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The Gorman Feldkommandanturen who were the military channels fordealing with the French prefects and through them with the ?°°)ipopulation were, for the most part veterans of the First ^ rM .JJf». nawho were no match for the Frenchnen, practically all astute politicians.If the Feldkonniandanturen did not have their way, at least they wereprovided with excellent reasons for partial or total failure, reasonswhich in reports to higher echelons read at least as well as those or tneadjoining Feldkommandanturen.(c)Belgian and Dutch Manpower174• Age Groups and Bnphaaia on Racial KinshipThe Belgian and Dutch labour problem as handled by the Germanauthorities can, for the purpose of this study, be assumed to be anextension of the French labour problem. The fact that the emphasis onGerman exploitation in France was industrial, while in Belgium and Hollandit was political, makes it unsafe, however, to draw too close a comparison.For example, all but approximately 50,000 Belgian prisoners of war werereleased from FW camps by the Germans. The Belgian age group of 25 to 40in tbe 0T is therefore comparatively much larger than that of French forexample. Another point is the relative defcrease which the Germans paidto the Nederlandsch Verbond Van Vakvereeningingen (Dutch Trade UnionAssociation) comprising over 600,000 members* While i t had been theGerman policy in France to keep collaborationist groups divided, and toplay one off against the other, German policy in Holland was not toantagonize the Dutch Labour Unions, in the hope of obtaining co-operationon the basis of racial kinship.A third point is that there was a greater proportion of Belgian andDutch 0T personnel in responsible positions than French.(d) Englishmen in 0T175. Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney IslandsThe English in the 0T are confined to the Channel Isles. Indicationsare that their number is email and that they are under at least somemeasure of compulsion.(e)Norwegian and Danish ManpowerProportion of Norwegians and Danes in the 0T and their AssignmentsThe Norwegians and Danes have been so unwilling to enrol in the0T that the Germans were compelled to import manpower consisting ofRussians, polish, Czech, Greek and Serb Pf *s and Croat, Belgium Dutch,Italian and French volunteers. . Calling up of the age classes 21 to23 for Compulsory National Labour Service in May I944, brought aresponse estimated at approximately !($• Norwegians are found incomparatively large proportion in OT-NSKK and Legion SEEER units, and,to a somewhat lesser extent in SK units in Norway. Recruiting for theS3 amongst Norwegian 0T workers has been carried on, on an intensescale for the last two years.(f)Italian Manpower177» Fascists and Anti-FascistsAvailable sources of information indicate that Italians form a smallergroup in 0T field personnel than might be assumed from the fact that-177­