The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933-1945

The Germans established an internment camp (Ilag) for enemy civilians in Giromagny, France (near Belfort), on November 15, 1943, from the staff of the former Ilag VIII (map 2). The camp was subordinate to the Armed Forces Commander France (Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber Frankreich).

Ilag Giromagny primarily held British and Commonwealth citizens who had been living in continental Western Europe when the war broke out. As of February 1, 1944, there were 980 internees in the camp, 904 of whom were from Britain and the Commonwealth—835 from the United Kingdom, 41 from Canada, 20 from Australia, 5 from South Africa, 2 from New Zealand, and 1 from India. The 76 other internees were American.¹

The camp was located in a former French army barracks, which was later used by German forces after they occupied Giromagny in 1940. The camp contained nine stone barracks, 56 meter by 16 meter (184 feet by 53 feet), with tile roofs. The larger rooms within the barracks had three electric lights, while the smaller rooms only had one; however, all rooms had large windows to allow for sufficient lighting. One barrack was reserved for use as the camp mail room and chapel; this barrack also contained the storeroom for Red Cross parcels. A second barrack held the canteen, library, study hall, theater, and exercise room. The other seven barracks were the internees’ quarters, six of which held British internees and one of which held Americans. The camp kitchen was located in a separate building.²

Conditions in the camp were relatively good, according to Red Cross inspectors. The food was reportedly decent and roughly equivalent to that which was available to German civilians. However, the internees complained that supplies of tobacco and cigarettes were inadequate. Another problem was a shortage of clothing, which the internees asked the Red Cross to ameliorate. The canteen was deemed to be well stocked. Hygienic conditions in the camp were good. The sanitary facilities were adequate, and the prisoners were able to take hot showers once a week. Vermin were reportedly not a problem. The camp infirmary had about 20 beds for sick internees, which were not full at the time of the Red Cross inspectors’ visit in February 1944, indicating that the internees’ health was generally good. Most of the medical care was provided by two orderlies and a medical student, with periodic visits from a German doctor. Seriously ill people requiring surgery or advanced treatment were sent to the larger hospital at Ilag Vittel. Medical supplies were provided by the Germans.³ On March 16, 1944, the Germans reorganized the camp as Stalag 315.