3rd September 1940

Giorgio Scola wrote: The Dunera has after almost eight weeks reached our destination, and we are alongside a quay of Port Melbourne (12,600 miles approximately). Here about 600 including refugees, Nazis and ourselves, land whist the rest are to proceed to Sydney. Before we go down the gangway, our number is checked but to my surprise, there is no search. With feelings of subdued excitement and considerable expectation, I and some of the young friends I have made on board, are escorted into a somewhat antique and shabby-looking wooden coach of the open type at the station nearby. The coach is labelled second-class but is far inferior to an English third-class coach. ·         (12,000 miles behind barbed wire - The internment of Giorgio Enrico Scola

·https://www.theduneraitalians.com/_files/ugd/f829b6_971886d74a4e45db87e4941065a771ff.pdf )

1940. Starboard Side View of the British Troopship MV Dunera (AWM Image 303219)

Secret and Confidential

Internees ex HMT "DUNERA" - Movement

A guard of 120 Officers and other ranks under the command of Capt. BRISTOW M.C. from the 17th Bn. TATURA was responsible for the entrainment of the 518 Internees disembarked at PORT MELBOURNE on 3.9.40. Two Officer Interpreters from Tatura were also in attendance.

The Provost Marshall provided the necessary troops to guard the pier and the vessel in conjunction with a guard from the 12th Garrison Bn.

O/C. Troops "Dunera" was responsible for the guard on the vessel, and the first stage of disembarkation.

The vessel was scheduled to arrive at 8a.m. and all guards were in position at 7 a.m. The boat was late and did not tie up until 10.20 a.m.

Immediately after the vessel had tied up the D.A.A.G. and his staff boarded her, together with the two Officer Interpreters. O/C. Troops "Dunera" and two British Officer Interpreters were presented and after nominal rolls of Internees to be disembarked had been handed over, the Australian and the British Interpreters took their position at a table placed at the head of the gangway.

The troops on board then brought up the Internees in batches and as each one passed to the gangway his name was checked on the roll. On passing down the heavily guarded gangway to the pier, the O/C. entrainment took charge and the Internees were filed in to the waiting train, where they were again counted. The Internees carried personal luggage only.

The whole operation of disembarkation and entrainment was complete by 12.20 p.m. and the train left for Tatura at 12.30 p.m.

As a number of sick Internees had to be transported by ambulance to Hospital one Interpreter remained on the ship to check the disembarkation of those Internees and proceed to Tatura by car.

A large number of plain-clothes Police were on the pier and they proceeded by car to Seymour, where the train was halted.

A packet of sandwiches and hot tea was served to the Internees and the Guards in the train. A 45 minute halt had been scheduled, but the train go away in 35 minutes.

A fleet of 11 parlour coaches was assembled at Murchison East Station, were detrainment took place and on arrival of the train at 4.20 p.m. the Internees were filed under escort to the coaches. when the coaches had been filled they moved off to the Internment Camp, whilst the remainder were kept locked in the train with the Guards till the return of the coaches.

On arrival of the first load at the Internment Camp, the coaches were run into the respective compounds and the Internees unloaded and line up for search by the Intelligence Staff. The coaches returned to Murchison Railway Station for the second load.

After the search of their small baggage had been complete the Internees were drafted into their huts and N.C.O's. immediately made up hut nominal rolls and an Intelligence Officer appointed temporary hut leaders and a compound leader.

The Internees were then provided with a good meal in the mess huts.

The second load of Internees arrived and were dealt with in the same manner. By 9.30 p.m. all operations were completed.

Two British Interpreters, Capt. E.J. Robertson and Capt. J. Brandt have valuable assistance during the whole of the arrangements.

Subsequently a message was received from Southern Command expressing appreciation of the manner in which Capt. BRISTOW and Officers and other ranks of the 17th Bn. had carried out their duties.

Owing to lack of time a thorough search of the Internees on the night of arrival could not be made, but on the following day a complete search was made by Intelligence Officers, with the result that £739 was taken from the Internees. This money, mostly in English and Scottish Banknotes, had been concealed about the person in belts, in the lining of clothing and concealed pockets.

W. YOUNG Lieut.

Intelligence Officer

H.Q. 17th. Garrison Bn.