Luftwaffe Luftwaffe Secret Field Police (GFP)

[Paul R]

Luftwaffe Secret Field Police

The Luftwaffe Secret Field Police (Geheime Feldpolizei der Luftwaffe) was established on the 5Nov1943. Members were carried over from either the Reich's Security Police or the Heer's Secret Field Police. The members were given the status of Officials. Their duties ranged from pursuit and arrest of personnel suspected of treasonous activities, spies, and saboteurs to internal affairs, execution of security measures, and investigation for courts martial cases.

There were three different career levels:

Medium Career- Feldpolizeisekertar(Leutnant)

Feldpolizeiobersekertar(OberLeutnant)

Elevated Career- Feldpolizeiinspektor(Obereutnant)

Feldpolizeikommissar(Hautpmann)

High Grade Career- Feldpolizeidirektor(Major)

Oberfeldpolizeidirektor(Oberstleutnant)

There were also regular LW men assigned with the GFP that served in menial positions, such as clerks and drivers, but nothing is known about any special insignia or uniforms.

[Paul R]

Uniforms and Insignia

These men wore the Luftwaffe uniforms, badged as an Official at an officer level.

Collar tabs:

The collar tabs were the dark green administrative type, with piping variations based upon level. For more details on this, please review the Luftwaffe Administrative Officials article, where this is discussed in length.

Shoulderboards:

The shoulder boards were those used by the Luftwaffe Administrative officials. The base waffenfarbe was dark green and the center nebenfarbe was wine red. The boards had gold colored metal cyphers with the Roman letters, "GFP".

[Paul R]

Anyone having anything to add, please do so. I am looking for uniforms, insignia, documents, anything pertaining to this group of officials.

Thanks in advance.

PaulR

[gehard weissmann]

Hello all,

im new to this group, as a re enactor in the uk, the luftwaffe GFP is my next impression, i think paul has the incorrect information on Feldpolizeidirektor (Oberstleutnant), this should be Oberfeldpolizeidirektor.

i found on ebay last night the following:- http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Historical-Milita...0QQftidZ2QQtZkm

just trying to sort out the shoulder boards.

futher info on the heer and luftwaffe GFP can be found on www.feldgendarmerie.com, www.dpage.dial.pipex.com. if anyone wants to contact dave page, he has managed to source a past member of the GFP, im also a member of the LHA FG82 re enacment unit.

regards and great site

graham

[Paul R]

Hello all,

im new to this group, as a re enactor in the uk, the luftwaffe GFP is my next impression, i think paul has the incorrect information on Feldpolizeidirektor (Oberstleutnant), this should be Oberfeldpolizeidirektor.

i found on ebay last night the following:- <a href="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Historical-Militaria_COLLAR-TAB-MOSTRINE-PATTEN_Luftwaffe-Beamter-GFP-OFFICIAL_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZQ2d1QQfsubZ5001130QQftidZ2QQtZkm" target="_blank">http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Historical-Milita...0QQftidZ2QQtZkm</a>

just trying to sort out the shoulder boards.

futher info on the heer and luftwaffe GFP can be found on www.feldgendarmerie.com, www.dpage.dial.pipex.com. if anyone wants to contact dave page, he has managed to source a past member of the GFP, im also a member of the LHA FG82 re enacment unit.

regards and great site

graham

Hello Graham,

Welcome to the GMIC!! I will double check my references. If I am in error, I will correct it immediately. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Any information you can add to this thread would be most greatly appreciated!!

Regards

Paul

[Paul R]

Graham,

You are right. Thank you again for finding this mistake.

If there is anything anyone wishes to add to this topic, please do so!! I am looking uniforms, insignia, documents, first hand accounts and stories(Must be TRUE), or anything pertaining to this group of officials.

[Paul R]

Feldpolizeisekertar

[Paul R]

Boards to a Feldpolizeikommissar

[PKeating]

This all makes sense. Do you think that senior NCOs wore metallic cyphers as well? I would think that this was logical. Yet I have never seen GFP NCO boards, as such, nor OR (EM) embroidered boards.

Hmmmmm...

This is as murky and obscure as your other study focus, Paul! (LW Bew?hrungs-Einheiten).

P

[Paul R]

Hi Prosper!!

Thanks for the reply. I have not been able to find anything to support the existence of Non-Commissioned Officer or Enlisted (or their equivalent) rankings in the Luftwaffe GFP. It would be an interesting discovery if something concrete(and verifiable) emerged! All members of the GFP were officials, so an embroidered NCO board would be an interesting sight.

I do love the obscure!! Have my sights on an Oberfeldpolizeidirektor(Oberstleutnant) board! Hopefully I will have it to share with you in the near future!

[PKeating]

Well, it would be, indeed, but I would have thought that a senior NCO's board would have had metallic furniture. That said, we've all seen NCOs' boards from various branches of the various services with embroidered monograms. I think I once saw a photo of an officer with GFP cyphers. Does anyone know of any photos and could they post them here? They were certainly worn but I suspect that they were rather like, say, SAS Parachute Wings in the British Army: worn from time to time but rarely seen out and about, so to speak.

