Montreuil – Bellay
Just south of Saumur, in June 1940, the Germans established a prisoner of war camp for French soldiers. The camp was located in what became the Vichy regime and was taken over after the capitulation by French gendarmerie. It was mainly anti-social prisoners who were imprisoned like homeless people, nomads and gypsies. The camp existed until January 1945 when the prisoners were evacuated east to other camps. In total there were about 3000 prisoners and after the war it served for a short period as a detention camp for German civilians.
Current status: Demolished with monument (2014).
Location: 47°06'53.64"N 0°07'25.39"W
Get there: Car.
Follow up in books: Weisberg, Richard H: Vichy Law and the Holocaust in France (1998).
There are many unknown camps but this camp probably qualifies into a category of even more unknown camps. In any case, there are a number of ruins left that make it possible to get an idea of the camp. Among other things, the punitive bunker has been preserved. Of the barracks, there is nothing left but the foundations and some floors, but what stands out is the stairs that led into the barracks. For some reason, these remain in varying condition and are scattered in a pasture. In an way they look like monuments.