Police Long Service Medals

[Douglas Jr.]

Hi,

I have a couple of question regarding the criteria to award the Polizei Long Sevice Medals:

Does the time spent in military during WWI was counted for appliance to get a LS medal?

If so, the wartime time service was counted twice in order to be elegible for the decoration (as happened with the Army/Luftwaffe/Kriegsmarine medals)?

Thanks in advance.

Douglas

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes, Imperial military service counted--also for Third Reich civil service Treudienst crosses. But no military service was counted double for the Wehrmacht or Polizei--

under the Third Reich only normal calendar years time was counted. The sole exception was double time for pre-1933 Nazi Party service toward their Party long services.

So, a 1914 War Volunteer discharged in 1920 as a regular soldier and who then became a career policeman had an Imperial XII Years (1914-18 = "10") Service Medal, then the 18 Years Polizei Cross in 1938, replaced by the 25 Years Polizei in 1939 when REAL years time was counted. Both Imperial military and Third Reich Polizei long service awards could be worn together-- here are examples from three different Imperial states:

[Douglas Jr.]

Rick,

I always thought that the time for "war years" was still counted in double during Third Reich for Wehrmacht or Polizei soldiers. Shame on me.

In fact I have seen several medal/ribbon bars with Imperial Service Medals coupled together with Faithful Service or Long Service medals.

Thanks a lot for your very sharp answer.

Dougals

[Douglas Jr.]

Sorry for bumping this topic again, but a new (and probably stupid) question came up: a soldier that was member of a Feldgendarmerie unit was awarded with a Long Service Medal from the Polizei or from the Army? In other words, was the "chained dogs" considered part of the Wehrmacht or the Ordnungspolizei?

In addition: I'm interested on some references books regarding de Polizei's service/history/militaria during III Reich/WWII. Any tip is welcome.

thanks once more,

Douglas

Edited January 26, 2010 by Douglas Jr.

[Guest Rick Research]

MILITARY long service awards were suspended "for the duration" after September 1939.

If a field policeman was seconded to the army from the peacetime police forces, I don't know if his service was still counted as police or not.

[Douglas Jr.]

Rick,

Thanks again for your reply.

However, I would like to confirm, also, if the Feldgendarmerie was subordinated to the Heer (and hence, had its cadre formed from Heer soldiers) or if it was created with policemen recruted from the Ordnungspolizei.

Greetings,

Douglas

[Douglas Jr.]

Well, I did some homework and discorvered that the Feldgendarmerie was under Wehrmacht's command (or better, under each of its branch, Heer, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine). Thus, its personnel came mostly from its cadres, which is logical.

On the other hand, the Schutzpolizei, Gendarmerie, Wasserschutzpolizei, KRIPO, etc. were under the Ordnungspolizei organization, which was commanded by the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler.

Douglas.

[Gordon Williamson]

There were two basic types of soldiers in the Feldgendarmerie.

1. Policemen, (mostly Officers and SNCOs) predominantly from the Motorised Gendarmerie, temporarily transferred into the army.

2. Wehrmacht soldiers (mostly junior ranks)posted to serve in Feldgendarmerie units. Of course some of these eventually rose up the ranks to more senior grades.

As far as I can tell, those members of the Feldgendarmerie who were transferred into the military were considered as being "on attachment" and many of them at some point returned back to the Police.

If for instance they had 10 years Police service and were then attached to the Army for service with the Feldgendarmerie, after two years with the Feldgendarmerie they'd still get the 12 Year Police LS Cross, the army service being accepted aa counting towards their Police service.

Most of those policemen who served in the Feldgendarmerie considered themselves professional police officers first and foremost.

I've had correspondence with a few former Feldgendarmerie officers and every one of them was formerly a Policeman and all of them had the appropriate Police Long Service Award.