S027958 FEUERSCHUTZPOLIZEI WACHTMEISTER'S OVERSEAS CAP, SERVICE TUNIC & PANTS. (Feldmütze, Dienstrock, und Hose) 

BACKGROUND: On June 17^TH 1936, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed to the newly created position of Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern, (Chief of the German Police in the National Ministry of the Interior), effectively giving him full control of all police agencies within Germany. As a result of this appointment and the restructuring of all the separate German state police into a single national police force new regulations were instituted on June 25^TH 1936 to bring about uniformity in dress for all police through-out the country. One of the new uniform regulations replaced the previously worn blue uniforms with a new style police green uniform that was utilized, with minor modifications, until the end of the war. Of Note: The Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police), continued to wear the traditional blue uniforms although a Himmler directive in November 1938 dictated that the Urban Fire Protection Police also exchange their blue uniforms for the new police green uniforms. The police NCO’s overseas cap was originally introduced on July 7^TH 1937 and was utilized for the duration of the war. As with other organizations the police utilized standard, straight legged, long pants and assorted breeches. Originally the pants and breeches were produced in black fabric for all but the Gendarmerie, (Rural Police), but by early 1938 the changeover to police green pants and breeches was completed for all branches of police service excluding the Wasserschutzpolizei, (Water Police), and the Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police). The police were divided into eight assorted branches of service and during the restructuring the different police agencies were assigned specific identifying "truppenfarbe" (Troop {Branch of Service} Colors), with carmine truppenfarbe being allocated to the Feuerschutzpolizei. On the overseas cap, service tunic and pants the truppenfarbe was generally displayed as on ornamental piping and also as the base of the shoulder boards/straps and the collar tabs on the tunics. Police Officers holding the rank of Polizei-Leutnant to Generaloberst der Polizei were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and could purchase them through the SS-Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system which was originally established in Munich in 1935. The Officers were allotted a one time clothing allowance from the government with the amount varying depending on the individuals rank. The ranks of Polizei Unterwachtmeister to Polizei-Obermeister were issued their uniforms although they could also choose to purchase privately tailored garments of higher quality although the price may have been restrictive. Of Note: The German Police had no enlisted ranks with the lowest rank being an Unterwachtmeister which was equivalent to the German army rank of Unteroffizier. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, navy blue, wool/rayon blend construction overseas cap features fold down side and back panels with gently sloping, downward scallops to the front and forward sides. The top edge of the fold down panels are trimmed in carmine wool truppenfarbe piping. The front center of the cap has a machine woven, second pattern, (circa June 1936-May 1945), wreathed, police style national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons, in greyish/white rayon threads on a, woven, cut-out, deep navy blue, rayon base. The insignia is neatly handstitched to the cap. The interior of the cap is fully lined in light weight, black, cotton/rayon material. The lining is well marked with a faint, white size inkstamp, "56". The cap is in overall very good condition with minor age and usage toning and small areas of moth grazing resulting in spots of light to moderate nap wear. Nice quality, deep navy blue doeskin wool construction service tunic features a vertical, eight button front closure with dual metal hooks and eyes positioned at the forward neckline and a lay down collar. The lower right half and the full length of the left front closure panel edges are trimmed in carmine wool, truppenfarben piping. The tunic has two, pleated, patch, breast pockets and two non-pleated, slightly diagonally angled, patch hip pockets, all with scalloped button down flaps. The straight cut, non-adjustable sleeves have deep, turned up French cuffs which are tacked into the upright position at both the inner and outer sleeve seams with carmine wool truppenfarben piping to the top edges. The upper left sleeve has a machine embroidered, wreathed, police style national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons, situated beneath the Gothic scripted, duty location, "Wilgersdorf", all in carmine truppenfarben rayon threads mounted on a cut-out, vertically oval, navy blue wool base. The police eagle base is machine stitched to the sleeve. Of Note: Originally the police sleeve eagles worn by NCO’s included the name of the location where they were stationed but regulations of November 10^TH 1941 abolished the name for all but the Freiwillingen Feuerwehren, (Volunteer Fire Brigades), and the Pflichtfeuerwehren, (Compulsory Fire Brigades), personnel. The reverse of the tunic has a central, vertical, tail skirt vent with two, belt ramp support buttons positioned on either side of the top edge. The tunic has the second pattern, (circa 1936-1945), sew on shoulder boards as introduced along with new uniforms in July 1936. The shoulder boards feature dual, outer edge, bright, silver/aluminum Russian braid with evenly spaced, interwoven black "V"s, encompassing dual, inner, black braids mounted on a carmine wool truppenfarbe bases. The shoulder board retaining buttons are intact. The reverse of the lay down collar has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching. The forward edge of the collar is trimmed in carmine wool truppenfarben piping and the collar features machine woven collar tabs with a carmine rayon base with interwoven, bright, silver/aluminum flat-wire litzen. The carmine base shows through as the branch of service and center stripes. The collar tab bases are machine stitched to the collar. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in ribbed, black, cotton/rayon blend material with grey striped, white rayon sleeves. The lining has a horizontal slash pocket to the left breast. The lining has no visible size or manufacturer’s markings. The tunic is in overall very good condition with light to moderate chafe wear to the cuff and collar edges, spots of light nap wear and a small handstitched repair to the inner right sleeve. The buttons are all the bright silver washed, magnetic sheet metal, type and all but the smooth finished, belt ramp support buttons, have a pebbled finish. A few of the buttons appear to have been restitched. The tunic is roughly size 38" chest. Also included are a pair of nice quality, black wool/rayon blend construction long pants that feature a vertical, four button French fly with an additional metal hook and eye positioned on the waistband. The horizontal waistband has six, evenly spaced, vertical, belt loops with two to either side of the fly and the other two to the reverse center. The front of the pants have two, slightly diagonally angled, slash pockets, two reverse pleats and a small horizontal slash watch pocket to the right side of the fly. The reverse of the pants have four, short vertical tapering darts and a horizontal, slash pocket with a single button closure to the right seat. The reverse pocket button is absent. The reverse of the pants also have dual, horizontal, fit adjustment straps with corresponding, nickel/silver plated, magnetic sheet metal, gripper buckles to each. The vertical outside leg seams each have inserted carmine wool truppenfarbe piping. The pants have straight cut, non-adjustable, dual-ply hemmed cuffs. The interior waistband is lined in grey/green rayon and has four, evenly spaced, suspender attachment buttons and an additional two, extended, vertical, fabric tabs with a single button to each, to the reverse center. The internal pocket bags are in grey cotton/rayon blend material with an HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), weave. The pants are in overall very good condition with small areas of light nap wear, minor age and usage toning and some white residue spotting at the fly. The buttons are all the molded black bakelite type and appear to have their original stitching. The pants are roughly size 30" waist. Nice uniform set.

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