Memo regarding Lammerding's posting

This (not very elegantly worded) notice, marked, Secret! shows another assessment of Lammerding's qualities. He is still being judged a not very good leader of men, but as a good technical man, as a good engineer in fact. This is not too surprising, considering that he was a qualified civil engineer and was employed in the Pioneers, which was and still is in today's armies, as near to civil engineering as possible in the armed forces. It is interesting that this document, dated 22 May 1939 should be marked as Secret! (the exclamation mark is on the original document, I have not added it). The likely reason for this confidentiality is the mention of "the war school course", which most probably was training for the attack on Poland on 1 September 1939.

Comments below are in italics.

Dresden 22 May 1939 Secret!

To the Inspectorate of the SS-Verfügungstruppe Berlin

Regarding: The application (posting) of the SS-Hauptsturmführer Lammerding, SS Nr 247 062,

As another application (posting) is intended for SS-Hauptsturmführer Lammerding and as his absence through attending the war-school course takes place in exactly the main education-period (peak season for educational courses), I have assigned Hauptsturmführer Hans Becker-Zumbusch, SS Nr 52 751, to lead the 1. / SS Pioneers from 1.6.39. At the same time, SS-Obersturmführer Wilhelm Boden SS Nr 180 275 will take on the duties of adjutant.

The corresponding propositions for the personnel office will follow after the final application (posting) of SS-Hauptsturmführer Lammerding. With previous knowledge of Hauptsturmführer Lammerding (Dipl Ing) and his modest soldierly disposition, I consider the use of Lammerding as technical leader most expedient, since then the immediate leading of men is no longer incumbent on him.

SS-Hauptsturmführer Becker-Zumbusch cannot therefore attend the war school course, so that the necessary time for the training stands to be available. A substitute cannot be arranged from the SS-Pioneers.

Signed: Der Führer des SS-Pioniersturmbannes der SS-Verfügungstruppe.

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