Fire police

[GeorgeCL]

Heres some pictures I picked up this past vacation..

What kind of belts are they wearing..Looks like a repel hoop?

Thanks

George

[Guest Rick Research]

Are these dated, George?

I'd have swore the black overcoats with light collars were REICHSBAHN, if the insignia wasn't police.

And I've never seen the fatigue caps with police eagles on the side like that, either.

VERY interesting uniform shots!

[GeorgeCL]

Sorry Rick,

No dates or any writing at all on these..They are also using both early and late eagles on there visor caps.

George

Edited June 18, 2006 by georgecl

[W.Unland]

Hello,

They are definitely Feuerwehr. The dark blue caps with the eagle sewn to the side with no rosette are very early first pattern caps. I think these continued to be "passed down" to volunteer firemen as the war progressed. They appear to wear early solid carmine collar tabs. That would date this to around 1936. The lack of rank shoulder boards suggest to me this is some kind of training school . From their ages I would speculate these guys are volunteer firemen, with career officers and NCO's.

The belts are strange. I usually see firemen with axes hanging from their belts. If the assumption that this is training is correct, I would speculate its a safety hook to attach to a ladder, perhaps for training only. I have not seen this on regular duty firemen before. I don't think these old guys were much into repelling but who knows.

Regards,

W.Unland

Edited June 19, 2006 by W.Unland