Sonderkommandos

They did not participate directly in the killing (though they did accompany the victims to the gas chambers--killing was reserved for the guards), and their primary responsibility was disposing of the corpses. They were forced into the position, but accepted it because it meant a few more months of life. After their terms, each group of Sonderkommandos was killed. They also led the revolts in Sobibor, Treblinka, and Auschwitz. Finally, a small handful survived. For personal accounts of a Sonderkommando there are a number of books including Eyewitness Auschwitz by Filip Müller.

There is a film about the Sonderkommandoes, The Grey Zone (2001) directed by Tim Blake Nelson from his play and based on the book by Miklos Nyiszli[?] - Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account.