Was watching QI the other night and mention was made of the "Stomach Division" who were soldiers suffering from abdominal illnesses deemed not severe enough to prevent fighting...they were used somewhat in desperation at the battle of the bulge..."all mopped up by the Canadians". They had their own diets and latrenes (to prevent spread of disease)...thats a crook deal!
That would be the '9th Canadian Forestry Company' http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E-Ardennes/USA-E-Ardennes-14.html The German infantry divisions used in the Ardennes were in pretty poor shape but I doubt any were classified as "Stomach". As the Germans withdrew, the infantry divisions that replaced the panzer divisions were in even worse shape and may have had stomach battalions to man the Westwall.
Actually, some of those type of divisions weren't all that bad. One gave Monty's troops a bad time when he was engaged in clearing the Scheldt Estuary so that the port of Antwerp could be used. That German division held up the British for some time. Germany grouped these men into special divisions so that they could have special rations/diets.
Not the same unit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/70th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht) The first iteration of the "stomach"/"white bread" soldiers was the 70th Division that fought Monty's Canadians. The second iteration was a separate battalion that was engaged in the Bulge. The quality of such troops was probably adequate for static defense, which was less demanding of discipline and skill than mobile combat. The saying goes that a syphilitic old man with arthritis can hold up an infantry company if you put a machine gun and enough concrete between them. At least for awhile, given that you don't run out of bullets and white bread.
