The Belgian branch was established in 1941. On the one hand, it recruited volunteers: men and women who wanted to get their lives back on track, opportunists and adventurers, but also genuine Nazi sympathisers. On the other hand, OT also relied on blackmail and forced labour, including that of thousands of Belgian Jews.
Until now, virtually no research has been done on the OT and the armed Schutzkommando (SK). How did the organisation function? Who was involved? And what crimes did the Belgian members commit?
This book brings many new facts to light. For example, the author was able to find out what happened to the two thousand Belgian OT members who disappeared during the siege of Stalingrad in winter 1942–43.
