Kriegsmarine Interesting U-Boat Doc set.

[Gordon Williamson]

I've shown this doc before, for service on a U-Boat in the Med. Rare, but what accompanied it was just as interesting.

[Gordon Williamson]

The guy had previously served on the Destroyer "Georg Thiele", earning the Sudeten Medal

[Gordon Williamson]

And the Memel Medal

[Gordon Williamson]

But most interestingly, during his service on the George Thiele served as a military police NCO in Swinem?nde, and was issued this ID card.

Presumably a forerunner to the Marinekustenpolizei

[Guest Rick Research]

I've never heard of shore patrol in civilian clothes on duty, so it sounds quite interesting-- whatever he was up to, slinking around harbor dives in civvies for!

The restriction on his police authority to only NCOs and men is also interesting-- I guess drunken officers beating up on bar maids he had to call in for Higher Ups!

[Chris Boonzaier]

When were the Kustenpolizei formed?

it would be interesting to know if they had the same mandate or if this was more limited.

This seems to limit him exclusively to Swinemuende though.

best

Chris

[Gordon Williamson]

I haven't been able to find anyone who has seen one of these, but I am assuming it was just a local authorisation giving him "police powers" within the port.

He wasn't Marinek?stenpolizei (MKP) which was a totally different thing. MKP was formed from drafts of personnel from the Wasserschutzpolizei in 1940. Their duties includied things like security in ports and harbours, coastlines etc but in occupied countries.Most of the kind of duties they covered would be covered by the Wasserschutzpolizei within Germany.

I think this guy was more like what we would think of as "Shore Patrol" , with duties more in line with keeping rowdy sailors in check.