Minutes of meetings of senior military officials on the treatment of Allied soldiers (Anglo-American and Soviet) captured with partisan units

MOST SECRET
WFSt/Qu (Admin. 1)
No. 007893/44 Most Secret
[The number is changed, in pencil, to 009074/44]
One copy has been destroyed [remainder of pencil note illegible] 27/7
22.7.1944 2 Copies 2nd Copy
Subject: Treatment of members of foreign "military missions" captured with partisan groups.
Minutes of a meeting
1. The Fuehrer has decided that members of Anglo-American and Soviet-Russian so-called "military missions", captured in the partisan fighting in the South-East, are to be treated in the same way as those taking part in a commando-operation and not as prisoners of war.
2. Independently of the above, the Ag. Ausl., following queries made by the RSHA—Military Section—has put forward for decision the question of how British and American soldiers, captured with the partisan groups are to be treated.
The following are the resulting opinions: a. C-in-C, South-East
The members of allied military missions are to be handed over to the SD, should the opinion below (b) be inapplicable.
857
b. Supreme Command of the Armed Forces/Prisoners of war general in conjunction with Supreme Command of the Army/ Army General Staff Alien Armies in the West and Armed Forces Ops. Staff/Op. (Army).
Treatment as prisoners of war in accordance with Order: Armed Forces Ops. Staff/Op (Army) No. 03408/43 Secret, dated
18.8.43.
c. Supreme Command of the Armed Forces/Chief of Prisoners of War Section in conjunction with Armed Forces Reserve (WR) and Armed Forces Ops Staff/Org I.
Treatment as prisoners of war in accordance with Order: Armed Forces Ops Staff/Org II No. 02958/43 Secret, dated
8.7.43, which disregards differences of nationality. The only exception made is in the case of commando operations, (then they are handed over to the Security Service [SD]).
d. RSHA/Section IV .
Fundamentally treatment as prisoners of war under the directives mentioned in b and c, but a more definite ruling is required to decide whether and in what circumstances, they are to be handed over to the Security Service [SD].
e. RSHA/Military Section
Considers that the Commando Order cannot he applied to partisan fighting in the south East, that to do so would be dangerous in that it might imperil those taking part in our own operation (Brandenburg).
No opinion on the question of foreign missions.
f. Ag. Ausl.
Fundamentally, treatment as prisoners of war, that implies that members of missions were taking part in a commando-operation.
g. Armed Forces Ops Staff/Op. (Army) '
Treatment as the members of partisan groups themselves, i.e.,
as prisoners of war if they are in uniform and are captured or surrender in open battle, or executed if they are. in civilian clothes or are captured in a sabotage- or commando-operation.
[The whole of g is crossed out.]
3. Opinion and proposal of the Armed Forces Ops. Staff
According to the orders issued to date, even for example, the British captured in the "Rösselsprung" operation must be treated as prisoners of war. This is especially evident in the Op. (Army)-Order dated 18.8.43.
[This last sentence is put in parenthesis, underlined, Op (Army) crossed out and a large query inserted in the margin.]
1279—PS
1279—PS
The Commando Order has never yet been applied to such missions, its extended application to cover them has not yet been ordered. If the missions are to be treated otherwise than in accordance with the orders to date, it must first be decided whether a foreign mission acting with the partisan groups in the SouthEast is to be called a commando-operation and therefore treated as such. Such a decision seems to be indicated even if it does not correspond completely to the wording of the Commando-Order or to the previous definition of a commando operation (as an especially under-hand and still unusual form of warfare which must be combatted with the appropriate counter measures). The principle must be adopted from the start that all members of partisan groups, even in the South-East are fundamentally guerrillas. Indeed they are treated as prisoners of war for reasons of expediency, in order to obtain the largest possible number of deserters and workers. There is no reason for this with regard to the members of foreign missions who are not numerous. There is therefore no necessity to treat them, in every case, in the same way as the members of partisan groups themselves. Basically, it would be far more appropriate to consider Anglo-American as well as Soviet-Russian military missions as commando-operations and to treat their members accordingly.
The appended Order is therefore proposed.
W [Initialed by Warlimont]
MOST SECRET
WFSt/Qu (Admin. 1) 27.7.1944
No. 009074/44 Most Secret
2 Copies 1st Copy
Subject: Treatment of members of foreign "military missions" captured with partisan groups.
K [initialled in pencil by Keitel]
Minutes of a meeting
1. The Fuehrer has decided that members of Anglo-American and Soviet-Russian so-called "military missions", captured in the partisan fighting in the South East, are to be treated in the same way as those taking part in a commando-operation and not as prisoners of war.
2. Independently of the above, the Ag. Ausl. following queries made by the RSHA - Military section -, has put forward for de-
859
1279-PS
cision the question of how British and American soldiers, captured with the partisan groups, are to be treated.
The following are the resulting opinions:
a. C-in-C, South East.
