BACKGROUND: With the invasion of Russia on June 22ND 1941 the German army quickly occupied large tracts of territory resulting in ever extending rear areas that required policing to maintain order amongst the population, secure open transportation and communication lines to the front and control Partisan activity. Originally the army had established small auxiliary police units for these purposes which were followed by SS, Schutz Staffel, (Protection Squad), action groups. The territories occupied proved to be too large for these small auxiliary units to police effectively which resulted in recruitment of local anti-communist personnel which were formed into Schuma, Schutzmannschaften, (Protection Troops), units in November 1941. The Schuma personnel fell under the control of the regional Höhere SS und Polizeiführer, (Higher SS and Police Leader). These Schuma personnel wore a wide variety of uniforms, headgear and insignia including surplus black Allgemeine-SS uniforms, and assorted field-grey and police green items. In June 1942 distinctive cap and sleeves emblems were introduced for Schuma personnel to distinguish them from Ordnungspolizei, (Order Police), personnel. Generally officers ranks utilized bright, silver/aluminum wire thread on their insignia while EM/NCO’s utilized silver/grey rayon threads.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The machine woven insignia consists of a vertically angular, canted swastika encompassed by a vertically oval, laurel leaf wreath in silver/grey rayon threads, mounted on a vertically oval, woven, black rayon base. The insignia is still on it’s original black rayon factory roll and is in overall excellent, unissued condition.