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ar T—all phases of OT operation. At the same time, the OT began torecruit manpower in earnest in the occupied territories. In_tneWest and in Norway, manpower, much of it skilled or sm^-^UJ.^*were recruited locally and put to work on the massive fortifications.This was augnented by mass transfers of unskilled workers, mostlyPoles and Russians, from the East.Contractual relations between the OT and OT-f irms werestabilised, and uniform regulations were isaued on a comprehensivescale which the firms were expected to follow. By this time theproportion of Germans to foreigners had dropped to less than lO^S,and a uniform pay tariff, applicable to all OT personnel exceptZirangsarbeiter (Forced Labour), was issued in June 1942, *o becomeeffective Jamary 1943. The status of OT personnel as militia wasmore strongLy established than i t had been heretofore aroundJamary 192*3 by substituting the phrase ^ehrmachtangehttrige* 1(member of the Vehrmacht) far the term "Wehmachtsgefolge" in theDienstbflcher (pay and Identity Books).If all the manpower which worked for the OT directly orindirectly, in the early part of 1943, is calculated, the figuremay well reach the neighbourhood of two million, mostly locatedoutside the Reich. In the winter of 1941/45, before the currentAllied advances into Germany, it is estimated to have dropped toabout one million, mostly inside the Reich. A further step inregimenting manpower was taken in March 1944 when all foreignlabour was partitioned into units of 20 men called M Kolonnen w ,units of about 125 called "Bindertschaften" or "Bereitschaften",and - sometimes - into units of 250 called "Abteilungen". Theseformed the vast bulk of OT labour and included the Zwangsarbeiter(Forced Labour), mostly Russians and Jews (See inBbll9-122). Theterm Bautrupps which had ceased to exist after the dissolution ofthe early German construction detachments, was revived some weeksbefore D-day (See IAZ3 and XB16) .• w112. Current developments (Front-QT. OT Legionare, Special Brigades,Russian Units).When the OT evacuated oooupied territory and withdrew intoGermany in the simmer and autumn of 1944, seme of its personnellost their standing as Frontarbeiter (Front zone workers) insofaras their new location took them into an interior zone in Germany.On the other hand the term Front-OT was created to designate aforward area in which OT personnel retained their standing asFrontarbeiter (or OT Legionare in the case of foreign collaborationists). Simultaneously with the creation of the n Front-0T n ,special OT units were activated and formed, along military lines,i.e., Brigades. Regiments, Battalions and Companies. Two OT regimentshave so far Been identified (see IIIBbl23), but it is doubtfulwhether the entire formation, planned at 30,000 highly skilledmen with sufficient equipment for three times that number, has beenactivated. Thia development has been more fully discussed inIB17,18 and 20. Another current development of similar nature i sthe incorporation into the OT of the Russian military unitsrecruited by General VLJlSSOV. This step seems to have been takenin March 1945 (see IVBj).U3 .Composition of OT Personnel, with the Exception of Mania!Labourers", in an OBL sector.The staff of a basic construction sector (OBL) oan be brokendown «a follows ;­OT-eigenes Personal (OT organic Personnel);* For composition of manual labourers see IIIBbll9-123.-119­