The CAMP AT LA ROCHELLE-LALEU probably existed since 1942 and joined together 300 to 400 internees working for TODT Organization. This camp was bombarded on March 27, 1944 and the prisoners transferred to ST MARTIN-DE-RE.

One finds them in a college of LA ROCHELLE at the end of May 1944 where it seems they composed the large part of the internees of the camp.

That's what makes it clear the internee named DARDANNE in his letter addressed to his comrade Rene PIGOT always held with the Citadel at ST-MARTIN-DE-RE :

… I could cause with buddies who returned from the island and they expressed me your dissatisfaction to see that one seemed to neglect you… During a good part of our stay here, each day one said to us that all the political internees were to return…

Regarding the installation and the life in the college at LA ROCHELLE, he adds:

Here all is calm, work rarefies more and more for reasons which you guess easily. Thus that gives us right to Sundays of rest.

One tries to occupy us with unspecified small works, all in all hardest is to do lot of mileage, because now us were removed the train because of the too great facilities of voyage availability of the comrades. Also now we must walk four kilometers and an half the morning and as much the evening and it is especially what tires us.

Unfortunately, the letters of the internees too seldom accompany too the covers coming from the camps; it is extremely regrettable because they are an invaluable source of information about every day's life.