Oflag II-D
Encyclopedia
Oflag II-D was a World War II
German
prisoner-of-war camp
located at Gross Born, Pomerania (now Borne Sulinowo
, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
, Poland
). In the late 1930s the German Army
built a large base and training ground at which the XIX Army Corps of General Heinz Guderian
was based.
s, 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 officer
s 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.
resumed in 1945, all inmates were marched westward on 28 January 1945. Only those too sick to walk were left behind. After an eight-week 500 kilometres (310.7 mi) march in bitterly cold weather they reached Stalag X-B
and Marlag und Milag Nord
in Sandbostel
. The prisoners were liberated there by units of the British Army
on 5 May 1945.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
located at Gross Born, Pomerania (now Borne Sulinowo
Borne Sulinowo
Borne Sulinowo is a town in Poland's Western Pomeranian Voivodship, in the Powiat of Szczecinek. It is a capital of a separate gmina and home to 4149 inhabitants...
, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
). In the late 1930s the German Army
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
built a large base and training ground at which the XIX Army Corps of General Heinz Guderian
Heinz Guderian
Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was a German general during World War II. He was a pioneer in the development of armored warfare, and was the leading proponent of tanks and mechanization in the Wehrmacht . Germany's panzer forces were raised and organized under his direction as Chief of Mobile Forces...
was based.
Camp history
In September 1939 two StalagStalag
In Germany, stalag was a term used for prisoner-of-war camps. Stalag is a contraction of "Stammlager", itself short for Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschafts-Stammlager.- Legal definitions :...
s, Stalag 302 and Stalag 323 were established to house Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
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 officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
s from the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. By February 1941 there were 3,166 officers and 565 orderlies
Orderly
A medical orderly , is a hospital attendant whose job consists of assisting medical and/or nursing staff with various nursing and/or medical interventions. These duties are classified as routine tasks involving no risk for the patient.- Job details :Orderlies are often utilized in various hospital...
in the camp.
In 1942 the French officers were transferred to other camps and replaced with Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
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
Third Geneva Convention
The Third Geneva Convention, relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was first adopted in 1929, but was significantly updated in 1949...
were not observed for Soviet prisoners.
In October 1944 most of the officers from the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
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.
Evacuation and repatriation
When the offensive of the Soviet Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
resumed in 1945, all inmates were marched westward on 28 January 1945. Only those too sick to walk were left behind. After an eight-week 500 kilometres (310.7 mi) march in bitterly cold weather they reached Stalag X-B
Stalag X-B
Stalag X-B was a World War II German Prisoner-of-war camp located near Sandbostel in north-western Germany. Sandbostel lies 9 km south of Bremervörde, 43 km northeast of Bremen. Placed on swampy ground,with a damp, cold climate, it is one of the most notorious prisoner-of-war camps. Between...
and Marlag und Milag Nord
Marlag und Milag Nord
Marlag und Milag Nord was a German Prisoner-of-war camp in Military District X, located near Westertimke, Germany.There were over 5,000 Allied Merchant seamen captured by the German forces during World War II...
in Sandbostel
Sandbostel
Sandbostel is a municipality in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, 43 km north-east of Bremen, 60 km west of Hamburg. Coordinates: 53° 25′ N, 9° 8′ E. Population: 816...
. The prisoners were liberated there by units of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
on 5 May 1945.
Aftermath
A memorial to the French and Polish officers who died in Oflag II-D was erected at the site of the camp in the late 1990s.Sources
See also
- List of prisoner-of-war camps in Germany
- "Oflag" by Marek Sadzewicz, ISBN 83-06-02972-0
- OflagOflagAn Oflag was a prisoner of war camp for officers only, established by the German Army in both World War I and World War II in accordance with the requirements of the Geneva Convention ....