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Orders had come through to class everyone destined for Germany"physically fit" unless the contrary was undeniably oovious.In that case the labour conscript was to be assigned to anessential industry in Prance if that, was at all possible.The GBAF took labour recruitment out of the Array's hands inPrance in August 1943 by the simple process of moving a ©A? staffinto the offices of the Abteilung Arbeit in the various echelons ofArmy Administrative HQ and employing the existing Wehraiacht personnelas a clerical staff for matters which required going through militarychannels. The arrangement proved both uneconomical and productive offriction; consequently the former Wehrmacht staffs in the AbteilungArbeit were reinstated in their functions in January 1944* outremained subordinated to a GBAP deputy left in executive control.To all intents and purposes they formed the GBAP staffs in theFeldkonraandanturen.The French Department was the basic political district formanpower quotas, which were communicated to the departmental prefectureby the Kommandant of the corresponding Peldkomraandanturen on the basieof instructions from above. The prefect accordingly communicatedinstructions to the mayors of towns and rural conmunities in hisdepartment. Prom there on the requisitions were handled on the Germanside by the local CBAF personnel in the Peldkomnandanturen* Themayors sent part of their quota as they could assemble to thedepartmental depot (Sanmellager). There the men were grouped into tradecategories including those allotted to ths OT. The allotment for theOT was convoyed by French police who in turn were watched by theSic he rhe i tsdiens t (German Security Service). Those destined for Germanywere sent by the various Departments to a central depot where they wereregrouped and transported to Germany. An agreement between the VICHYand Belgian collaborationist governments not to transport Belgian residentsin Prance to Germany was not recognized by German Occupation authorities.Below is a summary of the contents of an official VICHY" documentillustrating procedure used in forcible manpower levies for the OT.The "Secretariat General a Main d'Oeuvre, Direction de la Maind'Oeuvre Encadree, Bureau des Mutations" issued an order dated8 Dec 1943 > ordering the forcible requisitioning for QBLCHERBOURG of foreign workers residing in the south of Prance.The order was addressed to the ^Regional Directors of Manpowerin MARSEILLES, TOULOUSE, CIERMONT-PEERAKD, MONTPELIXER and LIMOGES.Results falling short of expectations, a secret order went through,originating in the office of Colonel Thomas, Regional Chief ofGroup No. 1 of Manpower Formations. It "fixed H hour of J dayas the time for a concerted raid on foreign workers residing inSouthern Prance, (No. 1169, 19 Apr 1944)» The signal was tobe an official routine telegram with the code word "operate".The mode of procedure was to be as outlined by Circular 8/T/4of 24 Mar 1944» The order affected foreign workers aged 18 to 45of the following nationalities: Armenians, Italians, Poles,Russians and those Spaniards who were not covered by anacknowledgement of protection by their consulate, dated before25 Peb 1%4« The appointment was based on the relative importanceof the industries to be raided, Spaniards seized in the raidwere to be sent not to OT CHERBOURG but to Germany.Results of Aktion Prankreich were negligible; a total of some50,000 men had been raised by 4 Apr 44 despite frantic efforts of theGBAP organization. In a confidential speech on that day, SAUCKELberated tb© organization for being ineffectual, and claimed bhat as aresult he had been forced to requisition German women over 45 years cfage for labour service, against the Ftthrer'a exp ess wishes.