Death's Head Unit

In March 1936 Heinrich Himmler was put in charge of Germany's concentration camps. He formed a special unit from the Schutzstaffel (SS) called Totenkopfverbande (Death's Head Units).

By June 1944 these units had 24,000 members. At the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial the Schutz Staffeinel (SS) was declared a criminal organization and a large number of its leaders were executed.

Primary Sources

(1) Maurice Buckmaster, Specially Employed (1952)

It has been customary, since the war, to blame the Maquis for every misfortune and hardship that France has now to undergo. It is almost an unpopular thing in France in 1952 to have fought for France's liberation in 1940-45. And if one fought and perhaps died in company with British officers, it is now considered almost unpardonable. None of the 'best people' did it. Of course, they were not collaborationists - nor supporters of Petain - just the best type that waited to see what would happen. I wonder what, in fact, would have happened if all these brave men and women who continually risked life and property to save our liaison officers had waited on the fence?