The royal commission into child sexual abuse has heard harrowing details of small boys being dragged from their beds and raped within children's homes operated by the Salvation Army.

On Tuesday the commission began its fifth inquiry, this time examining cases of abuse at four boys' homes operated by the prominent charity.

Some of the evidence presented today shocked even some survivors and their advocates, including the caging of children, punishment parades, and appalling Dickensian conditions.

The hearing is investigating incidents at the Alkira Salvation Army Home for Boys at Indooroopilly in Queensland, the Riverview Training Farm at Riverview in Queensland, the Bexley Boys' Home in Sydney, and the Gill Memorial Home at Goulburn in southern New South Wales.

The actions of at least five Salvation Army officers are set to be scrutinised by the commission, with 13 former residents of the homes expected to give evidence.

Counsel assisting the commission Simeon Beckett told the inquiry the content is at the "severe end" of the sexual abuse examined in the case studies to date.

In his opening address, Mr Beckett told the commission boys were punched and thrown to the ground.

Some were humiliated and forced to take cold showers in winter, while others were forced to sweep playgrounds at the homes with a toothbrush.

Analysis by ABC reporter Emily Bourke The Salvation Army late yesterday issued a press release expressing sincere regret and also saying that the organisation is grieved that such things happened and acknowledging that it was a failure of the greatest magnitude. There was a formal apology in 2010, but given the evidence that's being presented to the Royal Commission today, victim advocates have told me that those apologies are "grossly inadequate". There have been graphic descriptions of brutality, extreme sexual and severe physical abuse, including punishment parades, excessive and sadistic violence that led to hospitalisations in some cases. The inquiry was also told about an ABC 4 Corners program 10 years ago in which the Salvation Army's communications director talked about physical punishments at the home. He described instances of corporal punishment as being "tough love" and that that was the best love that could be given because it allowed the boys to experience something consistent in their lives, but he did say that that shouldn't have been the Salvation Army's standard. It's worth noting that some of the alleged perpetrators who've been named were arrested and convicted. Some are still alive, some have denied any wrongdoing, some were stripped of their rank, while others were reemployed and transferred despite rumour and even evidence of abusive conduct. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 5 minutes 32 seconds 5 m Emily Bourke discusses the inquiry Download 2.5 MB

In at least one incident a boy was told to eat his own vomit.

"The evidence is likely to reveal that many of the boys did not complain about sexual abuse when it occurred because of a fear of punishment or retribution," Mr Beckett told the hearing.

"The evidence will explore whether complaints of child sexual abuse and physical abuse from the boys were taken seriously by those officers working at the four homes and whether there was a process for dealing with such complaints."

The commission was told when victims complained they were labelled "troublemakers" and physically punished.

One man is expected to tell the inquiry he was locked in a cage on the verandah of one of the homes for more than a week.

"When they ran away from the homes and told police of what had occurred, they were returned to the home by police where they were then physically punished," Mr Beckett said.

"The boys were frequently punched by the officers with closed fists, thrown on the ground with force, or pressed up against a wall. Boys were hit with canes or straps until they developed bruising and blood blisters or welts.

"One boy had his shoulder dislocated by an officer during a punishment, which involved hitting his testicles with a leather strap.

"Two boys were locked in a cage on a veranda. Departmental records from Queensland record that the department's officers considered the punishment excessive by the standards of the day and were deeply concerned about it."

Witnesses describe horrific abuse at hands of Salvos

The Salvation Army officers to be scrutinised include Lawrence Wilson, Victor Bennett, John McIver, Donald Shultz and another officer who cannot be named and is known by the pseudonym X17.

Captain Wilson, who worked at all four homes, has been described as the "most serious offender".

To date, the Salvation Army has paid in excess of $1.2 million to people who have come forward with reports of abuse involving the officer, who was labelled by his colleagues as "brutal".

Captain Wilson resigned from the Salvation Army in 1982. He was acquitted of all charges in 1997, and died in 2008.

Raymond Carlile was among Captain Wilson's victims at the Riverview Training Farm.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 5 minutes 34 seconds 5 m Listen to the witnesses' testimony Download 2.6 MB

"You can never get clean of things. When I left Riverview boys home, I went back to live with my mother," he said.

"I could never let my mother touch me or hug me or show me any affection. I didn't know the difference between affection and abuse."

Another witness, known only as EG, was also a resident at Riverview.

"All I can remember at Riverview is being in a place where there's no sunshine," he said.

"When we got home, me mother said to us: 'Didn't you ever get any of them letters or Christmas cards or birthday cards we sent you?' We said: 'No, we never got anything at all. Nothing. Never seen nor heard anything'.

"And she said: 'You could have got one of the Salvation Army officers to read it to you or write a letter for you'.

"Of course, we were too young to write letters - and anyway, when we told her that we never got any at all she just walked in the room and shut the door. We knew she was crying."

Salvation Army gives unreserved apology

The lawyer representing the Salvation Army, Kate Eastman, has expressed the charity's regret.

"The Salvation Army gives an unreserved apology to the survivors, their families and the community that entrusted these children to the army's care," she said.

While the abuse occurred between the 1960s and 70s, the inquiry is looking at the conduct of officers that predates that time.

The charity has received more than 150 complaints in its eastern territory alone, relating to incidents dating back to 1936.

The inquiry is also looking at how the complaints have been handled over the past 20 years.

The inquiry continues.

Editor's note: For legal reasons, this transcript has been amended.