miRS-tonpon - Sturmpanzer.com

vii,obhoer*ed. In the performance of his duties he combinesthe functions of an American mess sergeant, mail orderly,supply sergeant, medical orderly, company sergeant,morale officer and company comaander. In any matterconcerning the personnel administration of his men orimprovements in billeting accommodations he is to puthis requests before the Mannschaftsfuhrer, to whom he isalso to take any complaints made by his men. If hisrequests prove fruitless or if he believes himselfimjustly treated by the Jtennschaftsfuhrer, he can takereoourse to the OBL Frontftthrer. Supervision over hisactions is exercised by the Betreuungsf&hrer (Morale andWelfare Officer) of the OBL to whom he is accountable inthe fora of monthly reports. He goes along with his menin case they are transferred to another firm.Lagerfttfarer (Camp Supervisor). The LagerfOhrer is likethe Polier and Schachimeister, part of the irreducibleminimum of German supervisory personnel. Even so, effortswere being initiated in the spring of 1944, despite someopposition by local Frontfuhrer, to substitute collaborationistsfor German supervisors over foreign worker camps.The reason in this case was not so much a shortage ofGerman personnel (there wsre in all some i«XX) odd camps inthe west), as to stabilise the political relationshipbetween the Geimana and the peoples of Oooupied Europe.The OT in its own words was to be "the trail-blazer, notonly in respect to construction projects of a strategicand economic nature, but also to the creation of a politicallyunited Europe", in effect, a number of Kilfslagerftlhrer(assistant Camp Supervisors), especiallyDutch, were in charge of camps in the oapacity of"acting" Lagerfuhrer.Under the new administrative arrangements (March 1944),the Lagerftthrer were transferred from the control of theOBL Frontftthrer to that of the firm Mannschaftsfuhrer(see iii . above). As already indicated, the Lagerftthreri s assisted by the Hilfspoliere insofar as the foreignpersonnel is concerned, and by the poliere who aqt asCompany Sergeants over the entire oamp personnel. TheLagerftthrer* s specific duties consist of the supervisionof the issue of rations, canteen articles, personal itemsof clothing; of the daily routine in respect to hygieneand sanitation, and barracks discipline. He supervisesregulations governing the differences in rations betweenGermans and foreigiers. Although OT authorities madeattempts recently to institute more huaane treatment forthe bulk of foreign workers, differences in rations,which were left to the discretion of the chief cooks andthe Lagerfdhrer, are the main oause of petty intrigueand friction in the daily oamp routine.viii.ix.XL.Hilfslafeerfdhrer (Asst. Camp Supervisor), See Hilfspolier,vi. above.Bereitschaftsfahrer (Leader of a foreign worker detachment).His assignnents are discussed below in' para.H9.(See also Hilfspolier, vi. above).Vorarbeiter (Senior Worker). His assignnents are discussedM Wbelow in para.U?.AbteilungafOhrer (Worker Detachnent Leader^. Leader ofa. foreign worker formation composed of three Bereitsohaften.This formation i s used only on special occasionswhen large masses of manpower are required on a particularconstruction job.-127­