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Reply To: Continued Explorations of Normandy Wargaming

June 29, 2019 at 9:59 am #1409707

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Stomach and Ear battalions was the German nickname for sickness units where men were grouped into who had ailments. All of these seem to be Festung Regiments used for garrison duties. 70. Infanterie Division was completely assigned to this role with such cases. Certain units were also assigned older recruits and these men came with such ailments and the name is often associated with those too. It could also be lower category men, already recruited and moved into the units.

It’s been speculated that as the Wehrmacht had no real recognition of Combat Stress, in the Heer these units formed a place where sufferers could go when their ailments exhibited in stomach, respiratory or bowel conditions. Some have postulated that their whole purpose was to be a place for shell shock cases though this is supposition on the part of historians looking at PTSD treatment since 1914.

There has been work done on some of the units in 716. ID as a Festung employed formation to see if the personnel reflected the ailments seen in other Sick Battalions. I shall have to go and look at my old lecture notes… it’s been a while!

It would be rather interesting to consider a battalion, comprised of older men, lower category recruits, sick and possibly shellshock cases, being tasked to fend off the Allied invasion.