Karl Muffler.

One of the men at V12 Camp No.2 was Karl Muffler.

He was born in Germany and as a teenager chose to pursue a career as a pastry cook.

Karl migrated to Australia in 1930 and worked in Melbourne at Ikinger’s cake shop in Brunswick. He then established his own business, the Embassy, which operated in Malvern until the late 1930s. He married Hilde Mayer in 1939.

But on 4 September 1939, Karl was detained as an enemy alien along with hundreds of other German residents.

Muffler and his father-in-law Adolf Mayer were among the very first Germans to be detained, being arrested the morning after war was declared largely because of their membership of the Deutsche Arbeitfront (German Labour Front) of which Mayer was president.

The group built a club house at Belgrave, occupied from 1934 to 1939, and while few in number, its members were considered to be Nazi sympathisers and had already come to the attention of the authorities.

Belgrave residents have been taking increasing notice recently of German gatherings. Occasionally young German men and women are heard singing Nazi anthems on the roads, and tall, blond Germanic types are seen in the streets or driving through in motorcars. The club building is well-equipped for guests, and has a wireless aerial, a concrete cellar, wide verandahs and other amenities. The swastika flag sometimes floats over the building.” – Sun-News Pictorial, 24.4.1938

When the activities of this Nazi club were raised in Federal Parliament, Prime Minister Joe Lyons dismissed it saying

“if we are concerned at the existence of a Nazi club in Australia we should also be concerned at the existence of the many Communist clubs”. – Argus 29.4.1938

The clubhouse and its fittings were stripped over the following fortnight.

Karl was interned at the Tatura Camp in northern Victoria for the next five years. He kept himself occupied decorating cakes and learning woodcarving and drawing.

Hilda was not interned but was issued with a travel permit with severe restrictions that kept her within 15 miles of the GPO.

On the 20 June 1944, Karl was released from internment but directed to work for the Civil Alien Corp (CAC). He moved to Camp No2 in the Mt Disappointment State forest as an enemy alien.  He was released in 1945.

Muffler was naturalised in 1947 and remained in Australia until his death in 1996.

The Immigration Museum featured Karl’s story:

https://museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/resources/immigrant-stories/karl-muffler