Polizei Regiment 19 cap with Edelweiss

[Jean-Loup]

I have posted photos of this cap in a thread in the living history forum a few months ago but think it also deserves being shown here as well.
I have collected militaria from the woodwork for about 20 years, and never came accross any German cloth headgear, untill this summer, when this extraordinary cap came my way. The cap was part of a grouping of items originaly recovered in the Bonneville area (near Geneva, on the French side of the border) in August 1944. I was fortunate to buy the whole lot from the grand nephew of the partisan who collected all these items in 1944.
Below is a photo of the grouping.

[Jean-Loup]

As stated above, the cap was found in the Bonneville area, where a company of the 1st Battalion (Bataillon 72) of Polizei Regiment 19 was stationed. I have done some searching of the internet for info on the unit, and this is what I have managed to piece together:

Polizei Regiment 19 had been involved in fighting partisans in Slovenia in 1942 and 1943. In early 1944 they were transfered to France and the 1st Battalion was apparently involved in more anti partisan operations during the famous Vercors and Plateau des Glières uprisings. The 2nd and 3rd battalions were sent to different parts of France.

The 1st Battalion was then stationed in the Annecy and Bonneville area. In June 1944, 10 soldiers were apparently killed by a mine in the village of Ugine. In reprisal to this, 28 civilians were executed in the village. During the time the unit was stationed around Annecy, there were several cases of Policemen being captured and then executed, and of French prisonners then being executed in reprisal.

When the Allies landed in southern France August 1944, all the resistants in the Annecy area started a general revolt, and the whole 1st Battalion disapeared within days. One group of soldiers managed to cross into Switzerland in Geneva; but most men were captured by the local France partisans.
In reprisal for the execution of 80 partisans in the Lyon area (still in German hands), and apparently to discourage the Germans from executing even more prisonners that they still held; the partisans was decided that 80 German prisonners captured in the Annecy area would also be executed. Several dozen of the men of the 1st Battalion who had surrendered to the partisans were therefore executed in late August and early September 1944.
The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were more fortunate and managed to escape the southern France invasion partialy intact.

[Jean-Loup]

What makes this cap so interesting to me, appart from its well worn, yet well preserved condition, is the fact that it can be traced to an exact unit with a known history, and to an exact person within that unit.
Indeed, not only can it be suspected that the cap belonged to a soldier of Polizei Regiment 19 because of its location of discovery; but the cap also contains the name and unit of its owner: Hans Fütterer, 1st Company of Battalion 72, in other words 1st Company of 1st Battalion of Polizei Regiment 19.
I was told that Fütterer, like the rest of the 1st Battalion, was considered as missing by the Germans as of August 14th 1944. I dont know if he crossed into Switzerland or was caught by the partisans, but he was one of the lucky ones to survive the war.
Unfortunately, due to German privacy protection laws, I am unable to find out more about Hans Fütterer for the moment. Idealy, I would like to get in touch with his descendants or relatives one day in the future, to find out more about him.

[Alfred.R]

except of the history of shot partisans and later polizei members ,i realy like this cap interesting one ,can you show inside?

[Jean-Loup]

Finding this cap has made me become very interested in the history of Polizei Bataillon 72 / 1st Battalion of Polizei Regiment 19, so if anybody has any documentation about them, or knows how to find out more about Hans Fütterer, I would be glad to hear from you.

Regarding the Edelweiss, it was apparently worn because of the operations Pol.Rgt.19 had conducted with Pol.Rgt.18 in the mountains in Slovenia (see photo below, found on google, apparently showing a Pol.Rgt.18 soldier). I have not been able to find any documented WWII era photo showing a Pol.Rgt.19 soldier wearing an Edelweiss, but would love to find one.

All in all, I consider this cap to be a magnificient piece of a dark history, the history of anti-partisan warfare in Slovenia and France. The men of Polizei Regiment 19 were involved in several war crimes, and later became victms of warcrimes themselves once they surrendered to the partisans.

JL

[helmuthunter]

Thanks for sharing this wonderful find with so much history. Congrats, Johnno.

[Jean-Loup]

After checking out this thread I have a question: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...hlight=polizei

Is my cap a M43 cap variant, or is is a Bergemütze?
Sorry for not knowing the basics, but as I said this is my very first cloth German headgear.

[BPA-Paul]

Jean,

Looking at the cut/style and peak of your cap I would say Bergmutze.

Here is another similar example with no edelweiss...

Polizei Berg.jpg

[Jean-Loup]

I will be publishing an article about this cap soon, and would like more opinions on wether this cap is a M43 or a Bergmütze. For now the opinions I have heard leaned more towards Bergmütze, but without too much certainty. More opinions would thus be welcome.

[billbert]

BERGMUTZE for sure... Police also made M43 style cap..but yours is 1 button short billed Bergmutze...Billbert

[Jean-Loup]

Thanks.
Am I correct that only Polizei Regiment 18 was authorized to wear the Edelweiss, and that this Polizei Regiment 19 cap having an Edelweiss is probably a non official modification by its owner?