There was a BBC documentary about 15 years ago, about a Cheshire boy (not Jewish) who volunteered for service in the Army in 1939. I think his name was Alf. They said he was unfit for active service due to an accident he'd had several years before on his dads farm. However, because he knew about diesel engines and could drive heavy machinery, he was given a position of teaching driving and basic mechanics to new recruits. Due to the shortage of drivers in North Africa, he was transferred there and drove supply trucks to the front line troops. All ok until one day whilst delivering supplies, they were overrun by a surprise attack from the Germans and Alf was captured. Where did he end up? Yep, Auschwitz. He was sent there because there was a manufacturing plant for military machinery and he had experience of heavy machinery. In the prog, he told how they tried to help the Jewish inmates, at great risk to themselves. Also how they tried to help the war effort by sabotaging the machinery in subtle ways, like putting sugar in petrol, sand/iron filings in oil supplies; assembling machines with vital parts missing etc. It's just a different aspect to the Auschwitz story. I think Alf died in 2005.