Part of the "French Volunteers and Collaborationist Forces" series by Daniel Laurent

Founded on July 18, 1933 by Engineer Fritz Todt, genial organizer, the OT (Organization Todt) is in charge of the main infrastructure projects of the third Reich: It started with the German Highway network, revolutionary at that time, then the blockhaus of the Siegfried line in 1938.
At the beginning of the war, the OT is reorganized as a military structure with uniforms, officers and NCO. After F. Todt death, killed in an aircraft accident on February 2, 1942, the OT passes under Albert Speer command.

In France, the OT is in charge of the building of submarines bases and coastal fortifications, For the “Atlantic Wall”, it employed 112,000 Germans, 152,000 French and 170,000 North African workers and technicians.
About 2,500 French volunteers joined the armed Schutzkommandos, in charge of the protection of the construction projects, after training at la Celle Saint Cloud near Paris.
Those SK are wearing a feldgrau uniform with the NSDAP Svatiska armband.
End 1944, those French were dispersed up to some projects in Norway. Several hundreds will reach Greinferberg in Germany and, from there, the Waffen SS Division Charlemagne.