Polizei Dienstpass With A Dark History
Polizei Btl 322 were attached to Polizei Regiment Mitte (along with Pol.Btl 307 & 316) in June 1941, and as such was designated as Pol.Rgt Mitte’s III Btl so that 1,2,3 Kompanie Pol.Btl 322 were also reported as 7, 8 & 9 Kompanie III/Pol.Rgt Mitte. Polizei Btl 322 are mentioned plenty of times in the book Hitler’s Police Battalions: Enforcing Racial War In The East by Edward B.westermann and while Res.Pol.Btl 101 may be more widely known due to the book Ordinary Men, Pol.Btl 322 were every bit as notorious for leaving a trail of death in their wake. They would grab Jewish passers-by and force them to clean their barracks and the unit’s war diary mentions that after a day of killing they would have a ‘cosy night round the camp fire’ singing and drinking.
Franz Hain was born in Innsbruck on 6th September 1917 and joined the Polizei in 1938. He joined Pol.Btl 322 in April 1941, 3 months before it moved east.
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Although his unit listing doesn’t mention what Komapnie he was in, due to the signature of Gustav Riebel appearing throughout the book it is possible to know that he was with 3 Kompanie (9 Kompanie of Pol.Rgt Mitte) as Riebel was 3 Kompanie Chef.
Gustv Riebel would face trial postwar for war crimes, along with Pol.Btl 322’s commanding officer Nagel but both escaped conviction despite the war diary of Pol.Rgt Mitte & Pol.Btl 322 recording all the attrocities during their time in command.
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