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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,155 Likes: 5
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OP
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,155 Likes: 5 |
Gents,
Here is an interesting Polizei buckle for your enjoyment. This one started out life as an aluminum Feuerschutzpolizei buckle in 1938. It was carried over to the postwar Polizei after it was modified by removing the swastika from the center. I have also seen these postwar German Police buckles in steel with a separate steel decorative rondel welded over the offensive NS emblem and motto.
George
"You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." Ricky Nelson
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,155 Likes: 5
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OP
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,155 Likes: 5 |
View of the tab showing the 1938 date and FW Assmann & Sonne maker markings.
"You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." Ricky Nelson
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,155 Likes: 5
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OP
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,155 Likes: 5 |
View of the back showing the original blacking still in the recesses of the buckle. Notice you can still see the outline of the swastika from the back. Interestingly, this buckle is unmarked and only the tab indicates it is an Assmann belt buckle.
George
"You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." Ricky Nelson
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,267
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,267 |
Hi George,
Interesting buckle and with a nicely marked Assmann tab! I've always thought of the swastika removal on a police buckle as interesting and I had to have one. The removal was done in similar fashion as yours, it is not FSP but another aluminum buckle by CTD. Will have to dig it out for a photo.
Thanks for posting!
Dave
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 12,133 Likes: 280
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 12,133 Likes: 280 |
ORPO,Dave,,was is common for the postwar police to do this the first year or so after the war?
I'm asking because I've seen a few of these that were attributed to some of the groups that continued fighting after the wars end...Equipment short, the first thing some of them did after the end of the war was strip off the German insignia and hammer out / grind off the swas. on their buckles...,G.
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,155 Likes: 5
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OP
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,155 Likes: 5 |
Gaspare,
The Polizei remained in their old uniforms for a time after the end of the war. They simply removed the eagle/swastika insignia and wore what they had been issued during the war until they were issued new uniforms. The thrifty Germans continued to modify old buckles for the police for years after 1945. Very common during this time period.
What other groups would have continued fighting in German uniform after the end of the war? I presume you are talking about ex-WH volunteers who continued to fight against Soviet occupiers in Eastern Europe?
George
"You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." Ricky Nelson
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 12,133 Likes: 280
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 12,133 Likes: 280 |
George, German equipment and uniforms stripped of insignia most of the time..There was the OUN/UPA,Ukrainian nationalists fighting until the late 1950s and there was for a short time some Latvian and Estonian groups. , G.
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,267
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,267 |
Finally found and photographed it...
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