27 February 1943 Part 4

27 February 1943 Training combat roll personnel of Organisation Todt Annex 67

Corps Headquarters, Ia 1710/43 (836), secret, to the 319th Division. Following the division's request of 8 February, Corps Headquarters sought Army's decision.

The Army commander has decided: “Despite Organisation Todt's acknowledged major difficulties, every OT man can be required to devote two or three hours each week to training in various weapons for defence. This is all the more possible because most OT men on the Channel Islands are employed solely as supervisors of foreign workers. They can certainly bear the physical effort involved in the short periods of weapons training without difficulty and without impairing their supervisory duties.

The division's arrangements are approved. OT must be made to understand that its personnel situation is known, but that, in view of the major tasks facing us in the west, supplementary weapons training for every German man cannot be dispensed with. This is urgently necessary in view of the incomparably more difficult service in the east, for which we must keep the west free of trouble under all circumstances.”

Forward this decision to OT's senior construction management. If OT continues to raise difficulties, report them to Corps Headquarters.

T-314 Roll 1604, T314_R1604_English_Translation.docx. 27 February 1943 | Source PDF pages 189. Selected island-related text; document or report date governs placement.