Hitler's Baby Division

certificates" with the promise that they could finish secondary education in
special courses after the war. This made recruiting among students difficult.
Berger then stepped in and made a more satisfactory agreement with the
Education Ministry by granting “final leaving certificates” to student
volunteers who demonstrated the “ability, resolution and will power of
potential university students.” 9 Regions and districts commenced
recruiting during the third week of February. The Swabian Regional
Directorate, for example, demanded lists of volunteers from districts by the
end of February so that physical examinations could begin on March 12. But
the response was slow. District 312 in Memmingen reported a handful of
volunteers, many of whom did not meet height requirements. Kempten
confronted a variety of problems. The district leader had been able to collect
only seven volunteers, despite vigorous personal efforts. Most boys were
then beginning their third year of vocational training and could not take final
examinations for another two-and-a-half years. They wanted to know what
was to become of them after service in the division. Others were interested
only in the officer corps. Mindelheim was more successful, reporting 15
volunteers, although that was only half of the required contingent. The
leader of this district excused his lack of success by citing the proverbial
unwillingness of peasant boys to volunteer. District 495 in Neuburg reported
a similar number of volunteers, but was able to do so only because it avoided
references to physical examinations, which would have discouraged
volunteering. At Nördlingen fourteen boys volunteered, although some 360
boys born in 1926 lived in that district. Lack of response was attributed to
“parental pressure.” 10
The exact number of boys who volunteered for the HJ Division in
Swabia by March 12 is unknown. It must have fallen far short of the required
10