Gordon Williamson

The size is just right, and originals are known from 33-36gr in weight. So with correct weight and correct dimensions, plus the expected flaws, it suggests this is a good one.

Original Deschler pieces usually have a small "spike" showing in the corner of the arm at 12 o'clock. Seems to be present on the one in this thread also.

It has the correct "textbook" flaw on the swastika that you would expect on a genuine Deschler piece. Detail looks a bit soft but could just be well worn. Size and weight would be useful to confirm.

Definite fake. The pitting marks all over the surface from the low-tech casting process are a dead giveaway. Hinge and retaining hook are all wrong too.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I have "theatre-made" British Military Police badges made in India and South Africa Military Police badge made in-theatre during the campaign in North Africa. All are cast and relatively crude with mediocre quality fittings, certainly nowhere like the quality of officially manufactured die struck badges. So, assuming that what I have read about a limited number of RCMP badges being made locally (in England)for No.1 Provost Company (RCMP)are correct then I'd expect these badges to be better than the cruder "in-theatre" badges but not so well made as the official Canadian made die struck pieces. Love to see a verified example of one of these for comparison. Anyhow, this one wasn't expensive so I'll be happy to have it for now as a space-filler with a question mark over it.

I've had an interest in getting a KC badge for a while due to the association with the early WW2 Canadian Military Police. I know the official Canadian made pieces were die struck but have been told that some were made locally in the UK at the time. I also know that these have been faked. Didn't pay a lot for it so even if it is duff it will be OK as a temporary space filler, but I'd be interested to know if what I've got here is good or bad.

Love the name of the Infirmary. Something quite apt about it for dealing with sailors who'd got a dose of the Clap.

Was fortunate enough to pick up one of the scarcer sleeve eagles with only three wing segmenbts last year and finally today got a super portrait photo of a Feldgendarm wearing this exact type of eagle.

Unfortunately only the text is visible. I don't see any Map so assume that unless you are a member of WAF, the images (i.e. accompanying Maps) are not visible.

Dealer price for a mint Scharnhorst is around £250 (Helmut Weitze has a mint one on sale at €300). They can sometimes be had cheaper on places like EBay where I have seen them going for around £100 but for insurance valuation I'd go for the mainstream dealer price at £250.

Prior to the use of the denim U-Boat Blouse, or captured British Battledress, the most commonly worn garment on operations was the grey leather single or double breasted jacket which of course remained in use throughout the whole war. Brown denim work jackets and tan tropical jackets were also worn.

On its way to me now.

Thanks Paul ! Just wait until you see the tunic I have coming later in the month. Near perfect condition for a Oberfeldwebel of Feldgendarmerie , 1941 dated with all original insignia including arm eagle and cuffband. Will be a nice companion for this cap. !

Hi Bill, You are absolutely right ! My eyes were drawn to the armband and I didn't even notice what was staring me in the face in the foreground. He is indeed almost certainly the commander of the MG troops acting as Feldgendarmerie. I have a sneaking suspicion that, like the Gorget, the armband may only have been worn by NCOs on duty, and that the MG officers may not have had any particular additional badges over and above their regular MG insignia. By the way, I am not sure if you ever noticed this image when I posted it some time back in another sub-Forum here on GMIC. It shows a senior NCO of Army Feldgendarmerie whose heart obviously still belonged to the Police rather than the Army. Note that the dress tunic he wears for his wedding day is his converted Polizei tunic with dark brown cuffs, but with full Army insignia. He carries the Police Sword too, and notice that the cuffband is the embroidered type on the same brown wool base as the MG cuffband rather than the Army style machine woven rayon cuffband. I am convinced that this is the earliest style Feldgendarmerie cuffband made around 1939 in this period when these guys were being transferred over from the MG and before the Army really began fielding its own MPs. By the invasion of France this all seems to be gone and regular Army gear is being worn. This "transitional" period which I find so fascinating was really short lived and only seems to have extended from the Anschluss in 1938 until the end of the Polish campaign. The photo itself must date from no earlier than 1942 (he has the ribbon of the East Front medal) so well after the "transitional" period, but he was obviously proud of his Gendarmerie roots.

Beautiful tunic Bill ! I have never seen a priod photo of an MG Officer in Feldgendarmerie service. Of course they existed, but given the tiny number involved - (the Feldgendarmerie itself was very small at this stage so the number of officers would have barely exceeded double figures) - that isn't suprising. The chap centre background in this 1939 dated "L:ife" photo can be seen to be a Gendarme wearing the green "Feld=Gendarmerie" armband.

Thanks Bill, Not being that well versed on civil police headgear, I assumed it was a common stamping. Just out of interest, here is the maker, and a shot of the sweatband showing the insert for the extra-large size.

Joe, Here it is with the typical insignia it would be worn with by a member of the Motorisierte Gendarmerie at that time ( circa 1938). Later ( around the outbreak of war,) they would typically wear the same original Police uniform but often with the Police shoulder straps replaced by Heer types and with a Heer breast eagle added. If serving outside the Reich ( i.e. during the invasion of Poland, they would wear a black on yellow Deutsche Wehrmacht armband in addition to the Feld=Gendarmerie armband, one of the few occasions two armbands were worn at the same time.

It's of interest to me because the Gendarmerie provided the very first personnel to the Military Police for major troop movements starting with the Anschluss with Austria in 1938, the year this cap was made. At that time they continued to wear their Gendarmerie uniform but with the special Feld=Gendarmerie armband.

A nice Gendarmerie NCO Visor Cap just arrived from Peter von Lukacs. One of the biggest caps I've come across at 60.5 ! They even had to insert an extra section into the sweatband to make it big enough. Couple of minor moth nips but overall a very nice cap .

Here's another shot posted a while back by Morten. Although you can only see the cap from the side, you can tell it has the same large (at least much larger than the metal version) eagle on the cap.

"Officer quality" lining rather than the usual oilcloth of issue caps for non-officer ranks.

Private purchase NCO cap for Feldgendarmerie by G A Hoffmann

Truly awesome Marc ! I have seen a couple of WSP caps over the years but they were of the pure Polizei style, but this KM style looks 100% better. Especially wonderful is the extra-large size bullion eagle. The finest cap I have seen for some years, I love it !

Beautiful, and very rare cap Marc. Thanks for showing. Do you have any photos of the inside ?

Hi Jan Arne I would agree it looks like a Lüdenscheid design. The interesting thing for me is the finish. This bright gilt which many people would think is because of postwar "restoration" can be found on original mint condition badges by Funcke & Brüninghaus - also from Lüdenscheid.