this Officials in charge of this Camp would stoop, to cause of "wholesale murder" amongst the undefendet, much hated German Internees. Allmost 75% of the Internees inside this Camp, wher & had been respectable Citizens of Australia for years, in several instances married to Australians & rearing Australian Children. They lived joyfully when since 1914 a Officer & Police arrested same & without cause, without trial, toke them to the side of a hill, surrounded by Barbwire & guardet by Soldiers with bayonets fixced so cut off from the outside World & civilication, under-nourished ill housed & unsufficiently clothed, the Internees had to remain, in some instances for the period of 5 years.

It is a wonder that the death rate amongst the Internees & the mentally aflicted has not been larger than it has been. But this is not an act of the Government, but the Internees toke all precaution themselves by the Camp administration inside of our Camp, wich had nothing to do with the Military looked after our wellfare & wellbeing, in errecting Institutiones inside of our Camp, also diverse places of Recreation out of Money & labor gathered by the Internees themselves wholy. This keep our body & mind healthy. This mode of life had gone on, in several instances for the period of 7 years, when the wellcome news wher recieved, that armistice had been signed. This gawe rise to a general hope that our liberation out of this Dante Inferno wher close at hand & everyone lived cheerfull & in hopes to hawe

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