Original German WWII Fire Protection Police EM/NCO Schirmmütze Visor Cap by Herzog – size 56 Original Items

Original Item: Only One available. This is an excellent condition Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police) NCO/EM Schirmmütze Visor Cap, which is size marked 56 on a small paper label attached to the back of the sweatband. The has a very nice condition oil cloth lining, which has a mostly intact celluloid diamond on the top. Much of the original silver paint has faded, but the markings can still be read via reflection:

Chr. Herzog
LUDWIGSHAFEN WREDESTR. 17
Stirndruckfrei
Deutches Reichspatent

This is a mid-level quality German made cap, which is most likely intended more for an Enlisted Man than an NCO. It is fabricated from very dark navy blue worsted wool cloth, with wide black velvet cap band, plus two rows of saddle carmine red (karminrot) color piping around the circumference. This is the Protection Police Truppenfarbe (troop color) for the Fire branch. It still has the top stiffener, which helps it retain the round shape. The inside is lined with brown oil cloth, which has split in places.

Cap is decorated with the correct insignia, including the Schutzpolizei wreathed eagle on the band, with the classic Tri-color cockade above, with a red felt insert. Both are in good shape, and the eagle still has both retaining clips, so it is attached firmly.

The visor is the classic black color, made of pressed paper, with a maroon underside. The sweatband is black patent leather, and is somewhat stiff due to age. It does not have any major wear or damage we can see.

A very nice and colorful 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.