Superintendent (German service organization)
The superintendent ( Latin superintendens , literally 'supervisor', loan translation from ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος episkopos ) was a rank in the German service organizations of the British and US armed forces established after the Second World War . He corresponded to the position of an officer and belonged within the units to the up to five-level management level of the Officer Ranks .
British zone
Immediately after the end of the Second World War, the British Armed Forces set up labor companies in July 1945, which from August 1945 were primarily recruited as Labor Service from German prisoners of war and volunteers.
In order to restore and safeguard public life and the infrastructure as quickly as possible, the British relied in particular on experienced and unaffected former members of the Wehrmacht.
The Labor Service formed the basis of the Allied Service Groups set up in 1947 (later: German Service Organizations), from which the German Civil Labor Organization emerged in the summer of the same year .
The units, now structurally organized as military formations, finally merged on October 21, 1950 with a total strength of 60,000 men in the newly formed German Service Organization (GSO) . At the same time, armed guards were formed at strategically important locations, which were run as Watchmen's Service .
Most of the GSO's units were uniformed for their military structure. In addition, their members led military ranks, which in the lower and middle levels were partly based on the service titles of the former Reich Labor Service .
The officers of the GSO held superintendent ranks, which in turn were based on the police ranks of the Commonwealth countries. It is assumed that this should reinforce the position of an officer towards the outside world, especially towards the British units stationed in Germany , as there was a general duty of greeting towards the GSO officers.
The officer career of the GSO showed up to five ranks, depending on the organizational structure and strength of the unit: Assistant Superintendent, Superintendent, Chief Superintendent, Staff Superintendent and Senior Staff Superintendent. They formed the management level of the respective units.
One of the most famous German service organizations in the British sector , which led these rankings was that until September 1994, West Berlin erected 248 German Security Unit of the Royal Military Police .
The former Wehrmacht officer Johannes Gohl was one of the former unit leaders who, as such, had the rank of Staff Superintendent.
See also: Superintendent of Police
| Rank | equivalence | use |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant superintendent | lieutenant | pike
Deputy platoon leader Staff activity |
| Superintendent | First lieutenant | Platoon leader
Quartermaster Deputy Company Commander Staff activity Deputy Unit Leader |
| Chief Superintendent | Captain | Company commander
Head of an administrative level Deputy Unit Leader |
| Staff superintendent | major | Officer Commanding
Unit leader Head of an administrative level |
| Senior Staff Superintendent | Lieutenant colonel | Officer Commanding
Unit leader Head of an administrative level |
American zone
Within the US armed forces, the designation superintendent still exists today primarily at the administrative level of the United States Air Force as a position , but not as a rank.
In the American Zone and in the American Sector of Berlin, the Superintendent was introduced as a rank to the German service organizations in October 1946, with the establishment of the Industrial Police in the Air Force division, who was employed as an officer in an outstanding position.
The career path showed up to three ranks, depending on the organizational structure and strength of the unit: Assistant Superintendent, Superintendent and Senior Superintendent. They formed the management level of the respective units.
The superintendent acted as head of the industrial police of the 7350th USAF Security Police Squadron in what was then West Berlin. The unit was responsible in particular for guarding and controlling access to the military area of the then Berlin-Tempelhof airport and was demobilized in June 1993 without replacement.
| Rank | use |
|---|---|
| Assistant superintendent | Representative of the superintendent
Decision officer |
| Superintendent | Head of an IP district
Decision officer |
| Senior Superintendent | Adviser on the staff of a military post or
an air force unit |
Web links
- Applications and ranks of the 248 German Security Unit
- GSU History website
- Information on Staff Superintendent Johannes Gohl at GSU History
- Industrial Police history and badge
Individual evidence
- ↑ The history of the GSO / GSU. Website of the Kameradschaft 248 German Security Unit e. V., accessed on September 7, 2018 (German).