Gordon Williamson

Marineküstenpolizei - much rarer than Feldgendarmerie

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Very nice indeed. Pretty sure that the guy in the first photo is wearing the green Schupo eagle (to indicate former Police members - prior to the introduction of the special SS ärmelraute), not the Gendarmerie orange eagle.

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A superb set of images. I put in a few bids on these on EBay too, but missed the last couple of hours before the end when the price really shot up ! I have posted quite a few Feldgendarmerie related images in various other threads so I will collate them all into this thread.

Interesting shot ! I have a couple of hundred good Feldgendarmerie photos but not a single one shows a numeral on the shoulder strap.(apart from maybe the NCO in the photo in this thread) )However there have been a couple of shots recently for sale on EBay where these slip on numbers have been worn. I'm guessing that this was an early phenomenon. Certainly none of the shots I have from 1941 (invasion of Russia) onwards have numerals. So, I suppose the guy in the shot in this thread probably IS wearing numerals. If it is a three digit number, I still can't figure out the number or other emblem above it. I'm working my way through compiling a full Order of Battle of all Feldgendarmerie units that existed for my book so I may find something that "fits" with this strap. It won't be a Trupp number but Abteilungs were usually expressed as Kompanie/Abt i.e. 1/501 so the numbers on the strap might indicate Kompanie and Abteilung, but still very strange.

Still haven't been able to find the badge itself, but found a photo of it. I got it for peanuts as it had been over-cleaned and of course there was no way of knowing when it had been modified. Could my mystery badge actually be FSP related http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=43214 Must try to find it now that I know there is at least something in writing refering to its existence.

Here's a comparison with my L/56. I doubt if it is a different die. The rarity of the L/56 badge suggests that they didn't make them in large volume. More likely I think, a misformed badge which, rather then being scrapped, had the "dot" punched into the head to make it look more like a eye and make the head more acceptable.

Very rare maker, and nice to see one with so much of the gilding still intact !

Have the full set now for the current Canadian MPs, with collar dogs and both "English" and "French" speaking shoulder titles.

Hi Leigh, I do actually have a GVIR badge somewhere that I didn't add to my board. The scroll had been removed and I was told this was FSP, but couldn't find any written confirmation of this so tucked it away for future research. Did you find something written down about this then ? Since got the MMP title but will have to find an FSP one now ! I also had one, may still be around somewhere, that was silvered. No way of knowing when it was done so not sure if its messed with. I'm not sure if GVIR silvered RMP officer badges may have been made in the period between the "Royal" addition to the title, the introduction of Officers to the Corps and the introduction of the EIIR officers badge.

You could be correct Karsten. I'll try to take some photos, though my camera is nowhere near as good as yours !

Interesting. I tend to suspect that by the time the badge was formally instituted, the tooling already existed as the announcements often carried a picture of the badge, so probably the "lead firm" chosen to manufacture the badge had already created the tools from which the sample badge which became the "sealed pattern" was produced. To use the U-Boat Badge as an example, I know that I have seen award documents for the U-Boat badge (instituted 13 October 1939) as early as the beginning of November 1939. The first firm to manufacture the badge was Schwerin,so I am pretty sure that having designed and developed the basic badge for approval,and with tooling already made, as soon as the green light was given, they were in a position to start production with badges available almost immediately. I would think that firms would have some sort of advance notice that a new badge was about to be announced and with an amendment as simple as cutting the bolts off as an interim measure pending new tooling, could have altered examples available almost immediately.

Good point Eric ! I always wondered however, just how much advance warning of a new type of badge was given to manufacturers. I imagine the design and approval stages were well ahead of the actual institution dates and the manufacturers would have fair warning in order to allow them to tool up. Especially since, in this case, all that was required as an interim measure until the purpose built boltless version was ready, was to crop off the bolts on the RO badge, so presumable these "interim" pieces could be available almost immediately.

Hi Karsten, Many thanks for the info. Good clue to look for the blueing around the edge where the bolts were removed. I checked and on mine also, the blued finish is intact all around this area so I guess, like yours, mine was an original factory modification. I did know about the repaired catch, but the price was very reasonable, even for a repaired piece. The repair looks old to me, possibly done during wartime. The document in the group I have is dated 1942, so I am assuming that the badge this guy would have received would be like my Imme piece, - a factory modified Tombak piece so the badge is a good match for the document ?

Not a Lufty collector but recently acquired this one to display with my FW200 air gunner document group. It is, I'm told, a known combination of Imme wreath and Juncker eagle ?

Super photo indeed ! Nice to see the WSP Bordmütze.

Hi Sto, Here you are. Typical Maedicke with the raised line around the prongs, and the diamond "M" mark. Maedicke gorgets also usually have cloth backing rather than card.

Hi Scott, Yes, its a Hungarian one at left. The rarest one though in my experience is the little Marineküstenpolizei gorget at the bottom.

Interesting to note the range of colours used on these, from fairly bright silver on the Maedicke to a dull silver grey on its Assmann made brother next to it in this shot.