The Commando Order (German: Kommandobefehl) was issued by the OKW, the High Command of the German armed forces, on 18 October 1942 stating that in retaliation for their opponents "employing in their conduct of the war, methods which contravene the International Convention of Geneva", including from "captured orders" it emerging "that they are instructed not only to tie up prisoners, but also to kill out-of-hand unarmed captives who they think might prove an encumbrance to them, or hinder them in successfully carrying out their aims", and that Commandos have been ordered to kill prisoners,[1] all Allied Commandos encountered in Europe and Africa should be killed immediately without trial, even if in proper uniforms or if they attempted to surrender. Any commando or small group of commandos or a similar unit, agents, and saboteurs not in proper uniforms, who fell into the hands of the German forces by some means other than direct combat (through the police in occupied territories, for instance), were to be handed over immediately to the Sicherheitsdienst (SD, Security Service).