Camp History
In September 1939 two Stalags, Stalag 302 and Stalag 323 were established to house Polish prisoners from the German September 1939 offensive.
The Polish POWs were transferred to other camps on 1 June 1940 and Oflag II-D was established to house French officers from the Battle of France. By February 1941 there were 3,166 officers and 565 orderlies in the camp.
In 1942 the French officers were transferred to other camps and replaced with Polish officers.
In 1942 a large camp Stalag 323? was built for Soviet prisoners, it was located at the other end of the training ground. Conditions in this camp were deplorable, as the rules of the Third Geneva Convention were not observed for Soviet prisoners.
In October 1944 most of the officers from the Warsaw Uprising were brought to this camp. The roster of 1 January 1945 showed that there were 5,014 officers and 377 orderlies in the camp.
In November 1944 the officers created a bank which printed banknotes.
Read more about this topic: Oflag II-D
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“Among the interesting thing in camp are the boys. You recollect the boy in Captain McIlraths company; we have another like unto him in Captain Woodwards. He ran away from Norwalk to Camp Dennison; went into the Fifth, then into the Guthries, and as we passed their camp, he was pleased with us, and now is a boy of the Twenty-third. He drills, plays officer, soldier, or errand boy, and is a curiosity in camp.”
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