Oflag staff

[Peter]

I am researching Oflags IX A/H and IX A/Z. Am I right in presuming that though the guard was provided by Landesschützenbataillon 631 the Commandant, Abwehr officer and other specialists would not have come from this unit and that they would have come under the commnad of the headquarters of the Wehrkreis at Kassell?

[Leo Niehorster]

An Oflag (prisoner-of-war camp for officers) was a regular T/O unit which administered the camp and its inmates. POW were assigned as they arrived, and in some cases, built the very camps they were held in. The Oflag was authorized between 79 and 106 men, depending on the number of POW. It consisted of a headquarters, a medical group, a postal/censorship/intelligence group, and admin group, and a motor pool. It was commanded by an Oberst (colonel). In case more than 3000 POW officers were present, the billet of the camp commander was changed to Generalmajor (brigadier general). The Oflag was under the Kommandeur der Kriegsgefangenen im Wehrkreis (Military District Commander for Prisoners-of-War).

The Landesschützen provided the guards. The Landesschützen obviously controlled by the commanding officer of the Oflag, but subordinate to a Divisionskommando zur besondere Verwendung, a small divisional headquarters staff belonging to the Ersatzheer (Replacement Army), which administered the militia units for the Wehrkreis (Military District).

HTH
Leo

[Peter]

Thanks Leo, that is helpful.

Interestingly Oflag IX A/H has an Oberst as the senior officer of the 2 Oflags. He is also the Commandant of A/H with its two compounds.

The Commandant of the sub camp, A/Z, is an Oberstleutnant from June 1944, but before that it is a Major. The Oberstleutnant was the deputy to the Oberst for all the Oflags in the Wehrkreis.

Oflag IX A/H had 900 men in its two compounds: A/Z another 450. A Bundeswehr source in the 1960s or 1970s gives the camp staff and guards at A/Z as totalling 52. From other sources it appears there were 30 guards, but I presume that this excludes offices and NCOs. I have also records of four Hauptmanns on the camp staff. The positions that I know from my records for Oflag IX A/Z are:

Commandant (Oberstleutnant)
Abwehr Offizier (a Hauptmann, from the Rhineland)
Lager Offizier (a Hauptmann)
Medical officer (Stabsarzt Dr)
Unteroffizier (two)
Oberfeldwebel (two)
Obergefreiter

I then have a photograph of 15 men and an Unteroffizier, which suggests two squads with a Unteroffizier. Finally there would have been translators, censors and clerical staff. Two men had dogs, one at least a Obergefreiter.

The serious gaps I have in my knowledge are the two Commandants. I don't even know the Oberst's forename or if he was as full-time solder. The Oberstleutnant was apparently a policeman before the army.

Any comments or suggestions for further sources would be useful.

Best regards

[Rossano]

Thanks Leo, that is helpful.

Interestingly Oflag IX A/H has an Oberst as the senior officer of the 2 Oflags. He is also the Commandant of A/H with its two compounds.

The Commandant of the sub camp, A/Z, is an Oberstleutnant from June 1944, but before that it is a Major. The Oberstleutnant was the deputy to the Oberst for all the Oflags in the Wehrkreis.

Oflag IX A/H had 900 men in its two compounds: A/Z another 450. A Bundeswehr source in the 1960s or 1970s gives the camp staff and guards at A/Z as totalling 52. From other sources it appears there were 30 guards, but I presume that this excludes offices and NCOs. I have also records of four Hauptmanns on the camp staff. The positions that I know from my records for Oflag IX A/Z are:

Commandant (Oberstleutnant)
Abwehr Offizier (a Hauptmann, from the Rhineland)
Lager Offizier (a Hauptmann)
Medical officer (Stabsarzt Dr)
Unteroffizier (two)
Oberfeldwebel (two)
Obergefreiter

I then have a photograph of 15 men and an Unteroffizier, which suggests two squads with a Unteroffizier. Finally there would have been translators, censors and clerical staff. Two men had dogs, one at least a Obergefreiter.

The serious gaps I have in my knowledge are the two Commandants. I don't even know the Oberst's forename or if he was as full-time solder. The Oberstleutnant was apparently a policeman before the army.

Any comments or suggestions for further sources would be useful.

Best regards

Hello Peter,
According to Tessin Oflag(Zweiglager) IX A/Z exhisted since june 40 from Oflag IX C (and according to Wikipedia it lasted until 9.43), so I don't understand why You write that an Oberstleutnant commanded this camp from june 44. Is Wikipedia wrong ? Who was Kdt. Oflag IX C 11.39-6.40 and Kdt. Oflag IX A/Z from 6.40 ? (Until June 44, then came an OTL., as You write. Was this OTL. "Brix" or who and until when was he Kdt. ?). If Wikipedia is wrong, until when did both camps IX A/H and IX A/Z exhist ?
Do You know who was the last Kdt. of camp A/H ? Do You eventually have Kdten. of other camps too ? Will You exchange data ?
Thanks + regards, Rossano

[Peter]

There was a prison camp in the same buildings in Rotenburg from October 1939 till March 1945. It was A/Z rather than C from mid-1942, presumably when it housed British and Commonwealth men for the first time. The last commandant was Oberstleutnant R Brix. The last commandant of Oflag IX A/H was Oberst K Schrader. Happy to exchange information.

[Leo Niehorster]

Is Wikipedia wrong ?

Oh nos!!

[Peter]

I can't find a reference to Oflag IX A/Z in Wiki, but my information is based on data compiled for the Allies after the end of the War and diaries of men in both camps,