UBB.threads Forums Uniform & Accessories Police Uniforms Forum Help With Visor Identity

My father brought this visor back from WW2 after he "liberated" it in Austria. After viewing the photos in this Forum I have concluded it is a Police visor. Am I correct? Should there be a wreath that goes around the ****ade or should the ****ade go up top with a different style eagle underneath? Thanks for your help.

tharpo,

The cap your father brought back is indeed a police cap. It is for an Officer or Senior NCO of the rural police (Gendarmerie). The ****ade goes at the top where the eagle is now located. This Army eagle was not worn on Gendarmerie caps. The two piece police eagle within a wreath is what properly goes on the band where the ****ade is curently located.

I hope this helps.

Very nice vet bring back.....

Thanks Orpo for you help and thanks Hanswurst for your comment. Of course my next question is - Where can I acquire the correct Eagle emblem? Are originals easy to find? What about reproductions?

It is fairly common and inexpensive to find an original and thin variety police insignia, although it can be more costly & difficult to find a two-piece or the thicker variety more commonly associated with officer grade visors.

Do you have a picture of the interior that you could post?

The following site has a regular example for sale: www.collectortocollectormilitaria.com

Dave, thanks for your help. Here are some pictures of the inside of the Visor. What do you think? Do you recognize the maker of the hat?

Another View.

Yes, I've seen that maker in another Gend. visor in a little different pattern of mark. Great looking visor, good honest wear.

After seeing the interior of the visor, it certainly could be an upgrade to senior NCO, and the thin type of eagle should work fine.

Tharpo,

Dave is absolutly right. You can get by with a standard one piece eagle for your cap. Much easier to find and much cheaper.

More advice please! If we take the incorrect eagle off the top of the hat won't there be holes left which will ruin the look of the visor? Any ideas?
Thanks again,
tharpo

Tharpo,

I would go ahead and take the Army eagle off the cap. It is simply incorrect and it looks like you can see the imprint from where the ****ade was anyway. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear but you can restore it to its proper configuration. Take a needle and poke around where the holes will be from the prongs on the eagle. You will be able to move the wool around enough to close the holes to make it look better. You can already see the holes left by the police eagle on the band so when you put the proper eagle on there it will cover these holes up.

Good luck.

George

George, I really appreciate you ideas. I have already began to search on-line for the correct eagle.(Unless that one in the picture with your post needs a home!) lol
Check out this Police helmet my father found with the visor.
Tom

Tom,

Looks like a nice combat helmet. Can you show us pictures of the shield on the opposite side and the liner?

Great stuff.

Doug

Here you go Doug. I know this probably belongs in the helmet Forum.

Liner is soft and clean.
Tom

That ones a keeper!
Thanks for sharing it.
Doug

Tom,

That is a sweet looking DD Police M35!!!

If you are looking for the police isnignia, look at that site I posted above, email them, they have one. There was also a nice example on the estand/classifieds here the other day.

A little follow up on the visor and the helmet. Here is a picture of my father goofing around during a visit with his brother taken in Germany during April 1945. My father is wearing the visor and my uncle is holding the German helmet. They liberated them from the house they stayed at the night before. So the items are from Germany not Austria. A few days later my father was attacking the Po Valley in Italy in his P47 and my uncle was continuing the advance in Southern Germany with Patton's 3rd Army. I think that is a M36 Tank Destroyer in the background.

Very nice indeed!

The helmet is super!

The pic is really nice !

Glad to see you sharing them!

Thanks

PVON

With the helpful advice of members on this forum, a nice looking Eagle from
"Mackenzietrapper" in Alaska, and the patient fingers of my sister doing the work, our father's bringback has been restored !!

Good work! Now it looks like it did during the period of use. It is always nice to see something restored to its proper look and condition.

Very nice relics,- I especially like the superb helmet. Is there any chance of posting a close-up pic of just the maker logo (the fancy design above the maker's name) so we can see its details?

Great thread, really enjoyed it, cheers.
Ben

Schlesien, where would the maker's logo be? Do we have to remove the liner? My sister has the helmet in another State and I will ask her to take some pictures of it. Here are some other closeups.

I think it's safe to say these decals are real.

Police decal.

Tharpo, those are great pictures, I love the dome stamp in the helmet. However, I'm speaking of the maker's trademark logo inside the peak cap, (the fancy design just above the firm's name.)

Maker trademark closeup