Named Heeres Gendarmerie group

[NickG]

I had started a thread in the SS section because I had bought a stripped uniform with matching breeches, which came from the daughter of a German veteran who was in the Polizei/SS she had stated. At least this was the explanation...

I had no idea about the unit or rank at that point. The lot also had an army enlisted service cap which was army gendarmerie piped.
That was a clue but it did not add up with the SS explanation...but it did with the police explanation...

So I initially did not get the cap focussing on an SS restoration eventhough all 3 pieces were matching, all 3 clearly tailored in Dutch gabardine (trikot) so procured together locally in Holland (uniform made and tagged 1941)
No insignia ghosts visible anywhere on the uniform, which had a strange collar...so that did not help either...

So I had a choice...restore it to Waffen SS, taking a stab at the rank ....???
( the soldiers name did not appear on the SS officer list (Fuhrerliste) eventhough it was high-end expensive tailored officer quality uniform...
so it had to be at least an NCO... since the pants were riding breeches...

or try to have it researched....Success!
The Berlin Dienst stelle identified my man!
He worked for a local Ortskommandantur (rank Unteroffizier) in the very city the uniform was tailored in 1941. So location and timeframe removed any doubt! We had a match!

Here info on both OK stations:


http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...ur/OK877-R.htm

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...ur/OK875-R.htm

[NickG]

This is what I had to work with...a blank canvas...
Fortunately it had a name too...

[NickG]

Another clue? Note the dagger suspension slit is lined in orange, a Feldgendarmerie color! Had not really paid attention to that detail earlier...
this chosen farbe! Makes sense! It is a very high end piece!

See also this thread (SS general's tunic in the same material from the same tailor btw, tailored Oct 1940, mine Nov 1941)

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...keppler&page=3

It was quite a revelation that he was only an Unteroffizier at the time this uniform was custom made! This lowly Unteroffizier had expensive taste as he had all his uniform items made locally, all in Dutch officers grade gabardine. This Amersfoort tailor "Maison Jordi" btw was the official Royal court appointed personal tailor of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, high quality, which explains the George Keppler SS generals uniform coming from that source,
(also shown in this thread).
Here the 1938 newspaper clipping that recognizes the tailor as "hofleverancier" (Royal Court supplier), which is was an honor and granted in celebration of their 20th year in business it reads.

[NickG]

This is his cap made also in Dutch Gabardine wool. I was lucky enough to track down the current owner through the dealer (after it got split up and it looks like it will be coming my way after all so all 3 pieces can be re-united again!
The dealer removed the eagle because of the German law banning such symbols on the web...but it does come with the cap.

Should be coming my way next month to be reunited with the jacket and breeches!

[NickG]

Now what it looks like today...The schirmmutze not yet in my possession...(so shown a simple field cap for now)

[NickG]

I realise it has some issues...The gendarmerie eagle is a later type and theoretically not correct for a 1941 dated tunic I believe...becasue it is not on an oval backing (like Polizei eagles) and the CT is a filler for now...

[NickG]

The non standard collar shape is odd too... so NCO tresse would have been hard to apply... so I left that alone and went with a mix of parts
for that "ausgehe" dress appearance with fancy dress tabs for that "geschoente rock" look...
I think such a look would be fine for a Gendarme posted in a Wehrmacht ortskommandantur office in Holland. Perhaps with a tie added even!
(and of course the FG schirmmutze which is not yet in my possesion but it looks like I was able to strike a deal for it)

[NickG]

Shoulderboards are the privately tailored norrow type made with LW tresse even!
Looks good on this Dutch tailored uniform and matches the rank of this Feldgendarm...
and his breeches, also Dutch tailored...he had exotic taste!

[NickG]

Would look better as an officer candidate with such a high quality garment but that's not in the record...at least not 1941-1942 time span....

The uniform started out as a regular closed collar 7 button piece (Dutch button count) and later modified...
Perhaps late war when open collar tunics became "im schwang" (LW style) or perhaps after that...
It is what it is, but to find a named Heeres Feldgendarmerie ensemble like this is impossible...

Pretty much all are restored to represent FG (so with no record, no proof) or modified recruiting uniforms (same farbe)
and at least mine has ironclad FG provenance! (DienstOrt), and as presented is not unrealistic for somebody to wear something like this
who served at a local occupaion duty Orstkommandantur (and in the same city where it was tailored. the records show)!
Definately not a field uniform!
I do not have any service records but an AnschluB medal bar and KvK2 are typical for a Military police man early in the campaign (circa 1941)

[Laurence Strong]

Very nice Nick I love the way the research panned out.



Larry

[NickG]

Very nice Nick I love the way the research panned out.



Larry

Thanks Larry. Being a Verwaltungs collector you are used to seeing high quality uniforms intended for office / baracks duties.
Like I wrote, based on the daughters account, I was thinking SS related (with that odd collar, note period image) and I intended to go with
that theme on this restoration (since no visible army breast eagle ghost was visible either...no insignia traces anywhere actually) ,
but fortunately the research did pan out, so no doubt its from a lowly Heeres Unteroffizier in the Feldgendarmerie OK service in Holland 1941/42.

Each OrtsKommandantur had a detail of Military Police. These Feldgendarms were also pencil pushers in that MP capacity...
as OrtsKommandantur administrators, issuing movement permits, troop moveent, billeting, orders/poster "Bekendmachung" placement
and all related matters concerning occupation forces in their assigned area (and in general keeping the order of course)!

[jacquesf]

Nick, Another job well done. I want to restore a m36/40 feldpolice to Fahnrich. I have all the insignia just looking for a stripped tunic. J

[Kurt]

Just awesome and among the most interesting research stories and uniforms I have seen posted in a long time here. I'd say you are safe with not attaching tresse but I'd wait for the "correct" arm eagle.

Kurt

[NickG]

Thanks Jacques and Kurt!
Yes I would have prefered an earlier larger backed gendarme eagle (not the later "cut out" version)... so the type that resembles the oval
civilian Polizei sleeve eagles...but on feldgrau backing of course!
Here another Gendarmerie Unteroffizier wearing a standard field tunic with such an eagle. Would fit the 1941 time span better I believe...
True? Anybody? or were those civilian Gendarm Polizei eagles in orange on Polizei grün, pressed into military service?
The lack of NCO collar tresse is more in style with civilian polizei who never wore this...no ghosts of one...but could also been a later altered collar too...

Btw just got confirmation from Germany this AM, his feld gendarmerie visor will be in my possession on September 20th! Group reunited!

[NickG]

For a setting of this uniform and this FG Unteroffizier in Ortskommandantur service, here his post, the Amersfoort OK building
in a picture dating from pre WW2 days (so I made some modifications for it to resemble a war time OK where he was stationed)
and a modern day picture of this same stucture, (a Villa built in 1900), currently still in use as an office building.

It's fun to be able to have a uniform (albeit stripped, but restored) + a name (ID) + a location too! Rare! History comes alive this way!
A classy uniform for a classy structure. He was no frontschwein! (and survived the war the records show)
With his fellow Feldgendarmerietrupp, these men would of course also be in charge of facility security, as well as issuing permits, arranging billeting etc.
The building would of course also have an "Orstkommandantur" sign mounted on the facade somewhere.