 Then he was appointed as "Rasse-und Siedlungsführer" in Cracow.From 1941-43, Lerch served in Lublin as chief of Globočnik's personal office and "Stabsführer der Allgemeine SS", responsible for the radio link between the "Aktion Reinhard" headquarters and Berlin.On 21 July 1942, he was promoted to "SS-Sturmbannführer".