German Municipal Police NCO/EM's Service Tunic
CATEGORY: Version
SKU: 52.GOR.02.01.01.03.002.000
Estimated market value:
Estimated market value:
This is an extremely well-preserved Gemeindepolizei (Municipal Police) service tunic, constructed of smooth police-green wool. The collar, constructed of smooth dark brown wool, fully trimmed with carmine piping. The collar is also flanked by tabs, constructed of carmine wool, which bear dual machine-embroidered silver aluminum wire insignia and are trimmed with twisted and rolled silver aluminum piping. Each tab measures 30 mm (w) x 70 mm (l). The shoulders are adorned with a board constructed of cardboard-reinforced carmine piping. Each board bears two rows of silver aluminum wire piping interspersed with brown threaded bands, and two rows of twisted and rolled brown threading, topped by two bronze rank pips. The boards each measure 32 mm (w) x 105 mm (l) and are affixed to the tunic by machine stitching at the outer edge and by a pebbled, silvered, magnetic metal button on the interior. The cuff of each sleeve is constructed of a layer of dark brown wool, bears two decorative pebbled, silvered, magnetic metal buttons, and is topped by a band of carmine piping.
Each breast of the tunic bears two pockets, all opening with stylized horizontal flaps bearing reinforced buttonholes, in turn meeting pebbled, silvered, magnetic metal buttons. The breast flaps are closed by eight pebbled, silvered, magnetic metal buttons on the right meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left. Both flaps are trimmed with bands of carmine piping. The lower reverse of the tunic features a vertical slit, flanked on each side by carmine piping, with two decorative pebbled, silvered, magnetic metal buttons at the bottom and two belt hooks of identical construction at the top. All buttons on the tunic are stamped “EXTRA FEIN” on the reverse, along with an arabesque design. The sides of the tunic feature additional belt hooks, constructed of blackened magnetic metal.
The interior of the tunic features a complete rayon liner, consisting of olive drab through the torso, transitioning into a pinstripe design through the arms. There is a single interior pocket located at the upper left breast, bearing a white tag with machine-embroidered carmine letters “J.R.”. The tunic is otherwise unmarked. Emanating from each armpit is a rayon belt secured to a blackened magnetic metal clip. The interior of the collar bears three magnetic metal butterfly-style clips, while the right has two magnetic metal clips meeting an equal number of loops on the left, facilitating a flush fit with the wearer’s neck. The tunic measures approximately 680 mm through the body, with a shoulder width of 430 mm and an arm length of 610 mm. Minor soiling and material fatigue is evident, but the tunic is in an otherwise near extremely fine condition.
During the Third Reich, an effort was made to unite all of Germany’s disparate provincial police forces and agencies into a single cohesive national unit. To attain this goal, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was named Chief of the German Police in the Ministry of the Interior in June 1936. That same month, Himmler implemented new standardized uniforms, headgear, and insignia. The uniforms worn prior to Himmler’s appointment were often navy blue, particularly in what had been Prussia. The new uniforms were green, in a shade that was then dubbed “Police green”.
The German Police were divided into two main units, the Ordnungspolizei (Orps or Regular Police) and the Sicherheitspolizei (Secret Police); the Ordnungspolizei were unofficially called the green police (Grüne Polizei) as a result of their uniform colour. The Sicherheitspolizei were made up of two main organizations, the Gestapo and the Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Investigation Police). At the beginning of the Second World War, the Sicherheitspolizei were brought under the auspices of the Reich Main Security Office.
The Ordnungspolizei was also divided into smaller branches of service, and each branch was associated with a branch of service/troop colour (Truppenfarbe). The troop colours include:
Schutzpolizei des Reichs (National Protection Police): Green
Schutzpolizei der Gemeinden (Municipal Police) pre-1942: Red
Schutzpolizei der Gemeinden (Municipal Police) post-1942: Green
Gendarmerie (Gendarmes/Rural Police): Orange
Verwaltungspolizei (Administrative Personnel) pre-1942: Red over grey
Verwaltungspolizei (Administrative Personnel) post-1942: Light grey
Feuerschutzpolizei (Fire Protection Police): Carmine
Wasserschutzpolizei (Water Protection Police): Yellow
The uniform garments worn by members of the Wasserschutzpolizei (Water Protection Police) and the Feuerschutzpolizei (Fire Protection Police) remained blue after the 1936 uniform redesign.
The service tunics were worn by all ranks of German police personnel.
The buttons are silver-coloured (aluminum) and pebbled, with the exception of General ranks who wore gold-coloured buttons. There are generally eight buttons on the front closure (Generals only had six), two buttons on each sleeve cuff, and one button closing each pocket. There may also be four decorative buttons on the tunic's reverse vent. The vent is also lined in Truppenfarbe piping.
There are four exterior pockets in total on the tunic, with two at breast level and two at hip level. The pockets are generally “patch” pockets with scalloped flaps closed by one button each.
The collar and sleeve cuffs have an additional layer of brown wool, and for Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers/Enlisted Men (NCOs/EMs) they are lined in Truppenfarbe piping, same as the seam of the front closure.
The tunic may be lined with rayon, cotton, artificial silk, or silk, depending on the wearer's rank, as well as whether the tunic was manufactured privately. There are often interior pockets cut into the tunic's lining, and a manufacturer's label is often ink stamped or sewn onto tunic lining.
The insignia featured on these tunics include collar tabs, shoulder boards, and a sleeve eagle. See the relevant Insignia sections for more information.
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