Italian Colonial Police Presentation Dagger

[JoeW]

This is an unusual presentation dagger awarded to select members of the Ordnungspolizei and Sicherheitspolizei who had graduated from the Colonial police school in Oranienberg and the finishing course at the Italian Colonial Police (PAI) School in Tivoli. The daggers were of Pugnali design used by PAI forces in their colonies and embellished with the signature of PAI General Maraffa. Approximately 400 officers and some enlisted men were allowed to take the finishing course in Italy from 1940 through 1942.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

a nice looking dagger, very modern looking, almost like the applegate fairburn smachett.

Were these awarded only to the German graduates? I did not even know the Germans had a colonial police course... you learn something every day....

[JoeW]

Return of Germany's colonies was in Hitler's plans. And a police force would be necessary to administer them. Himmler ordered the schools opened, at Oranienburg for the ORPO and Charlottenburg for the SIPO. The daggers were identical to standard issue PAI weapons except for the signature of General Maraffa, the commander of the PAI. There were special instances of the daggers being given for ceremonial occasions, usually with ivory handles and fancier scabbards to the likes of v. Epp, Heydrich and Zindel.I wrote a very nice documented article on this dagger with many photos a few years ago in Roger Bender's magazine "The Military Advisor". Here is a rather severely cropped class photo of one of the SIPO classes with their daggers.

[nesredep]

Hello!

Very interesting Dagger,never seen this before.I hope You can take some close up.

All the best

Nesredep

[vestae]

Very Nice !!!

Sebastien.