Original German WWII Fire Protection Police EM/NCO Schirmmütze Visor Cap – size 54 Original Items

Original Item: Only One available. This is a very good condition Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police) NCO/EM Schirmmütze Visor Cap, which is size marked 54 on the interior. The cap has a very nice condition brown lightweight canvas lining, which has a fully intact celluloid sweat shield diamond on the top. There is not any maker marking on the interior that we can see, though there are the metal initials M G attached to the sweatband on the right hand side.

This is a high quality German made cap, which is most likely intended more for an NCO than an enlisted man. It is fabricated from very dark navy blue worsted wool cloth, with a wide black velvet plush material cap band. This is flanked by two rows of carmine red (karminrot) color piping around the circumference, and there is another row around the edge of the crown. This is the Protection Police Truppenfarbe (troop color) for the Fire branch. The crown stiffener has been removed, giving it the great “relaxed” look that we all love.

Cap is decorated with the correct insignia, including an aluminum Ordnungpolizei wreathed eagle on the band, with the classic metal Tri-color cockade above, still bearing its vibrant red felt insert. Both are in great shape, with the cockade showing just a bit of oxidation, and the eagle still has both retaining clips, so it is attached firmly. The EM/NCO chinstrap is in very good condition, showing almost no degradation to the finish, and is held in place by the correct black attachment buttons.

The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting light wear along the edge and is brown on the underside with cross hatching. There is very little crazing or other deterioration to the gloss black upper. The sweatband is faux leather similar to oilcloth, and has unfortunately become very hard, so we were not able to look under it for markings. It is still in very good condition with only surface cracking.

Overall condition is very good, however there is definitely some damage from moth / insects, particularly on the top of the crown, and on the piping, both of which are usually the first places to see this kind of damage.

A lovely example of the very colorful Fire Police visor cap, ready to add to your collection!

More on the Fire Protection Police:

On June 17TH 1936, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed to the newly created position of Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern (Chief of the German Police in the National Ministry of the Interior), effectively giving him full control of all police agencies within Germany including the Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police). As a result of this appointment and the restructuring of all the separate German state police into a single national police force new regulations were instituted on June 25TH 1936 to bring about uniformity in dress for all police through-out the country. The Police were divided into eight assorted branches of service with each branch being assigned a specific identifying, Truppenfarbe, (branch of service color), with the Feuerschutzpolizei being allocated carmine truppenfarbe. The Feuerschutzpolizei were further distinguished from the other police branches of service with blue uniforms and headgear instead of the typical police green uniforms.