The camp operated from late 1939 to June 1940 in a former rope factory located Cours du Medoc, at Bordeaux and housed internees notably from CAMP DES MILLES (Bouches-du-Rhone), currently awaiting emigration.

At that time, the boarding ports were located at MARSEILLE, BORDEAUX and LE HAVRE.

According to information provided to me by Professor RUIZ I thank (see CAMP at BASSENS ), migrants would have been transferred from the Cours du Médoc to Calvet Castle Camp located nearby.

The postcard below illustrates this case.

It was sent December 13, 1939 by Joseph WAGNER, interned at GATHERING CENTER FOR FOREIGNERS AT DES MILLES, to Kurt Wollenberg, awaiting departure for the United States and temporarily detained at BOARDING CAMP BORDEAUX. A change in purple pencil indicates that he lies at Calvet CAMP.

In her book "LES CAMPS DE LA HANTE", Anne GRYNBERG has largely developed the theme of emigration.

She recalls the increasingly difficult situation of foreign refugees in France since 1933. Since the annexation of Austria (March 11, 1938), 8 000 of its nationals arrived in France, while Germans and Eastern Jews continue to flow into the most destitute.

In front of this influx of refugees, unpopular measures are taken against them by the Government. They go up to their detention in special camps at the outbreak of war against Germany.

As they feel more and more every day the threat, many Jews are thinking about migrating and the "American Dream" becomes synonymous with safety!

The rabbis LANGER and SALZER primarily devoted their efforts on CAMP DES MILLES where they helped the internees to complete the formalities required for their emigration overseas.

Thus, every day, 100 internees were allowed to travel to the consulates in Marseille stormed by hundreds of candidates for emigration.

Both chaplains are trying to facilitate the action of internees and attend to practical details, particularly in terms of dress, a clean and neat appearance can influence the consul!

Thus internees from different camps and allowed to migrate across the Atlantic were conducted in the Gironde capital on the SPECIAL BOARDING CENTER where they were allowed to stay until their departure.

With the arrival of the Germans, emigration became impossible from BORDEAUX. July 17, 1942, René Bousquet, head of the police, telegraphed to the Prefects of the southern area to warn them that the visas granted to leave France to foreign Jews awaiting emigration will now be canceled.