Wehrbezirkskommando München II — Wehrmacht recruitment document

Official German military instruction sheet entitled “Merkblatt über Pflichten der zur Erfüllung der aktiven Dienstpflicht ausgehobenen Rekruten”, issued under the authority of Wehrbezirkskommando München III, part of the Wehrmacht's recruitment and replacement administration in Wehrkreis VII (Munich).

The document explained the legal and practical obligations imposed upon a conscript after receipt of his Gestellungsbefehl (call-up/reporting order), including his change to military status, police deregistration, termination of civilian employment and arrangements for travelling to his assigned military reporting point. Ref: 36/40 (Without a date on document save the printers imprint '05.37' - May 1937).

THE DOCUMENT READS:

Wehrbezirks-kommando

München III

Instruction sheet concerning the obligations of recruits called up for the fulfilment of active military service

1(a) Upon delivery of the call-up order (Gestellungsbefehl), you belong, as a recruit provisionally released to your home, to those liable for military service who are on leave, and are subject to the laws, regulations and provisions applicable to them.

In matters relating to official dealings with superiors, military discipline and duties of subordination, you are subject to military discipline. In cases of unauthorised absence, desertion, self-inflicted incapacity for service and offences against superiors, the regulations applicable to soldiers shall apply to you.

(b) From 00:00 hours on the reporting day, you are a soldier and are therefore subject to the laws, regulations and provisions applicable to soldiers.

2. You are hereby granted leave until the reporting day at your present permanent place of residence.

Should you change your residence or permanent place of abode before the reporting day, you must report this, either personally or in writing, within one week to the responsible Wehrmeldeamt (precise address).

If you move into another military registration district, this notification must also be made within the same period to the newly responsible Wehrmeldeamt. The call-up order issued by the previously responsible Wehrbezirkskommando remains valid.

3. In good time before the reporting day, you must deregister with the police registration authority responsible for you, presenting your call-up order. A notation confirming the deregistration must be entered upon the call-up order.

4(a) The call-up order must immediately be presented to the head of your workplace, employer, etc.

(b) Upon leaving your employment, and no later than 48 hours before the reporting day, you are required to present your employment record (Arbeitsbuch) to the responsible Labour Office, informing it of your call-up, so that a notation recording its closure may be entered.

5. If you are instructed to travel as part of a collective transport (Sammeltransport) — that is, where the reporting day, time and place have not yet been entered on the call-up order — you will receive a postcard before your induction stating the reporting day, time and place.

You need obtain a military travel ticket only as far as the reporting location stated on the postcard, provided that the authorisation for travel has not already been crossed out on the front of the call-up order. Regarding reimbursement of fares paid by you, see paragraph 6.

6(a) You may travel from your permanent place of residence to the ordered reporting location on foot, by railway or by other regularly operating means of transport.

Only the cost of the cheapest route will be reimbursed. Where several different public means of transport are available, the one causing the lowest travelling costs must be selected.

If a special train for recruits travelling in your direction is announced in the newspapers shortly before your call-up, you must use it.

If travelling individually, you must, wherever possible, obtain a military travel ticket (Militärfahrkarte) from the railway station at your permanent place of residence on the day before beginning your journey, upon presentation of the call-up order.

For journeys of up to 200 kilometres, third-class express and fast trains may be used; for distances exceeding 200 kilometres, their use will be reimbursed.

For reimbursement of fares paid personally, the ticket must be stamped at the destination. It must then be surrendered to the office or unit to which you have been called. Reimbursement of expenditure will be made only upon presentation of the tickets and any supplementary tickets.

6(b) If you are without financial means, you may, upon presentation of the call-up order — and, if assigned to collective transport, the postcard referred to in paragraph 5 — apply personally or in writing to the Bürgermeister of your municipality of residence for payment of travelling expenses for the public transport you are required to use.

Your municipality of residence is regarded as the place in which you are staying at the time of your call-up into the Wehrmacht.

The advance received must be reported upon arrival at your military office. The amount of travelling money paid is to be recorded by the Bürgermeister upon the call-up order.

(Page Two)

7. If you are unable to provide yourself with sufficient outer clothing, footwear and a shirt, you may apply to the Bürgermeister of your municipality of residence (see paragraph 6b).

8. If illness or other unavoidable circumstances prevent you from appearing personally at the appointed time, you must immediately notify the Wehrbezirkskommando which called you up (see upper left), stating the reason.

As confirmation, you must provide a certificate from an official medical officer (Amtsarzt), or a certificate from your attending doctor endorsed by the official medical officer. You are responsible for any costs incurred.

9. Provided the statutory conditions are met, your dependants may receive financial assistance during the period of your call-up under the Family Support Act of 30th March 1936 and the regulations issued for its implementation.

Further information is available from the Bürgermeister of your municipality of residence, who will also receive applications for support.

The relevant provisions state:

(a) Section 2 of the Family Support Act

Persons entitled to support, insofar as their necessary living requirements are not otherwise adequately secured, are the following dependants of the person called up:

I. The wife; legitimate children or children declared legitimate; children adopted before the call-up order was issued; and stepchildren of the person called up, provided that they live with his wife.

II. Where, up to the time the call-up order was issued, the person called up had wholly or substantially been their provider:

1. A divorced wife who, under §1578 of the Civil Code, is entitled to maintenance from the person called up;

2. Grandchildren, foster children and stepchildren not living with the wife of the person called up;

3. Illegitimate children, where the person called up has acknowledged paternity under §1718 of the Civil Code or where his obligation to provide maintenance has been established in an enforceable legal instrument;

4. Relatives in the direct ascending line;

5. Adoptive parents, where they had adopted the person called up before the call-up order was issued; step-parents and foster parents.

(b) Section 3 of the regulations implementing the Family Support Act

The granting of support depends upon the submission of an application.

The application may be made by the person called up or by those entitled to support, from the date on which the call-up order is issued, either orally or in writing to the appropriate municipal or district authority or to the Bürgermeister of the municipality of residence.

Those selected for service are advised to submit the application as early as possible so that payment of family support is secured from the reporting date onwards.

10. You must appear punctually at the reporting place at the time stated in the call-up order or on the postcard.

If you have been called up as an individual traveller, you must — unless otherwise ordered — arrive at your assigned location (unit or naval unit) no later than 14:00 hours.

Civilian clothing is treated in accordance with the laws, regulations and provisions applicable to soldiers.

(At the foot of the page)

“471 Druckerei Gen. Kdo. VII. A.K., München 5.37”

(Note: “Gen. Kdo. VII. A.K.” is Generalkommando VII. Armeekorps — General Command, VII Army Corps, Munich. The 5.37 is very likely the printing date/code for May 1937.

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