KRIEGSGEFANGENEN-AUFFANGLAGER (AUFLAG) 5
The Wehrmacht established Auflag 5 on June 1, 1940, in Defense District (Wehrkreis) XII. It received field post number (Feldpostnummer) 23 895. On May 6, 1941, the unit was converted into AGSSt 5. From June 1940 to June 1941, the unit was deployed to various locations in France and Belgium. Starting on June 16, 1940, Auflag 5 was subordinate to the Second Army. As of July 7, 1940, it was subordinate to the Armed Forces Commander France/Commander of Prisoner of War District (Wehrmachtbefehlshaber Frankreich/Kommandant des Kriegsgefangenen-Bezirks) II, as of August 21, 1940, to the Armed Forces Commander France/Commander of Prisoner of War District VIII, and from September 17, 1940, to the Armed Forces Commander France/Commander of Prisoner of War District F Brussels.
The Germans used the camp for the reception and short-term confinement of French and Belgian prisoners of war. The conditions were generally satisfactory and in keeping with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
SOURCES
Primary source material about Auflag 5 is located in the BA-MA, RH 49/4: Auffanglager.
Additional information about Auflag 5 can be found in the following publication: Gianfranco Mattiello and Wolfgang Vogt, Deutsche Kriegsgefangenen- und Internierten-Einrichtungen 1939–1945. Handbuch und Katalog: Lagergeschichte und Lagerzensurstempel, vol. 2 (Koblenz: self-published, 1987), pp. 39–40.
