, ▁and ▁otherwise ▁peculiar ▁soldiers ▁who , ▁for ▁whatever ▁reason , ▁were ▁not ▁suitable ▁for ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁Army ▁but ▁non eth eless ▁were ▁en list ed . ▁In ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁their ▁medical ▁officer ▁( a ▁psych iat rist ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁ 4 6 9 th ▁because ▁his ▁special ty ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁" J ew ish ▁science "), ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁unit ▁composed ▁" ent ire ly ▁of ▁st ray ▁pu pp ies ". ▁ ▁The ▁ 4 6 9 th ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁esc arp ment ▁by ▁the ▁sea . ▁Pf irs ich ▁was ▁of ▁the ▁opinion ▁that ▁a ▁commander ▁should ▁not ▁merely ▁lead ▁his ▁troops ▁but ▁protect ▁them , ▁and ▁arranged ▁with ▁local ▁Al lied ▁command ers ▁that ▁there ▁would ▁be ▁no ▁fighting ▁in ▁that ▁area ▁( although ▁new com ers ▁did ▁not ▁always ▁accept ▁this ▁mod us ▁viv endi ). ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁series , ▁Bar r ▁focused ▁on ▁many ▁characters ; ▁the ▁following ▁list ▁includes ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁prominent . ▁ ▁Ober ge fre iter ▁U do ▁Schmidt : ▁Pf irs ich ' s ▁order ly ▁and ▁a ide - de - camp . ▁Sc ru ff y , ▁dirty , ▁ill - temper ed , ▁dark - sk inned , ▁secret ly ▁Jewish , ▁and ▁with ▁a ▁habit ▁of ▁using ▁pages ▁from ▁Me in ▁K ampf ▁as ▁rolling ▁papers , ▁Schmidt ▁was ▁the ▁ 4 6 9 th ' s ▁only ▁card - car ry ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Naz i