Police Schutzpolizei Sleeve Eagle

Product Description: This Police Schutzpolizei Sleeve Eagle is a great, representative example of this desirable patch. It’s made out of greenish-blue wool, in the typical Polizei color. The German Police wreathed eagle and swastika emblem is nicely embroidered in the center, using green and black thread, indicating the Schutzpolizei branch. The edge of this patch is covered with a tan colored fabric, neatly stitched in place, to prevent fraying and aid in applying this to a uniform. There is no indication this patch was ever issued or worn. The reverse of this Police Schutzpolizei sleeve eagle shows the typical tan bobbin thread used when these were embroidered. There is some adhesive residue on the back, perhaps from having been mounted in a veteran’s scrapbook. This original patch displays great and is in excellent condition.

Historical Description: The German Polizei (Police) had very many different roles before and during WWII. There were many different Police organizations that worked together for the purposes of law enforcement and maintaining order. The Ordnungspolizei was the regular police. Under the Ordnungspolizei umbrella were the various Schutzpolizei (protection police) units, including state, municipal, rural, and traffic police. There was also the Water Protection Police and the Fire Protection Police. Also within the Ordnungspolizei jurisdiction was the Hilfspolizei, a category which included volunteer fire departments, Air Raid Protection Police, postal protection, and Factory Protection Police, among other groups. Police batallions of the Ordnungspolizei deployed to occupied territories during WWII, where their duties included the roundup and elimination of Jews and other civilian groups the Nazis regarded as undesirable. Besides the Ordnungspolizei, there was also the Sicherheitspolizei, made up of the combined forces of the criminal police and the Gestapo secret police. Also under police jurisdiction was the Sicherheitsdienst, the intelligence service of the Nazi party and SS. Starting in 1943, all German police forces were placed under the command of SS leader Heinrich Himmler. The various Polizei organizations all had distinctive uniforms and insignia which indicated rank, organizational assignment, and occupational assignment. Headgear of Polizei units ranged from the mostly ornamental “Tschako” helmets of civilian police forces, to field caps and combat helmets. As with all Third Reich uniformed organizations, the Polizei had their own ID documents and awards, as well.