Wehrmacht Auxiliary Forces

by Thomas, Nigel; Jurado, Carlos Caballero

• ISBN13: 9781855322578
• ISBN10: 1855322579
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1992-11-01
• Publisher: Osprey Pub Co

Summary

Though the 'Wehrmachtsgefolge' (Armed Forces Auxiliaries) were generally inferior to their armed forces equivalents, their contribution to the German war-effort was far from negligible. Auxiliaries including the NSKK, Transportkorps Speer, Reichsarbeitsdienst and Organization Todt supported the Wehrmacht in their duties. In 1944, the strength of these organizations peaked at 3,800,000-40% of the size of the armed forces. As they became increasingly aware of their importance, the Auxiliaries introduced uniform and insignia modifications which made them virtually indistinguishable from their comrades in the armed forces. This book examines the organization, uniforms and history of the various Wehrmacht auxiliary forces.

Author Biography

DR NIGEL THOMAS is an accomplished linguist and military historian and is currently a Senior Lecturer in charge of the Business Language Unit at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle. His interests are 20th century military and civil uniformed organisations, with a special interest in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. He was recently awarded a PhD on the Eastern Enlargement of NATO.
Carlos Caballero Jurado was born in Ciudad Real, Spain, in 1957. He served as an NCO in the Spanish Army's Division Brunete (1st Armoured Division) and later graduated with a BA in History from the University of Alicante. He has written and co-written numerous books and articles on military historical subjects, including four Osprey titles. Carlos is a history teacher in Alicante, Spain.