Audio file 153-2

[continues from 153-1] Wonga recalls what Ernest told him about Bailey and the food the prisoners were served [mentioned Artaud being starved] and the quality of food making prisoners [like Benjamin] sick, but Ernest cannot or does not want to elaborate

Wonga speaks of Bailey as the person who distributed the food to other prisoners when there is not enough to go around and how he distributed the food to those who threatened him versus to his friends like Ernest

[tape stopped and restarts] Wonga switches topics to St Denis camp location, the Grande Caserne, and Ernest recalls seeing the Tower of the Cathedral of St Denis; Wonga speaks of the Caserne being in a residential area and Ernest recalls the residents being sympathetic, waving, to the prisoners

Wonga asks if prisoners were informed of external affairs by their wives and contractors [mentions a driver who passed on Milosz's request from another camp - see file 151-1]

[tape stopped and restarts] Wonga asks Ernest about a journal he kept in the prison, to recall entries; Ernest recalls writing about the Russian's victory over the Germans at Stalingrad, Wonga raises questions

Ernest speaks of the prisoners coming from different walks of life, Wonga speaks of it creating a situation such that Ernest became friends with those from wealthy families [mentions Milosz]

[tape stopped and restarts] Wonga refers back to the diary [tape stopped and restarts] Wonga asks Ernest to recount a story in which a dentist is made available to the St Denis prisoners and a prisoner, awaiting his turn, is taken away suddenly by German soldiers and he did not return [they speak in English and French]

Ernest said the horrors extended outside the camp, speaks of Vél d'Hiv event that Sonja witnessed; Wonga asks about Sonja's visits to St Denis and conjectures on how she survived during the war

Vél d'Hiv refers to the largest deportation of Jews at one time. On 16 and 17 June 1942 Jews were brought to the bicycle racing track Velodrome d'Hiver and from there deported to extermination camps

[tape stopped and restarts] Wonga mulls over the story of the prisoner taken whilst awaiting the dentist [speaks in English and French]

[tape stopped and restarts] Ernest speaks of his and Sonja's romance and the war; that the Germans had a camp for married couples which led them to decide to marry whilst Ernest was still interned

Ernest may be speaking about Vittel camp, for there is a letter (digitised) dated 5 August 1942 from Ernest to Vittel camp requesting transfer

[recording stops]

[tape ends, likely following tape: 154-1]