Item 12: Frank W. Bungardy narrative of life in Holsworthy Internment Camp, ca. 1915-March 1919 - Page 168

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[Page 168]

kind of treatement. However only another 2-3 days & also their turn will come, as allready a Notice has been issued by the Camp. That all Internees, who are possessors of Cats & Dogs to hand their Names in to the Internees food comptroller, to take possession of same as demondet, when our present foodstuffs should run out. The Internees toke this Canibal step in prefference of dying of starvation.

This happened all in a Civilised world & a country who gets governed under the flag whos motto is, justice & fair play. All Officers communications with either the Deffence Departement, Consuls or any other Official outside has been stopped by the order of the Comandant, to prevent the Internees from letting the outside world know, Who does Australia treats their Prisoners of War. The Internees wished & demandet an Enquiry, so that both sides could settle their griviances. However to this proposal is the comandant opposed. On several ocassion he as uttered I'l starve the Buggers into submission. What his submission is, however is a mistery unknown to the inmates of this Camp. I state that this Comandant rules in Holdworthy like the Zar in Russia. He seems to hawe forgotten all laws regarding Civilication & Humanity, & there is nothing vulgar enough to use, to get his demands. The Internees are willing to clean their own Camp free of charge to the Authorities, also [indecipherable] all necessary cooking. The money needet for the payment of such labor, to be taken out of the Prisoner Canteen funds, as Tousends of Pounds lays their to our credit idly, as I will prove to the reader at the finishe of my chapter, regarding this socalled strike. The Internees demand that at least all the foodstuffs & firewood be brought by the Authorities to the Camp gates, wher the Inmates will carry same on their shoulders to the respektive Kitchens. As, with the exception of 3% interned in this Camp are Civilians

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