Here's an unusual picture. A Wasserschutzpolizei man wearing his SS membership runes.
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That would be one rare tunic... Thank you for posting the photo...
I cant even imagine what his tunic would sell for.
Best regards
Paul -
I'd think if one like this were to come up for saler alot of people would be weary and pass it.Comment
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Seeing how the police fell under the SS, what would one have to do to get the runes on their tunics? Is this for holding a duel ranking in the SS?
Best regards
PAul ReckComment
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Dear Paul,
My understanding is that the runes could be worn by police officers, in this case an enlisted Wasserschutzpolizei, who had been full members of the SS prior to their joining, or being sent to, the police service.
The police did fall under the authority of the RFSS, but not the SS per se. They were not subordinate to the SS, nor part of it, but many members of the SS were assigned to the police service, probably to ensure the "loyalty" of the older police officers and to fill out the ranks after the police were purged of anti-nazi elements.
Regards,
Bill UnlandComment
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From 1936 onwards, Himmler planned to merge the German Police and the SS into a single body.......the so-called Staatsschutzkorps or State Protection Corps. That body would ultimately replace both the SS and the police. That is why he sent so many police and SS units to the front in their own closed formations, to give them both the 'moral authority' to police a conquered Europe after the war.
Allgemeine-SS part-timers, who had other 'day-jobs', were encouraged to join the police as a career, and police officers who met the required racial and political standards were encouraged to join the SS. Dual rank parity was given, so that a Police Major, for example, would automatically become an SS-Sturmbannfueher on being accepted into the SS. For that reason, Police officers were usually accepted into the Stammabteilungen of the Allgemeine-SS, as a 'holding area' pending the formation of the Staatsschutzkorps.Comment
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Thank you, Robin and Bill, for your explainations.
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there was a scrab book on german ebay that had a police member with ss in the same area i wish i saved the pictureComment
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Hi Robin, they're probably black not blue, I don't know how you could tell that they are blue with a black and white pic. Sorry to disagree, SonnyComment
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You could be right. But these uniforms were navy blue, not black. Anyway, the point I was trying to make was that if runes on a dark blue background turn up (and I've never seen any) they can't be discounted. That's the first picture I have seen of a water cop wearing runes, although many members of the Wasserschutzpolizei must have been in the SS.Originally posted by SonnyComment
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