The organisation plan the German defence of Dieppe during Operation Jubilee lists the following miscellaneous units. I was wondering if anybody can add any corrects to my poor (goggle assisted) translation efforts, for the actual roles and duties of these units. Kreiskdtr.m. Feldgend u G.F.P., -Secret Field Police detachment? Verstärkter Grenzaufsichtsdienst (V.G.A.D.) -Frontier security detachment (had similar role to Allied Field Security Sections?) Bahnüberwachung -A railway surveillance detachment? Postbautrupp Vogel -A port construction unit? The list also has personnel from 4.Reserve Police Battalion.62 and Organisation Todt, but I'm familiar with these two units roles. Any information/accurate translations greatly received. Regards, Steve
My 2p - not an expert one Verstärkter Grenzaufsichtsdienst (V.G.A.D.) - Reinforced Border Security Service - its a port. The Germans will want someone keeping watch on the usual border security matters of smuggling and transit regulations;/ Bahnüberwachung -A railway supervision detachment. The Germans who keep an eye on how the French run SNCF. Postbautrupp - A post construction unit?
Postbautrupp "Post" is the German team for "mail", which is not as odd as it seems, because in Germany the "Post" (or more precisely "Reichspost") was in charge of telecommunications and all infrastructure connected to it. A "Bautrupp" is indeed a construction unit/detail The "Deutsche Post" was converted/split up in the 1990s : one branch was to become "Deutsche Telekom" - and they are still in the above mentioned business
Kreiskommandantur der Feldgendarmerie und Geheimen Feldpolizei District Command of the Field Gendarmerie (military police) and Secret Field Police (kind of military Gestapo)
4./Polizei-Btl 62 was renamed Polizei-Sonder-Kompanie 'Todt' and was assigned to guard the various work areas and camps involved in the building of the Atlantic Wall, the construction of which would have been the responsibility of Organisation Todt.
Thanks for that information, I wasn't aware of the connection between the police company and Organisation Todt. I know that many of the OT personnel were barracked at Pourville and found themselves in the Frontline when the Canadian forces landed on Green Beach. As far as I can determine 3 OT workers were killed during the fighting, others were taken prisoner, but released after the Allied evacuation. I've not been able to discover if the Police company suffered any casualties.
I can't find any Polizei related names for Pourville but here are two names for Org.Todt men killed at that location. Georg Stahlke - (Born Köln-Mühlheim) - O.T. Abschnittsfrontführung Heinrich Barthel - (Born 24th April 1907 Steinfeld, Westmark) - O.T. Fillibeck, Hoch und Tiefbau, Einsatz West.
Thanks for that information. I had only been able to identify one of the O.T. casualties. O.T. Schneider- He is mentioned in a German post raid security report as being stabbed and shot after being captured in Pourville. The same report observed that contrary to an order issued by OB West, the O.T. personnel were wearing Swastika arrows on their uniforms, ‘as a result, the Canadian soldiers who had landed in Pourville immediately fell on these O.T. men with particular fury’.
Sorry for reviving an old thread -- I found this when trying to research myself. I have one that just says, "Kreiskdtr.". He seems to have been issued FOUR KIA cards, so I'm trying to figure out what exactly he was doing -- it seems like he died a little early for this to apply to him fully (Feb 1942, in a field hospital in Paris, apparently). The other one says "Feldgendemmerletrupp 746" which is a little more helpful, but still rather vague. Does anyone here have any thoughts or insights?
Number 746 indicates Kreiskommandantur Montdidier, was also home to a Feldgendarmerie. source: http://niehorster.org/011_germany/books_gwwii/vol_3-5__20-01-10-.pdf pg.23