Full Dress Ordnungspolizei Uniforms

[W.Unland]

Hello,

I will present in this thread examples of all of the various Full Dress Uniform variations as specified for the different branches of the Ordnungspolizei.



The first shown is the uniform of a Meister d. SchutzPolizei circa 1937. The tunic is the M1936 with specialty patch applied to the right sleeve. The tschako with black horse hair plume is worn, as is the white lacquered cartridge box belt and belt. A black cartridge box is worn with silver eagle insignia. The white leather belts were purpose made and are not brown Gendarmerie belts lacquered white.

This particular NCO tunic has been modified by adding a sword slot through the lower left pocket. Meister rank was similar to a warrant officer and they were entitled to wear a sword in full dress uniform. Unfortunately here in Japan I cannot possess such a weapon so I cannot show it in this display.

These white belts are extremely rare as they were owned by the police station, not the officers. They were issued for parade purposes and then returned to the station inventory. After the war they were repurposed by the government and few survived intact. These examples are dated 1937. The cartridge box and belt are of the same maker, the belt a different maker but with the same 1937 date. The buckle is a two piece zinc dress buckle. Clearly this set was purchased together and has remained as a unit since 1937.

These particular belts are rather stiff as the lacquer has hardened over time. I am not sure if they can be made pliable again without damaging them. As with the white traffic tschakos the lacquer used is an alcohol based, and is prone to cracking.

[W.Unland]

The cartridge box was worn with a leather loop affixing it to the waist belt as shown here. It was NOT allowed to hang free.

[W.Unland]

The traffic police was not an actual "branch" of the Ordnungspolizei, but rather a schutzpolizei "assignment. None the less, personnel so assigned were given a full dress uniform utilizing their white cotton open collar tunics. A white lacquered tschako, with gold eagle insignia and a black plume was worn. A brown belt and cartridge box belt with gold colored buckle and fittings were specified for use, fitted with a brown cartridge box with gold colored eagle insignia.

The black Prussian Schutzpolizei trousers continued to be worn with the white tunic throughout the NS-zeit. In effect the Prussian SchuPo traffic uniform was essentially adopted with the replacement of the Weimar era insignia with the NS insignia.

Once again, the NCO grade leather cartridge box cross belt is rarely seen. Like the Schutzpolizei white leather gear, these belts were the property of the unit, not the individual officers. they were returned to supply after use. At the end of the war the leather was repurposed, and few examples have survived. This particular example is dated 1937, which seems to be common to all of the parade specific equipment. Once the war started the wearing of full dress was severely curtailed and no new equipment produced.

[W.Unland]

As before, the cartridge box was affixed to the waist belt using a leather loop attached to the box itself.

[Gerd W.]

Super!! Can't wait to see more

[JUNGCO]

WOW, great!
Jeff

[compressore]

The white dress is amazing....and from my hometown! Nice to see!

Regards
Christian

[Tony T-S]

Really looking forward to this. A pinned thread in the making.

[THEPOLIZEIMAN]

Full Dress Ordnungspolizei Uniforms

Stunning uniforms Bill!!!! NJ

[SCHUPO]

Excellent stuff Bill. You might want to mention that the white shirt was worn for Full Dress (Traffic Duty) while a brown shirt was worn for regular traffic duty.

[JoeW]

Bill, these are handsome examples of the Parade Dress (Paradeanzug) uniforms. Actually, the back of the cartridge boxes have two diagonally sewn loops through which the ends of the cross strap fit crossing under each other with their leather ends attaching to the outer studs on the bottom of the box. The larger leather strap on the bottom of the cartridge box has a semi-circular cut that was meant to be attached over the belt to the wearer's right rear tail flap button, to keep the cartridge box and cross belt from moving. Most white cross belt and black cartridge boxes were made of ersatz leather material that has dried out over the years reducing the flexibility of the cross straps and boxes. Some boxes were made in leather. The arrangement of the diagonal loops and semi-circular hole for the securing strap can be seen in this photo.

[Wim Vangossum]

Great uniforms! Thanks for sharing them.


Regards, Wim

[Randy Flieger]

Police uniforms

Fantastic uniforms, thanks for sharing,
Randy

[W.Unland]

To illustrate what JoeW has pointed out, the cartridge box was attached to the cross belt by passing the ends of the belt through the two loops sewn on the back of the box. These ends have small tabs which were passed over the "knob" on the bottom of the box. The flap of the box was also closed by passing its tab over the same knob.

Finally the longer flap attached to the box was passed under the waist belt and buttoned to the right belt ramp button on the rear of the tunic.

this indeed kept the cartridge box from moving. My description suggested that it was attached to the waist belt itself. This was not so.

[W.Unland]

Here the cartridge box loop is buttoned to the tunic skirt. The belt would then be lowered into the belt ramp buttons, effectively locking the whole rig in place.

Ah...old dry leather rubbing off on the white tunic!