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Ferlov Mancoba

1941-05-30

Recipient

Mr. Fletcher

Document content

Letter from Ernest Mancoba to a Mr. Fletcher, presumably a camp leader or similar at the Drancy internment camp. Mancoba has been disparagingly called a "black pig" by one of the German guards. Mancoba has lost his composure and some incident has occurred. He is now asking for advice for the future in similar situations. The letter may have been sent to preempt any potential reprisals. Attached to the letter is a German translation of the writing.
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Transcription

Mr. Fletcher
Drancy
-

Drancy. 30th May 1941.
Dear Mr. Fletcher,
Today while I was working with a corvée group the German soldier who was in charge, while speaking in German with on the working party referred to me as a “black pig” – and was generally xxxxxx |abusive| for no reason at all. I might have lost control of myself and an unfortunate incident might have taken place. I therefore ask you what to in such a situation in future.

Yours respectfully. 
Ernest Mancoba (870, Z.I.)

Facts

PDF
Letter

Dated in letter.
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Ernest Mancoba was interned in a concentration camp during World War II due to his British citizenship. Most of the time, he was in the camp La Grande Caserne, St. Denis (Seine), but he also stayed for a shorter period in Drancy, from where letters from May and June 1941 have been preserved in the Ferlov Mancoba archive, see letters from 08.05.1941, 30.05.1941, and 27.06.1941.

[Note by W. Sze] In audio files (particularly Audio files 18-1 and 64-1), Ernest Mancoba tells that the camp commandant makes an inquiry and chastises the soldier.
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Drancy
Drancy

Ferlov Mancoba archive.
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