​​The Organisation Todt (civil and military engineering body of Nazi Germany) overseers lived in the Sable D’Or hotel itself, whilst the engineers stayed in bungalows along La Grande Route des Mielles. The camp was abandoned in the late autumn of 1943 when the fortification programme wound down, and the workers were returned to France.

​Lager Brinkforth housed Soviet slave workers and Spanish Republican forced labourers who worked on fortifications in the area and at La Thiébault Quarry at L’Etacq. Spanish Republican forced worker Christobal Lopez-Rubio fondly remembered the many Islanders who smuggled small bags of food to them at their workplace. They ate some of the gifts instantly, the rest they took back to camp to some of the young Russians – it was not unusual for stronger men to ‘adopt’ these youngsters to keep them alive.

​Despite their situation, social interaction between the labourers and local women still occurred. In Christobal’s case, he discovered his attraction for Beulah Le Cornu to be reciprocated. The romance flourished and the couple were eventually granted permission to marry on 29 March 1943.

​A total of 16 Spanish, French, Dutch and Belgian workers are known to have married local girls. Once married, the men became part of the civilian population and could live with their spouses, whilst continuing to work for the Organisation Todt.

​Undertakers’ records reveal that Feodor Wassili Kulikow, born in Rjansan, Russia, on 21 September 1915, died at Lager Brinkforth on 18 October 1942. No details of the circumstances are provided so it must be assumed that the death was the result of accidents in dangerous working environments and/or the cumulative effect of undernourishment, overwork and mistreatment.