Dutch Made Police Visor

[W.Unland]

Hello,

Presented here is a rather unusual cap, the likes of which I have never encountered before. it is a schirmmutze for an NCO of the Schutzpolizei d. Gemeinden, or small town municipal police. What makes it unusual is that it was manufactured in occupied Holland under contract to a Dutch company. It has some unusual characteristics, but is made to German specifications and on first sight cannot be distinguished from a German made cap.

Here is a frontal view. The piping color is a deep carmine, not "pink" enough to represent a Feuerschutzpolizei assignment.

Interestingly the state cockade is made of brass, not aluminum and has a high gloss enamelled cardboard red insert rather than the typical felt.

The cap has a high, nice heavily padded front and pronounced saddle form. An attractively made cap.

[W.Unland]

Here is a side view better showing off the "saddle-form" shape. The matte aluminum buttons are also unusual as such a cap would normally be fitted with black paited buttons. The police eagle also appears to be thinner than those I am used to encountering, perhaps because of foreign manufacture. The cap appears to have never been worn, and all insignia and the side buttons are original to the cap as produced.

[W.Unland]

Here is a view of the interior. Exactly what one would expect of a "contract" mass produced cap. Orange generic interior and sweatband with no maker mark, only a size stamp. The unusual features are the green painted underside of the brim and a brass stud closing the sweatband rather than a sewn ribbon. The sweatshield is celluloid, and appears to have never been subjected to wear.

[W.Unland]

Now a view of the "inside". The brass pins from the front eagle can clearly be seen. There are no "extra" holes and all sewing is very tight suggesting that this cap is in original condition, and has not been "worked" on or had it's insignia changed.

Take note of the round ink stamp which will become very important shortly.

[W.Unland]

Inside the sweatband can also be found a police acceptance stamp dating this cap to 1942.

[W.Unland]

And finally a close-up of the round maker's ink stamp. This is where the unique nature of the cap becomes evident. The stamp identifies the maker as "MOL" in "Breda, Holland". This is a known maker of Dutch military uniforms and caps.

What appears to be happening here is that this cap was contracted for with the firm of MOL during the occupation of Holland by a small municipality, probably trying to save money by "outsourcing". Clearly the contract specified that the cap meet German specification and regulations, rather than buying an "off the shelf" Dutch alternative. The GemPo were uniformed by their respective towns not a centralized depot system so it is not hard to imagine a city administration trying to save by buying in the "greater reich" rather than a German maker.

The GemPo were absorbed into the Schutzpolizei sometime around 1942, so this cap probably survived unused as it sat in a box in some city hall unused until it's liberation. As I have never seen another Dutch made police cap, I must assume that this was NOT a standard practice, and that this cap and any of its breathern out there were limited to a very small number, possibly from only a single unknown small town. I think it fair to term this cap "rare".

Thanks for looking,

Bill Unland

Edited July 21, 2008 by W.Unland

[nesredep]

Hello!

Very interesting ! I have seen several cap made in France,Norway but never seen a cap made in Holland! Thanks for sharing with us. :jumping:

All the best

Nesredep

[W.Unland]

After some discussion on another forum, it has been concluded that the cap could be a generic German made cap imported into Holland and sold by the Dutch uniform company to occupation troops of the Feuerschutzpolizei, which indeed were stationed in Holland. As the cap is a perfect example of German assembly and materials this theory certainly has merit.

The "in between" color of the piping makes a final determination impossible. If GemPo red carmine, it must be a Dutch cap imported for use in Germany. If a FSP cap with pink carmine piping, it could be a German cap imported the other way into Holland and sold by a Dutch company.

Unfortunately impossible to say which is the case here. All said, this is the ONLY German police cap, or military cap for that mater, that I have ever seen with a Dutch maker/seller's stamp. Very unusual, whatever the true circumstances.

Regards,

Bill Unland

Edited July 24, 2008 by W.Unland

[Paul R]

It is a beautiful cap. I like the deep saddle form a lot. Congrats on getting such a rare varient/maker.

[vestae]

Very Nice Cap !

Sebastien.