Worst Job Roles You Could Be Assigned In WW2

Combat Engineers

Combat engineers tackled grueling tasks like building fortifications, clearing landmines, and paving roads in harsh conditions. Lacking proper materials, they often relied on salvaged scraps and improvised solutions to complete their missions.

Flamethrower Operator

Operating a flamethrower was far from glamorous. Laden with heavy fuel tanks, operators moved slowly and had to get dangerously close to targets, often witnessing horrifying scenes as their weapon unleashed destruction.

Submariners

Nicknamed “iron coffins,” submarines offered little comfort or safety. With a staggering 75% casualty rate by war’s end, serving aboard these underwater vessels was a testament to courage under extreme duress.

Body Recovery and Disposal

Mobile morticians faced the grim task of recovering and disposing of bodies under horrific conditions. From bloated, charred remains to corpses teeming with maggots, the psychological toll of this duty was immense.

Penal Military Units

Convicts in German and Soviet Penal Military Units often found themselves on suicide missions. Sent to the frontlines or tasked with clearing landmine fields, these soldiers were expendable assets in brutal wartime strategies.

Ball Turret Gunner

Perched in the belly of a B-17, the ball turret gunner had one of the war’s most perilous roles. In a cramped, lightly armored sphere with no room for a parachute, gunners faced relentless enemy fire while curled in a fetal position for hours.

Kamikaze Pilots

For Japanese kamikaze pilots, their mission was death itself. Tasked with sacrificing their lives for the emperor, they believed their ultimate honor lay in a fiery end, ensuring their names lived on in glory—or so they were told.