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one. In the meantime, a train of 2nd class carriages with leather-upholstered seats had arrived on the quay, right next to the ‘’Montoro’’, the freight carriages had been attached, and now it was time to load the human material.
Women and children had been left on board [the steamship] for now, because they would subsequently be transferred to a town called Bourke, about 500 miles inland, where they would be interviewed together with their husbands. The latter, however, first had to come with us to Liverpool, our final destination, probably so they wouldn’t escape. They would be brought back to their wives on Monday, 19 April, and then continue travelling with
them. The distrust or fear of us Singapore people seems to be huge and does not bode well for our treatment in the camp.
At 2pm, we were finally all boarded, and once 3-4 soldiers with upright bayonets had positioned themselves on each carriage platform, the train was set in motion. After crossing