THE STARLIGHT RESERVE

A Brief History of the Camp
In 1942 the Rowville Army Camp was established. It was bordered by Stud and Wellington Roads and covered a total of 109 hectares. Starlight Reserve is located on the camp's southern edge. The remains of the camp's southern road can still be seen if you look between the two newly installed signs regarding the army camp.
Australian soldiers were stationed here to reinforce troops already defending the Victorian coastline. At that time an attack on Melbourne from Japanese forces was considered a very real threat and the most likely point of invasion was thought to be the coast between Point Nepean and Western Port Bay.
It later became apparent that a Japanese attack on Melbourne was unlikely so the Australian troops were relocated and the camp was used as a training and reception depot for American soldiers. The American troops were later shipped north of Australia to fight in the Pacific region.
In December 1944 the Rowville camp became a hostel for Italian prisoners of war. It was later used as a staging camp where Italian prisoners of war were held before being located elsewhere in the state. Many were used as farm labourers in rural Victoria and made a significant contribution to Australia's farming industry during the war period. There were 2,600 Italian prisoners of war who passed through this camp over a two year period before it closed in December 1946.

Captain Waterston
Captain Waterston was in charge of the Rowville Hostel during 1945/1946. Captain John Walker Waterston enlisted in the AIF on 21 October 1939. He was a private in the 2/6th Battalion. After completing an officer training course at Seymour he went to Cairns in June 1940. In December 1940 he set sail to Palestine and was posted to that region. He then sailed to Ceylon and then on to New Guinea. Captain Waterston left New Guinea due to illness and came home in 1944. He had a short period of leave and was made the commander of the German compound at Murchison followed by a posting at Colac. He arrived at the Rowville camp on 30 January 1945 and took command on 18 February 1945.

Allegations of ill treatment of prisoners
In 1946 Captain Waterston was under investigation for mistreating prisoners after a letter of complaint was sent to Mr A. A. Calwell, the Minister for Information and Immigration. Captain Waterston was accused of being intoxicated while on duty, assaulting prisoners, stealing the prisoners' possessions and brandishing his revolver in mid air. Mr Calwell made representations to the Minister for the Army, Mr F. M. Forde, to hold an investigation into the treatment of prisoners in the Rowville camp. A date for an inquiry into these allegations had been set for the 3rd April 1946, however four days prior to this a shooting took place.

The shooting of Rodolfo Bartoli
Rodolfo Bartoli was a young prisoner from Florence and had been through the Rowville camp a number of times before returning on 22nd December 1945. Captain Waterston put him in charge of the camp canteen where the prisoners could buy lollies, razor blades, toothpaste and cigarettes.
At 6.30 pm on Saturday, 30 March 1946 the prisoners were having their evening meal when a single shot was heard. Aldo Poggi, a good friend of Rodolfo, was washing his dishes when he heard the shot. He went outside to see what was happening and saw Rodolfo being carried to the infirmary on a stretcher with his arms dangling over the side. Aldo asked Rodolfo if he had seen the Captain shoot him. Rodolfo replied, "No, I have seen nobody, I only beard the shot and found myself on the ground." Rodolfo received first aid in the camp infirmary and then was rushed to Heidelberg Military hospital where later that night he died from the wound inflicted from the gunshot.

In Captain Waterston's testimony in the investigation into the shooting he said that he was of the opinion that there was to be an escape that evening. He posted two guards at the Stud Road gates, took a .303 military rifle and accompanied Sgt Maj MacDougall to the southern boundary of the camp and patrolled that area for the purpose of preventing an escape. Captain Waterston and Sgt Maj MacDougall split up and went in different directions. Captain Waterston then states that he saw a prisoner running for the south boundary fence. It was dusk and the visibility was poor. He observed him north of the road on the south boundary, looking about him over his shoulder as if afraid of observation. Captain Waterston says that he called for him to stop but the prisoner continued to run. The Captain then fired a warning shot and when the prisoner didn't stop he fired a shot at his ankles. The prisoner then fell. When Captain Waterston walked over to investigate he found that he had shot the prisoner.
In the inquiry into the shooting on the 5th April 1946, Mr Justice Simpson found that Bartoli was killed by a bullet from a .303 military rifle, fired by Captain Waterston at about 6.30 pm on the evening of 30th March. The judge did not accept Captain Waterston's evidence that he had fired a warning shot before the one that killed Bartoli. He also found that the area in which Bartoli was standing was not out of bounds and he was not satisfied that Bartoli had intended to leave the camp that night either temporarily or in an attempt to escape.
Captain Waterston who had a reputation for indulging in alcohol, asserting his authority by assaulting prisoners and firing his revolver into the air or at the feet of prisoners, was found unfit for command and relieved of duty.
In December 1946 he faced a trial by court martial and had to answer to nine charges. He was only found guilty of one, common assault on a prisoner called Enrico Quintavalle. For this he received a reprimand. Despite investigating the shooting, the Victoria Police decided to take no action over the death of Rodolfo Bartoli.
This sad incident took place after the end of the war when those in the camp were no longer officially prisoners but Italian nationals awaiting repatriation.

Darren Arnott

Ref National Archives MP742/1 Item No.255/6/774 Partl
Ref National Archives MP742/1 Item No.255/6/774 Part2

Comments

Do you have something to add? Post a comment