Treatment of Commandos
Keitel Order, 26 June 1944

WFSt/ Qu ! (Verw. 1)

Chef OKW-[ in pencil]
of [initial] J

26 June 1944 TOP SECRET [Rubber Stamp]

5 copies-1st copy
Checked before Release
   Chef WFSt 1
    OB. WFSt

KR -Teletype To

1. Supreme Commander West.
2. Chief of Army General Staff.
3. OKL/ Lw Fu Stab.
4. OKM/ l. Skl.
5. Reichsfuehrer SS-Command Staff.
6. Military Commander, France.
7. Military Commander, Belgium/ Northern France.
8. Armed forces Commander, Netherlands.
9. OKW/ WR.
10. Supreme Commander Southwest [in pencil].

Reference:

1. Fuehrer Order No. 003830/ 42 Top Secret of 18 Oct 1942 OKW/ WFSt.
2. Teletype Supreme Commander West No. 1750/ 44 Top Secret of 23 June 1944 (only to OKW/ WFSt).

Subject: Treatment of Kommando Participants.

1. Even after the landing of Anglo-Americans in France, the order of the Fuehrer on the destruction of terror and sabotage units of 18 Oct 1942 remains fully in force.

Enemy soldiers in uniform in the immediate combat area of the bridgehead, that is, in the area of the divisions fighting in the most forward lines as well as of the reserves up to the corps commands, according to #5 of the basic order of 18 Oct 1942, remain exempted.

2. All members of terror and sabotage units, found outside the immediate combat area, who include fundamentally all parachutists, are to be killed in combat. In special cases, they are to be turned over to the SD.

3. All troops committed outside the combat area of Normandy are to be informed about the duty to destroy enemy terror and sabotage units briefly and succinctly according to the directives issued for it.

4. Supreme Commander West will report immediately daily how many saboteurs have been liquidated in this manner. This applies especially also to undertakings by the military commanders. The number is to be published daily in the armed forces communique to exercise a frightening effect, as has already been done toward previous Kommando undertakings in the same manner.

[Initial] W [Warlimont]
[signature] Keitel
OKW/ WFSt/ Qu. (Verw. 1)
Nr. 006688/ 44 Top Secret

Addition for Supreme Commander Southwest:
Similar action is to be taken in the Italian theater of war. [Written by hand]

[initial] J [ Jodl]

After forwarding:

Qu (Verw. 1) Simultaneously teletype-1st copy.
Op (H) -2nd copy.
Op (M) / (L) /Ktb.-3rd copy.
VO Foreign-4th copy.
VO W Pr-5th copy.

Copy was sent on 18 Aug to the Chief of the Security Police and the SD.