18 March 1944 Part 2

18 March 1944 Customs checks on travel to and from the islands

2. Employment of the customs border guard, VGAD. In addition to its existing duties, see Army Communications 1943 no. 778, item B3, the VGAD is charged with checking border crossings by Wehrmacht members and civilian followers at borders and restricted lines. Leave trains and ships, closed military transports and formations are excepted. Within the army area the VGAD patrols the coastal combat zone. Its checks cover people, baggage and vehicles, including ships, boats and fishing craft of all kinds. Wehrmacht personnel are checked only when travelling to or from the offshore Channel Islands; powers here cover identity papers and baggage. Other checks of Wehrmacht personnel on the coast, within the combat zone, occur only where there are particular grounds for suspicion, search requests from Wehrmacht offices, or

special surveillance measures ordered by the Wehrmacht. Tactically, VGAD offices are subordinate to the responsible coastal-defence-sector commander and receive orders from him. In combat they will man resistance nests and strongpoints in coastal defence.

T-312 Roll 1570, Seventh Army records. Supplied English translation T312_R1570_English_Translation.docx. PDF pages 1085–1086; Special Supply Instructions 23/44. Selected island-related extract; PDF page numbers refer to the source reel as numbered in the supplied translation.