Freiwilligen with interesting printed armbands !

[NickG]

Pulled this off the internet....
Russian (Tartar) volunteers taking an oath of allegiance...German officers all wearing tropical uniforms. (pleated first pattern!)
Image taken in Crimea June 1943. Note the freiwilligen all wearing printed armbands...

I believe it reads POLIZEI and below that ???.....ATUR.
Any idea?

Probably locally recruited auxiliary police volunteers, now being absorbed in the Heer (Wehrmacht).
Their uniforms (wool M40) lack insignia other than shoulderstraps...note oath taker standing next to the officer, he is probably translating! (both reading)

[Askold]

Great photo Nick, thank you for sharing - its not often you would see Crimean Tartar volunteer photos.

[Dmv]

Polizei Kommandantur?

[NickG]

I agree! That's what I was reading too!

[MarcoPennisi]

Interestingly, the original caption states they're swearing in for the R u s s i a n Liberation Army (POA/ROA), whereas Crimea's Tartars aimed for an autonomous nation, with its own army and free from other nationalities.
MP

[MarcoPennisi]

Interestingly, the original caption states they're swearing in for the R u s s i a n Liberation Army (POA/ROA), whereas Crimea's Tartars aimed for an autonomous nation, with its own army and free from other nationalities.
MP

[Askold]

Germans often had little understanding when it came to Eastern volunteers. To many - anyone beyond Poland would be considered as "russian". On the photo we can clearly see that these tartar volunteers are conscripted into local police - as state their armbands. Although there was a recruiting office for the POA army in Crimea, I have no knowledge of tartars being in it - they had their own formations, mainly Schutzmanshaft battalions.