Original Item: Only One available. This is a very good condition Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police) NCO/EM Schirmmütze Visor Cap, which is size marked 55 on the interior. The cap has a very nice condition brown lightweight brown oilcloth crown lining, with a brown twill side interior surface. The inner crown still has a mostly intact celluloid sweat shield diamond, though it has torn through the stitching on the lower third. This is marked with a large eagle, which has the makers initials on it and more information below:
(Eagle)
K & Sch.
Beste deutsch
Wertarbeit!
Gr. 55
This translates to "Best German Craftsmanship!", a common phrase placed on many clothing items. Gr. is short for "Grosse", indicating the size of 55cm. We have unfortunately not been able to locate this manufacturer, and leave it as a nice research project.
This is a high quality German made cap, which is most likely intended more for an NCO than an enlisted man. It is fabricated from very dark navy blue "doeskin" wool cloth, with a wide black velvet plush material cap band. This is flanked by two rows of carmine red (karminrot) color piping around the circumference, and there is another row around the edge of the crown. This is the Protection Police Truppenfarbe (troop color) for the Fire branch. The crown stiffener is still present, giving it a very sharp look.
Cap is decorated with the correct insignia, including an aluminum Ordnungpolizei wreathed eagle on the band, with the classic metal Tri-color cockade above, still bearing its vibrant red felt insert. Both are in very good shape, with the cockade showing some plating loss and oxidation, and the eagle still has both retaining clips, so it is attached firmly. The EM/NCO chinstrap is in very good condition, showing some nice checking to the finish, and is held in place by the correct black attachment buttons.
The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting light wear along the edge and is brown on the underside with cross hatching. There is a lovely pattern of crazing and checking on the gloss top, only achieved after many years. The sweatband is made from chestnut brown grained leather, and is in very good condition. It shows some light wear, but no major damage, and the stitching holding it to the cap is almost completely intact.
Overall condition is very good, with just a bit of mothing on the top of the crown. There is also some wear through on the lower rear rim, where the internal stiffener can be seen, most likely caused by storage wear and/or mothing.
A lovely example of the very colorful Fire Police visor cap, ready to add to your collection!
More on the Fire Protection Police:
On June 17TH 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 including the Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police). 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 25TH 1936 to bring about uniformity in dress for all police through-out the country. The Police were divided into eight assorted branches of service with each branch being assigned a specific identifying, Truppenfarbe, (branch of service color), with the Feuerschutzpolizei being allocated carmine truppenfarbe. The Feuerschutzpolizei were further distinguished from the other police branches of service with blue uniforms and headgear instead of the typical police green uniforms.
