The Guard Battalion is independent. The officer of the Guard Battalion makes available to the Kommandant the daily required number of officers, noncommissioned officers, and men for guard duty and to escort prisoners.
For the duration of their duty, the duty officer, the guards, and the prisoners are under direct orders and disciplinary powers of the camp Kommandant.
A contingent of guards must be in a state of readiness within the confmes of the camp in case of an alarm and must be ready to take action immediately.
In case of an emergency situation, the entire Guard Battalion comes under the direct order of the camp Kommandant.
The guard battalion is to be painstakingly trained in a military fashion. However, the safety of the camp takes preference over military training.
The officer of the guard company is responsible for the instruction of every officer, noncommissioned officer, and SS man extensively about his duties when guarding or escorting prisoners. He also must instruct in the use of weapons and about associating with prisoners, especially about the prohibition on mistreating prisoners. These points concerning the prisoners must be constantly stressed in the ongoing instruction by the com-
218 DEATH DEALER pany commanders.
In order to educate the SS man to his highest sense of duty, the toughest discipline against violations and offenses against the prevailing orders must be severely punished, especially guard violations, misuse of weapons, forbidden associations with prisoners, mistreatment of prisoners, carelessness and negligence in the guarding of prisoners.
If the punishment is beyond the authorization of the camp commander, the punishment reports must be immediately sent to the inspector of concentration camps.
The duty officer, who is changed daily and is in charge of the guards, is subordinate to the Kommandant. The duty officer’s first line of responsibility is the security of the camp.
The duty officer is in constant control of all guards and sentries and their weapons. He repeatedly checks all security devices of the camp. Any defects must be repaired or reported at once.
He has to be present when the prisoners march out; it is his duty to send back any work Kommandos which do not have enough guards with them.
In case of danger, he must take the necessary steps until the arrival of the Kommandant or his deputy.
World History
