Audio file 18-1

Ernest speaks of the World War II internment camps around Paris, that the prisoners were broken up into groups and given chores ("corvées")

Ernest recalls a memorable incidence at Drancy camp when he is betrayed by a fellow prisoner and abused by a German guard; Ernest placed a complaint which was heard by the Commandant to his surprise

Ernest mistakenly identifies Drancy as a camp for non-combatants, whereas it is St Denis.

Ernest's letter of complaint is addressed to Mr Fletcher, dated 30 May 1941

In speaking of the fate of the betraying prisoner, Ernest says that he did not know at the time that Drancy camp was a transit camp to extermination camps though there were suspicions with news that came with visitors

[tape stopped and restarts] Ernest continues on his internment and his disappointment at the lack of solidarity amongst prisoners

The British non-combatants were mostly housed in St Denis, not Drancy

[tape stopped and restarts] It reminds him of another incidence of betrayal by those he took to be his comrades at the University of Fort Hare; to Wonga's question, Ernest explains that the University was open to non-Whites when others were not

Some of the South African universities did accept non-White students and it depended on each university's policy; however the University of Fort Hare purposely accepted only non-White students

Ernest explains that the Indian and Coloured team members of the University rugby team abandoned the Black African team members just so they could partake in entertainment that was open to the them but not to the Black Africans