Marking the 85th anniversary of Dunera

To mark the 85th anniversary of the arrival in Sydney of the Dunera from Great Britain and the Queen Mary from Singapore, a panel discussion, “His Majesty’s Most Loyal Internees”, will take place on September 14 at 2.30pm at the Shrine of Remembrance.

Poet Oswald Volkmann described the “Dunera boys” as “His Majesty’s Most Loyal Internees” – a description that also suits the Queen Mary internees. Deported to Australia during the Second World War as enemy aliens and imprisoned in regional camps, they were in reality loyal and posed no threat to Britain or Australia.

On board the HMT Dunera were 2542 men who became known as the Dunera boys, 2036 of whom were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany and Austria, living in Britain and classed as enemy aliens. Approximately 250 Jewish men, women and children were also classified as enemy aliens in Singapore and deported on the Queen Mary.

Upon arrival in Sydney, all the ‘enemy aliens’, including the children, were interned in country NSW and Victoria. They remained interned until 1942 when most able-bodied men joined the 8th Employment Company of the Australian Army commanded by Captain ER Broughton.

During the panel discussion, leading historians, internees and their descendants will reflect on the challenges faced by the internees transported to Australia.