Original Item: Only One Available. The Ordnungspolizei, abbreviated Orpo, meaning "Order Police", were the uniformed police force in NSDAP Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo organization was absorbed into the NSDAP monopoly on power after regional police jurisdiction was removed in favor of the central government ("Reich-ification", Verreichlichung, of the police). The Orpo was controlled, nominally by the Interior Ministry but its executive functions rested with the leadership of the SS until the end of World War II. Owing to their green uniforms, Orpo were also referred to as Grüne Polizei (green police). The force was first established as a centralized organization uniting the municipal, city, and rural uniformed police that had been organized on a state-by-state basis. Eventually the Police were divided into eight assorted branches of service, with each branch having a distinguishing truppenfarbe, (Branch of service color) that was displayed on the uniforms including the piping on the visor caps.

The Schutzpolizei or the Schupo was the state run protection police of NSDAP Germany and a branch of the Ordnungspolizei. Schutzpolizei is the German name for a uniformed police force. Prior to 1942, the Schutzpolizei des Reiches (National Protection Police) was the uniformed police force at the state level and in most large cities, and they utilized a Hellgrün (light green) truppenfarbe. The Schutzpolizei des Gemeinden (Municipal Protection Police) was the uniformed police force at the municipal level in smaller cities and large towns, and utilized a bordeauxrot (Bordeaux or Wine Red) truppenfarbe. These were also sometimes local police hired by the cities.

Up until 1941, members of the Ordnungspolizei often had names of the location they served on the left sleeve eagle, which was embroidered to match the truppenfarbe, however this was discontinued. Then in 1942 the Schupo des Gemeinden was absorbed into the Schupo des Reiches, effectively ending the branch's existence. All members were then considered part of the Schutzpolizei des Reiches and utilized the light green troop colors. This also means that any officer who continued service would have to get the piping and insignia changed on their uniform, so it is quite rare to find a Schutzpolizei des Gemeinden tunic like this, which still has all of the correct insignia in place.

During the third reich, the individual state / district police departments were in charge of protection police, criminal investigation divisions (Kripo, short for Kriminalpolizei), and administrative police. The state protection police comprised a patrol branch, barracked police, traffic police, water police, mounted police, police communications units, and police aviation. Policemen had to have previous military service, good physical and mental health, be of Aryan descent, be members of the NSDAP and also members of the SS. Policemen were promoted according to a regulated career system. Promotion for officers was determined by merit and seniority. Pay for policemen was higher than the average industrial worker and was more in line with the average privately employed white-collar worker.

The German Police had no enlisted ranks, with the lowest rank being an Unterwachtmeister (Junior Watch Master), which was equivalent to the German army rank of Unteroffizier. The highest NCO rank was that of the Meister (Master), or Warrant Officer, which did not have an armed forces equivalent, but was higher than an army Oberfeldwebel (Master Sergeant).

This is a lovely example of a rare Schutzpolizei des Gemeinden Meister NCO's M-36 tunic, made of fine quality police-green wool "whipcord weave" gabardine twill. In form these tunics are more or less identical to the Army Heer tunic except for the colors used. They may also have some additional ornamentation when compared to the standard Army issue. The tunic features two pleated breast pockets with scalloped flaps over two large flat waist pockets, which also feature scalloped flaps. These are secured with pebbled aluminum buttons, and the tunic has an eight button front closure, with three "hook and loop" fasteners for the collar. The rear of the tunic features an overlapping rear vent with ornamental buttons. The buttons on the tunic are sewn directly to the fabric, not attached with metal circlips, and all are in great shape. They all look to have maker markings stamped onto the back.

The interior is lined with lovely green rayon or brushed cotton, with lightweight white striped brushed cotton lining the sleeves. There is a horizontal slash pocket on the inner left chest, under which it bears faded original markings, which read:

Sch. Pol.
(ᛋᛋ)
PO
194?

