Item 15: Frank W. Bungardy narrative of events at Torrens Island Internment Camp, 1915 and Holsworthy Internment Camp, 1915-ca. 1919 - Page 17
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[Page 17]
Now and again a small coasting Boat arrived, with about 3-5 tones firewood on board. The Soldiers using msotly all. Owing this smal amount of wood, their being close on 100 fireplaces, hawing to last for a certain period, we wher mostly without, so we wher compelled to carry it over sand hills for miles. About 9 a.m. we Prisoners used to fall in line, two men out of each tent, with our axes which we had to buy ourselfs, and under a strong escort we wandered into places wher the trees stood; the time allowance to gather dead wood being 30 minutes. At first only dead trees got felled, however, as they wher soon used up, live ones had to suffer, and many a shady tree, the pride of the Island fell victim to our axes, and carried back in pices back to our camps. On many ocassion, owing to the long distant and the heavy load, we wher unable to reach the camp, without a rest , this sometimes got granted and mostly not, on many ocassions I seen Prisoners being compelled owing the weight of the wood, and the sandy ground being forced to drop their load on the way, yes