PK

[Paul R]

Well, it would be, indeed, but I would have thought that a senior NCO's board would have had metallic furniture. That said, we've all seen NCOs' boards from various branches of the various services with embroidered monograms. I think I once saw a photo of an officer with GFP cyphers. Does anyone know of any photos and could they post them here? They were certainly worn but I suspect that they were rather like, say, SAS Parachute Wings in the British Army: worn from time to time but rarely seen out and about, so to speak.

PK

I too would love to see that "GFP" photo! I have never seen a period photo before.

I would tend to wager that most of the time, they were either in civilian clothing or "undercover" in various uniforms. If they are like our US military equivalents, they would only wear their true uniform during special official occasions "off the job".

[Laurence Strong]

Here are a couple of Heer GFP. I don't remember where I found these. As to Pte's, I remember reading somewhere where you had to be an NCO to be a member of the GFP, which really makes sense.

[Paul R]

Those are some great photos Larry! Thank you!

Based upon what I have read, there were no NCOs in the LW GFP. It seems as if the rules were a tad different for the Heer. It is interesting the differences in the branches of service!

Larry, correct me if I am wrong... All GFP officials wore the silver "GFP" cyphers in the Heer(all paygrades). The only cyphers mentioned for use in the Luftwaffe were the gold colored ones. This would explain the two types, IMHO.

The NCO you posted looks like the rough sort! Are you sure that the cyphers are "GFP"? I cant tell.

Paul

[Paul R]

OK... Here we go.

I have just read pages 192-195 of "Uniforms and Traditions of the German Army 1933-1945, Vol 2" by Angolia and Schlicht.

Like the GFP in the Luftwaffe, these men were officials with the same roles and responsibilities within their branch of service. The paygrades are for the officer rankings only.

ALTHOUGH there were the Auxillary Field Police Officials. These were soldiers attached to the Field Police. They were regarded as officials yet retained their uniform as regular soldiers, with the GFP cyphers on their shoulder straps.

For this reason, I do not think that the NCO photo Larry posted was GFP(but I do have an open mind!).

Paul

[gehard weissmann]

As a Luftwaffe re enactor in the uk, i have been after info about the GFP for about 5 years. My source is Osprey Men-At-Arms 213 German Military Police units 1939-1945. From this i now have my luftwaffe impression as Oberfeldpolizeidirektor (Obst. Ltn).

The collar tabs are available from Miss militaria (ebay) the shouldboards are initially flak with addition of the SOLID GOLD GFP and a dark green base. I had the GFP made about 2 years ago from an original set, as i wanted a gold colour a gold smith friend of mine made them up. so they are rare. WARNING... In the uk the GFP are being sold both in gilt finish and silver, i have purchased some at ?35.00 pair, ($65.00) so if anyone sees these being sold as original, they are FAKES!

i can post a black and white photo of my luftwaffe presentation if you wish.

Finally the MAA213 doesnt mention about pink piping. Any idea what this repesents. i may have missed this info from previos posts,

regards,

graham

[Paul R]

As a Luftwaffe re enactor in the uk, i have been after info about the GFP for about 5 years. My source is Osprey Men-At-Arms 213 German Military Police units 1939-1945. From this i now have my luftwaffe impression as Oberfeldpolizeidirektor (Obst. Ltn).

The collar tabs are available from Miss militaria (ebay) the shouldboards are initially flak with addition of the SOLID GOLD GFP and a dark green base. I had the GFP made about 2 years ago from an original set, as i wanted a gold colour a gold smith friend of mine made them up. so they are rare. WARNING... In the uk the GFP are being sold both in gilt finish and silver, i have purchased some at ?35.00 pair, ($65.00) so if anyone sees these being sold as original, they are FAKES!

i can post a black and white photo of my luftwaffe presentation if you wish.

Finally the MAA213 doesnt mention about pink piping. Any idea what this repesents. i may have missed this info from previos posts,

regards,

graham

Hi graham,

I would love to see your tunic!!! I bet that you did a terrific job.

The nebenfarbe is wine red. It is a bit different than the Arty bright red. The nebenfarbe on the boards shown is wine red. The scan makes them look a bit on the pink side. The color is very close to carmine(as used with General STaff Officers) but a little darker.

Regards

Paul

[Paul R]

Here is another one... in a different tone. Uniform removed!

Oberfeldpolizeidirektor

[Paul R]

back

As you can see, it was once on a tunic!!! I would have loved to have had my hands on this one before it was disassembled!! :speechless1:

[Paul R]

Another with the appropriate collar tabs.

[Paul R]

Anyone else have any Luftwaffe GFP items in their collections?

[LarryT]

Hi Paul,

Here are two photos of what I have been told are a Oberfeldpolizeidirektor in the GFP.

I posted this in another thread, it had a lot of people look at it but no replies.

Can you or anyone else positively identify the branch of service he was in.

Cheers,

Larry

[LarryT]

Another photo.

[Paul R]

Thank you for posting these amazing photos. It is an interesting project. I will do some research. I wish there was a clear shot of the shoulder boards. IT would be awesome track down a name for this director.

[nesredep]

Very Interesting.