Alexander diary, 1917-1918 / Roy Alexander - Page 242
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 242]
We visited the theatre, (not unlike ours at B'burg), the grounds in fact all of the famous camp. It is not so bad now but it must have been absolute Hell when these poor devils were first dumped in these unfurnished horse-boxes. And we met old acquaintances! McAnally, Haxton & all those passengers from the "Matunga" & "Hitachi" have been working with the labour gangs, met us with tears in their eyes & wailed how they had been placed in the labour gangs as common prisoners! We, the tolerated, but only tolerated, merchantmen went to officer's treatment as members of one of the Services (if not the Service), whilst they, the Anglo-Indian passengers, have been in coal mines, latrine gangs, etc. And McAnally & Green were on a Night-Cart!!!
We shrieked outright at this intelligence & were voted callous pigs" by the ex Toilers.