Unfortunately there is a repaired stitch that has made it impossible to read the date, however we estimate the tunic was made during 1941, after the location was removed from the sleeve badge, but before the Schupo d. Gemeinden ceased to exist. The inner right chest area is additionally marked with PL, possibly identifying where it was issued. The ᛋᛋ Doppelte Siegrune (Double Sig/Victory Rune) is totally correct, as the police was subordinate to the SS. There is just a bit of wear on the interior, with no tears or other damage that we can see. There is the usual slot for a dagger or bayonet to hang out of the lower left pocket.

The collar is wrapped in a brown "badge cloth" wool, has police NCO's litzen collar patches on each side, which are machine woven from silver bullion thread with a Police bordeauxrot (Bordeaux or Wine Red) background, the Truppenfarbe (Troop Color) of the Schutzpolizei des Gemeinden. The collar is in very good shape, showing only minor areas of wear, and has wine red piping around the edge. This would usually be the first place on the uniform to show wear, so it definitely does not look to have seen extensive use. The sleeve cuffs are covered with the same brown cloth as the collar, and the cuffs, front closure, and rear vent are piped in wine red as well.

As this is a Police tunic, there is no Wehrmachtadler breast eagle, and instead the uniform has a high quality machine embroidered Civic Police Eagle badge machine sewn to the left sleeve. The insignia is sewn using the same wine red color thread, with a black swas. It is only sewn to the top layer of fabric, indicating that it was installed when the uniform was being fabricated.

The “sew-in” style NCO schulterklappen (shoulder boards) of this tunic are unique to the rank of Meister, and are bordered with a single row of of fine silver flatware "Russia Braid" double piping around the edge, with brown chevrons woven into the design. Inside this is a braid of brown double piping woven together with the silver double piping with the same brown chevrons, giving them a lovely look. They have the correct wine red rayon base material and piping around the edges for the Schupo d. Gemeinden.

Overall condition on this tunic is very good with no major damage or moth marks. This is a great example of a genuine rare WWII German Schutzpolizei des Gemeinden Meister’s uniform, the only one we have ever seen!

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to sleeve: 24.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 16”
Chest width: 21"
Waist width: 21"
Hip width: 21"
Front length: 31"

Field Tunic (Feldbluse) Model 1936
Terms such as M40 and M43 were never designated by the Wehrmacht, but are names given to the different versions of the Model 1936 field tunic by modern collectors, to discern between variations, as the M36 was steadily simplified and tweaked due to production time problems and combat experience.

When the NSDAP came to power in early 1933 the Reichswehr, the armed forces of the Weimar Republic, were near the end of a two-year project to redesign the Army Feldbluse (field-blouse). Beginning in that year the new tunic was issued to the Reichsheer and then the rapidly growing Wehrmacht Heer, although minor design changes continued to be made until the appearance of the standardized Heeres Dienstanzug Modell 1936. The M36 tunic still retained the traditional Imperial and Reichswehr uniform color of grey-green "field gray" (feldgrau) wool, but incorporated four front patch pockets with scalloped flaps and pleats (on Reichswehr tunics the lower pockets were internal and angled). The front was closed with five buttons rather than the previous eight, and the collar and shoulder straps were of a dark bottle-green instead of the Reichswehr grey. Compared to the Weimar-era uniforms the skirt of the feldbluse was shorter and the tailoring was more form-fitting due to Germany's adoption of mechanized warfare: soldiers now spent much time in the confined space of a vehicle and a shorter jacket was less likely to pick up dirt from the seats. It also included an internal suspension system, whereby a soldier could hang an equipment belt on a series of hooks outside of the tunic. These hooks were connected to two straps inside the lining, which spread the weight of equipment without having to use external equipment suspenders. The M36 was produced and issued until the very end of the war, though successive patterns became predominant.

SS field uniforms were of similar appearance externally but to fit their larger patches had a wider, feldgrau collar, and the lower pockets were of an angled slash type similar to the black or grey SS service-dress. The second button of an SS Feldbluse was positioned somewhat lower, so that it could be worn open-collar with a necktie. Due to supply problems the SS were often issued army uniforms.