Wehrmachthelferinnenkorps

Wehrmacht female auxiliaries in Flak-service, 1945.

The Wehrmachthelferinnenkorps was created on 29 November 1944 when all German military female auxiliary organizations, except the Civil defence air-raid warning service female auxiliaries, were merged into one corps, the Wehrmacht Female Auxiliary Corps.[1]

Background

Trough the framework of the total war-policy, able bodied male soldiers were as much as possible to be replaced by female auxiliaries. The service in the new corps was declared to be a special honorable service for German women at war.[2]

Scope

Preferably younger women from the age of 18 would be called up for long-term emergency service. Recruitment would in the first hand be based on volunteer enlistment. In the second hand, women made available by the Commissioner for total war, would be drafted. If that draft did not supply enough auxiliaries, women already employed by the party, government, military or private business would be drafted. Women specially trained for war-critical functions should only be drafted as a last resort. The female auxiliaries belonged to the Wehrmachtgefolge or auxiliaries of the armed forces. If uniformed they would wear the uniform of the branch they were serving in. Auxiliaries were subordinated to the Wehrmacht, both during and outside service. Members of the female Red Cross in civilian labor deployment would be transferred to the new corps. Female members of the Reichsarbeitsdienst(RAD) would remain in the RAD until they had fulfilled their labor service duty.[2] ¨

Disbandment

An order from the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht of April 6, 1945, demobilized all women whose homes not already were in allied occupied territory. They left their uniforms and were given three months severance pay.

Ranks and rank insignia

Insignia[3] No insignia
Oberstabsführerin Stabsführerin Hauptdienstführerin Oberdienstführerin Dienstführerin Obertruppführerin Truppführerin Haupthelferin Oberhelferin Helferin

References

Citations

  1. ^ Absolon 1995, p. 470.
  2. ^ a b Parteikanzlei 1944, pp. 313-316.
  3. ^ Williamson 2003, p. 10.

Cited literature

  • Absolon, Rudolf (1995). Die Wehrmacht im Dritten Reich: 19. Dezember 1941 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). Boppard am Rhein: H. Boldt. ISBN 978-3-7646-1940-4.
  • Parteikanzlei (1944). Verfügungen, Anordnungen, Bekanntgaben. VII Band. 2. teil aus 1944. Zentralverlag der NSDAP.
  • Williamson, Gordon (2003). World War II German Women’s Auxiliary Services. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-407-8.
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