The members of allied military missions are to be handed over to the SD, should the opinion below (b) be inapplicable.
b. Supreme Command of the Armed Forces/Prisoners of War General in conjunction with Supreme Command of the Army/ Army General Staff/Alien Armies in the West:
Treatment as prisoners of war in accordance with Order Supreme Command of the Armed Forces/ Armed Forces Ops Staff/ Op. (Army) No. 03408/43 Secret, dated 18.8.43.
c. Supreme Command of the Armed Forces/Chief of Prisoners of War Section in conjunction with Armed Forces Reserve (WR):
Treatment as prisoners of war in accordance with Order: Armed Forces Ops. Staff/Org II No. 02958/43 Secret, dated 8.7.43 which disregards differences of nationality. The only exception made is in the case of commando-operations (then they are handed over to the Security Service [SD] ).
d. RSHA/Section IV
Fundamentally as prisoners of war under the directives mentioned in b and c, but a more definite ruling is required to decide whether, and in what circumstances, they are to be handed over to the Security Service [SD].
e. RSHA/Military Section:
Considers that the Commando-Order cannot he applied to partisan fighting in the South East that to do so would be dangerous in that it might imperil those taking part in our own operations (Brandenburg).
No opinion on the question of Foreign Missions.
f. Ag. Ausl.
Fundamentally, treatment as prisoners of war, that implies that members of missions were taking part in a commando-operation.
3. Opinion and proposal of the Armed Forces Ops Staff According to the Orders issued to date, even, for example, the British captured in the "Ruesselsprung" operation must be treated as prisoners of war.
The Commando-Order has never yet been applied to such missions, its extended application to cover them has not yet been ordered. If the missions are to be treated otherwise than in accordance with the orders to date, it must first be decided whether a foreign mission acting with the partisan groups in the South
860
1279-PS
East is to be called a commando operation and therefore treated as such. Such a decision seems to be indicated even if it does not correspond completely to the wording of the commando-order or to the previous definition of a commando-operation (as an' especially under-hand and still unusual form of warfare which must be combatted with the appropriate counter measures). The principle must be adopted from the start that all members of partisan groups, even in the South East, are fundamentally guerillas. Indeed, they are treated as prisoners of war, for reasons of expediency, in order to obtain the largest possible number of deserters and workers. There is no reason for this with regard to the members of foreign missions who are not numerous. There is therefore no necessity to treat them in every case, in the same way as the members of partisan groups themselves. Basically, it would be far more appropriate to consider Anglo-American as well as Soviet-Russian military missions as commando-operations and to treat their members accordingly.
The appended Order is therefore proposed.
Sgd: Warlimont
Distribution:
Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces via the Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces Ops Staff.
1st Copy
Qu. (Draft) 2nd Copy
[The second copy of the above dated 27.7.1944 marked "Draft" is also contained in 1279-PS it is initialled at the end by Warlimont and has an illegible pencil note at the top. In the second copy the first words of 2 and 3 are underlined in pencil. The type-script of both copies is identical.]
MOST SECRET Draft
Supreme Command of the Armed Forces No. 007893/4 Most Secret/Armed Forces Ops. Staff/QU (Admin. 1)
[The number is changed to 009074/44]
Fuehrer Headquarters 22.7.1944 — Copies, — Copy
Subject: Treatment of members of foreign "military missions" captured with partisan groups.
The Special Orders for the treatment of captured members of
693256—46—55
861
1279 PS
partisan groups do not apply to members of foreign so-called "military mission" (Anglo-American or Soviet-Russian) captured in the fight against partisan groups in the areas under the command of the C-in-C South East and South West. They are therefore to be treated, not as prisoners of war, but in accordance with the Fuehrer's Order on the extermination of terrorist and sabotage troops, dated 18.10.1942 (OKW/WFSt No. 003830/42 Most Secret).
This order is not to be distributed beyond the divisional or equalranking staffs of the other branches of the Armed Forces. Any papers distributed to Army Headquarters and equal-ranking staffs, of the Armed Forces are to be recalled, when read, and destroyed.
[This last sentence is changed to "This order is not to be distributed beyond General Headquarters and equal-ranking staffs of other branches of the Armed Forces and is to be destroyed when read."]
Keitel
Distribution:
C-in-C South East C-in-C South West Army General Staff
Copy 1 Copy 2 Copy 3 Copy 4 Copy 5
OKM/Naval War Staff OKL/Air Force Ops. Staff
Reichsfuehrer SS and Chief of the German Police—Headquarters Staff of the Reichsfuehrer SS— for the attention of SS Brigadefuehrer and Major-General of the Waffen SS Rohde, also for RSHA
Copy 6
OKW/Gen. Armed Forces Dept.
/Chief of P.W. section
Copy 7 Copy 8 Copy 9 Copy 10 Copy 11 Copy 12 Copy 13 Copy 14
/Armed Forces Reserves (WR)
/WFSt/W Pr
/Op (Army-Air Force-Navy) /Org
/War Diary /Qu (Draft)
Reserve
Copy 15-25
862