The HMT Dunera was used by the British in 1940 for the deportation of 2,500 internees to Australia. More than 2,000 of them were Jews or political opponents of the National Socialists. In England, they thought they had escaped persecution. Instead, they found themselves behind bars in May 1940. Now they lived through 57 days of humiliation and violence. This website commemorates this little-known chapter of the Holocaust and exile during the Nazi era.
“I have no doubt whatever that the first step towards maintaining the morale of refugees from Germany and Austria, refugees from nazi oppression, is not to speak to the world in general terms about the ideals of freedom, but to convince them that you will do justice: that the upholders of freedom, as we are so proud to be, the fighters against evil things, brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression, and persecution, are doing justice to the men and women who have already suffered bitterly from these things in Germany, and have fled from them to us”.
George Bell, Lord Bischop of Chichester, in the House of Lords on August 6, 1940.
The HMT Dunera was used by the British in 1940 for the deportation of 2,500 internees to Australia. More than 2,000 of them were Jews or political opponents of the National Socialists. In England, they thought they had escaped persecution. Instead, they found themselves behind bars in May 1940. Now they lived through 57 days of humiliation and violence. This website commemorates this little-known chapter of the Holocaust and exile during the Nazi era. The fates of these people deserve to be told. The background and circumstances of the British mass deportations of refugees overseas must also be told – especially in Germany.
Heinz Dehn, father and grandfather of the initiators of this website, was among those men. Research into the history of the Dehn family showed that many Dunera Boys, as well as refugees who came to Australia via Singapore, became friends of the Dehn family.
dunera.de is a private, voluntary and non-commercial project. The authors endeavour to be historically accurate, even if a historically scientific approach is not always claimed and personal comments are included.
dunera.de launches in April 2024 with nine biographies, a six-part series on the journey of the HMT Dunera and historical background articles. In addition to news, there is also a list of literature references and sources on the internet.
The range of articles will be expanded at irregular intervals. Anyone interested is cordially invited to contribute.
We would like to thank Marc Bernhardt and Paul Cybulska from the Berlin-based company Design-OP, who designed and programmed this website.
Peter und Paul Dehn, April 2024.

The 57 days behind barbed wire on the Dunera became a horror journey to Australia for 2,500 internees. Picture of Dunera Boy Hans Josephy (Hans Jackson). Courtesy of Allen Sternstein.