Reder map of Belzec (Belzec Museum Poland) Click here for larger view

Christian Wirth’s constant problem at Belzec and the other Aktion Reinhard camps was the wild, undisciplined and often drunken behaviour of the Russian volunteers sent to him from the SS- Trawniki camp as guards.



In the early days at Belzec they habitually fraternised with the local villagers, bargained with them on the black market for food, alcohol and even women and on occasions indulged in orgies.



Even when on duty at the camps these renegades were mostly drunk which made their behaviour – usually violently anti-Semitic, anyway – even more sadistic towards their victims, and insubordinate to the SS – all of which greatly hindered the smooth running of the extermination operation.



For lesser offences, Wirth had them incarcerated in small underground bunkers without food or water for several days and more serious offences – shot out of hand. They were constantly beaten and maltreated by Wirth and certain members of the SS garrison at every possible opportunity.


Wirth had two recalcitrant Ukrainian guards dressed in traditional garb and then gassed together with a transport of Jews. Josef Oberhauser was told by Ukrainian guards that Wirth had also shot some of their comrades at the SS- Trawniki training camp.



In the early summer of 1943 a group of Ukrainian guards did attempt to turn against their masters at the Belzec death camp. The incident was recounted by Belzec villagers after the war.



The Ukrainian guards had wanted to attack the Kommandantur on Tomaszowska Street but had been betrayed to the SS by one of their own comrades. Fifty Ukrainian guards were shot.



This story of an attempted revolt at Belzec was confirmed in part in 1963 by one of the former SS-NCO’s of the camp garrison, Robert Juhrs:



“Because of a serious offence, such as a planned mutiny – and such was the case, as I recall – the Ukrainian guards were dismissed, thrown out of their unit and immediately transported away. Where they went and what happened to them, I have no knowledge.”



This indiscipline within the Ukrainian guard force had fatal consequences for the SS-men who served at Belzec, as Heinrich Gley, one of the SS men on the staff at Belzec testified in 1963:

 

A view of the Kommandantur at Belzec

“One evening, the company commander Jirmann ordered me to go with him to a copse near the Kommandantur where a bunker was located. I did not know what he intended doing there, but on the way I learned from him that two Ukrainians were locked up there who, during their guard duty had broken into the valuables room.



As Jirrmann opened the bunker door, both Ukrainians leapt on him and knocked him to the ground. As he dropped his torch during the incident, I could not see how he – Jirrmann had fallen to the ground as the first Ukrainian came out of the bunker.



I assumed it was one of the Ukrainians and fired at him. As a matter of fact it was Jirrmann I had fatally wounded.”



Jirrmann died on the 1 March 1943 and was buried in the German military cemetery at nearby Tomaszow Lubelski, his remains were moved by the Germans to the military cemetery in Przemysl.


Read the full page here:
http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/revolt/belzecresista nce.html

The Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team

www.HolocaustResearchProject.org