StP Va300 Plouharnel, M.K.B.Hella E.673, K.V.Gruppe Vannes, KVA C2, AOK 7. Area 5 workers camp.

K.V.Gruppe Vannes · AOK 7 Brittany · France

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

Here I will be covering Area 5 workers camp.

Layout

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

Looking North at the area that was the workers camp, they would have been living in barrack huts, long wooden barracks with a kitchen and dining hall. There is nothing now in the area to show how it looked, but due to Allied bombing of the U-boat pens, this area became a bombing target. So the workers were given air-raid shelters. Made as a long tunnel that has a chicane to slow down blast and entrances with steps down. There were doors, probably only wooden ones. There are the odd hooks in the roof that may have been used as a place to hook hammocks.

Google

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

This air photo gives an idea of where things were. The first thing is that there was a station where the museum car park now is, by the level crossing. Then the work camp. The site of the air raid shelter and new to me a set of square trenches also for air raid precautions.

IGN 1982

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

Another more detailed plan showing there was a rifle range, the WC's, the workers camp buildings and their nationality. The Air Raid Shelter that I found and the squared off air raid trench.

from Yannick Delefosse

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

An odd building slightly re enforced building and may have been an office. There seems to be a slit where a window should be and turning it into a dependable building. The door frame and door on the right would have been a 19P7 light armoured door.

28 August 2013

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

An odd building inside the main room, reinforced concrete roof can be seen.

28 August 2013

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

Part of the air-raid bunker.

28 August 2013

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

Unknown piece of concrete.

28 August 2013

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

Again just more pieces of concrete, I had no idea when I visited ten years ago what I was looking at.

28 August 2013

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

One of the entrances to the air-raid shelter. There is no reason to believe the laborers were slaves. Some were free laborers from all over Europe, some were Spanish civil war soldiers that escaped from being on the losing side and came across the Pyrenees Mountains. Others were French and some conscripted from Germany. They were paid (not enough) and fed, clothed, etc. Trained in their crafts and could be moved around to any construction site in occupied Europe as was needed. Pay may have been paid into a bank account and collected by wives/families in their respective countries and paid in their own currency.

28 August 2013

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

One of the entrances to the air-raid shelter.

28 August 2013

StP Va300 Plouharnel M.K.B.Hella E.673

One of the entrances to the air-raid shelter. Lorient was bombed almost constantly, the accuracy was not too good both RAF and USAAF. Also Quiberon was a small port town and the Allies new there was a batterie of railway guns being built, this area would be a good seconder target in the area.

28 August 2013