Metropole Internment Camp

The Metropole Internment Camp was a World War II internment camp in Douglas, Isle of Man. Officially known as “S” Camp, it was predominantly for Italians and was in existence from July 1940 until November 1944.

Metropole camp was located towards the northern end of the Douglas promenade, just before Strathallan Crescent and Summer Hill. The back of the camp was only a few yards from the rockface below Little Switzerland.

The camp opened in the first week of July 1940 with 743 internees. This number rose over the subsequent months but then dropped to 650 by January 1941. By October 1944 it had only 482 internees, and it was closed in the first week of November 1944.

The camp comprised four former hotels and boarding houses: the Alexander (later renamed the Continental) and Metropole Hotels, the Waverley and Dodsworth’s.

The Metropole Hotel had on its ground floor a canteen, a general store, a billiard room, a hall, a library, and a dining room, (which also acted as a recreation room outside of mealtimes). In the basement was a bakery, the parcel post office and the kitchen.

On the ground floor of the Alexander Hotel was the camp office, the assembly room, and a large dining room. In the basement were kitchens (where internees were permitted to do private cooking), a music room with a piano, correction room (for use by the internees’ “House Council” when they did not wish to report lighter misdeeds to the military authorities), and a room used as the church (where Mass was offered and confessions heard by internee priests).

In the Waverley on the ground floor was a large recreation room and dining room. In the basement of was the barber’s shop, carpenter’s shop, welfare office and a room used as a school.

The first, second and third floors of all the houses were devoted to bedrooms, bathrooms and toilets. The Alexandra had four bathrooms on each floor, the Metropole three and the Waverley two on each floor.

Most rooms were occupied by three men, although some were occupied by only one man, and some were set up as family rooms where up to eight men and boys could stay together.

Dodsworths was the infirmary.

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