To curb the spread of syphillis among his troops, Adolph Hitler ordered the development of a sex doll soldiers could use as an alternative to prostitutes, according to a new book.

Time writes that the “Borghild Project” began when Heinrich Himmler wrote to Hitler, “The greatest danger in Paris is the widespread and uncontrolled presence of whores,” and that it was their duty to protect soldiers’ health. The Daily Mail writes that the silicone “comforters” were smaller than life-sized (presumably so soldiers could carry them around?) and that after one actress refused to be the model, the doll was made into a bland blonde so soldiers could “apply their own fantasy.”

Himmler ordered 50 dolls after what Time calls “extensive testing” but troops were too embarrassed to carry them and the idea was dropped.

Author Graeme Donald discovered the story while researching his book Mussolini’s Barber. Time says Donald “made the discovery while retracing the footsteps of Americans Ruth and Elliot Handler, the inventors of the Barbie doll. They created their iconic toy after visiting Germany in 1956 and buying the Bild Lilli doll—an adult novelty item then “sold in German barber shops and nightclubs.” The Handlers, the Mail says, didn’t realize that the dolls weren’t for children until later but “used the doll as a foundation for what became Barbie.”

Oh, the dolls were called ‘gynoids,’ which sounds like a) a scary movie on SyFy, b) something you wouldn’t want turning up on your X-rays or c) Perfect: “gynoids for gonads.” Huh? Huh?