Rare early Gendarmerie-Feldgendarmerie uniforms

[Gordon Williamson]

Here is a very rare shot showing some of the very first groups of civil Gendarmerie who were attached to the Army to serve as Feldgendarmerie. This is how they appeared during the pre-war troop movements such as the occupation of Aautria, the Sudetenland etc and in the early stages of the Polish campaign.

Note the use of the basic Gendarmerie uniform but with the addition of the Heer breast eagle and the Feld-Gendarmerie armband covering the sleeve eagle. Army NCO braid has been sewn along the top edge and front of the collar ( which still retains the Gendarmerie collar tabs) and what at first might appear as silver flecked piping to the shoulder strap on the guy at left can been seen more clearly with the guy at far right, to be Army braid sewn over the top of the Gendarmerie strap. Genuine army straps were also used at times.