INSTRUCTION PAGE
for released German prisoners of war
to work in 
rural occupations

Officially

Published by the Allied Military authorities.

"We do not exterminate any nation, we do not slaughter any people."
                                                                              Churchill 18 January 1945.

Total Defeat

Germany is substantially defeated- militarily, politically, and socially. The evidence stands before you. The German army no longer exists. The German government is equally none existent. German families are dispersed in all directions. Your cities lie in ruins. The railroad network is torn up. Millions of your people are dead. All of this Germany and you – owe to the presumption, the greed and cruelty of your leader. Millions have suffered under the German knot (yoke) To have the world attain decent living conditions, the United Nations has assembled their strengths and destroyed the German tyranny. Some of you have fanatically supported these madmen others have tolerated them and quietly complied. You are all guilty as to what happened. You all will have to take responsibility. The guilt that you have to carry now and in the future you have to attribute to yourselves.

Germany will never again wage war

The defeat , that Germany through its own arrogance has suffered ,will never again be altered by the use of arms. Regardless of how the political story of the world develops the allied military powers, that have now conquered Germany, will stand in the way of any future aggression. That the German arms industry is completely destroyed and millions of German soldiers have fallen, will give the United nations the advantage in industry and personnel for years to come, as it already was before.

And even though the losses in human lives, in the coarse of time, will be replenished by the birth of children: the German industries will never be allowed, to produce weapons for a German war of aggression. Germany's defeat will never be altered by the use of weapons. Only with peaceful work can Germany hope to establish itself again as a Nation.

SELF HELP

You are being released from imprisonment (POW), to engage in life sustaining work for the future of Germany, to produce food. Germany has plundered the occupied countries of Europe and stolen their production. Just in Holland alone thousands have died of hunger this spring. Now you Germans have your own problem. The united nations do not have the intention of importing food into Germany for German consumption. Every usable surplus of food is destined for countries previously occupied by Germany. Your cities are destroyed but your lands and farms for the better part are undamaged. The foreign workers, that under threats and extortion were sent to Germany as forced labour from the previously occupied territories, can return to their homelands. Therefore a very serious deficiency of farm labour exists. You are being released to preform this work. If you do not completely fulfill this task, and therefore do not use your entire labour force, you and your countrymen will starve this coming winter.

PERFORMANCE OF DUTY

Where ever you are sent to, there you must stay and work. Offenses will be severely punished under ordinance of the Military Government. Whoever does not work well and diligently is negligent about Germany's future and shows himself unworthy of the trust, that is allotted him as a thinking person.

RECONSTRUCTION

The United Nations do not wish to destroy Germany as a nation. The guilty will be severely punished, and the people can through hard work and moderate expectations, make restitution for the committed offenses. But with time Germany can be reconstructed and flourish through the peaceful work of German hands. The time will come, when Germany can again contribute to the progress of civilization. But only, if you and your countrymen honorablely contribute. The responsibility rest with you. On you it depends.

1) After the registration you will receive a release (dismissal) certificate and a application form.

2) To have the uniform, that you have retained, become totally civilian in character, all insignia are to be turned in ( inclusively, service rank insignia and embossed buttons, insignia of high distinction, lanyards and every national socialistic badge, medal and decoration.)

Medals and honors for long service in the Wehrmacht or service in the Wehrmacht, you are allowed to retain, but not wear.

3) You will be brought, by mechanized transport, to the capital of your registration district. There you will give the registration form to the Military government's appointed officials in the labour-office.

4)You will then be taken by motor vehicle to the capital of you home district, where you will report yourself to the district official (register again).

5)The district official will give you instructions, as to where you should report for work.

6) Those, that are only provisionally released from the Wehrmacht, will not be sent back to their hometown. They will have to work, where ever the district official sends them. Whoever leaves his workplace ( designated town etc) without authorization, will be prosecuted. They must report to the district official in a timely interval.