BACKGROUND: On June 17TH 1936, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed to the newly created position of Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern, (Chief of the German Police in the National Ministry of the Interior), effectively giving him full control of all police agencies within Germany. As a result of this appointment and the restructuring of all the separate German state police into a single national police force new regulations were instituted on June 25TH 1936 to bring about uniformity in dress for all police through-out the country. One of the new uniform regulations replaced the previously worn blue uniforms with a new style police green uniform that was utilized, with minor modifications, until the end of the war. The police were divided into eight assorted branches of service and during the restructuring the different police agencies were assigned specific identifying "truppenfarbe" (Troop {Branch of Service} Colors), with orange truppenfarbe being allocated to the Gendarmerie, (Rural Police). On the service tunic the truppenfarbe was generally displayed as the base of the shoulder boards/straps and the collar tabs as well as on ornamental piping. Police Officers holding the rank of Polizei-Leutnant to Generaloberst der Polizei were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and could purchase them through the SS-Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system which was originally established in Munich in 1935. The Officers were allotted a one time clothing allowance from the government with the amount varying depending on the individuals rank. The ranks of Polizei Unterwachtmeister to Polizei-Obermeister were issued their uniforms although they could also choose to purchase privately tailored garments of higher quality although the price may have been restrictive. Of Note: The German Police had no enlisted ranks with the lowest rank being an Unterwachtmeister which was equivalent to the German army rank of Unteroffizier. This example is a late war production model and is cut similar to the army’s field blouse with some distinct police tunic characteristics.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Police green wool/rayon blend construction tunic features a vertical, six button front closure with a double metal hook and eye at the forward neckline and a lay down collar. The tunic has two pleated, patch, breast pockets and two slash hip pockets, with expanding side panels. All four pockets have scalloped button down flaps. All of the insignia including the buttons are restored to the tunic. There are some sewing repairs by the buttons down the front of the tunic, but they are not visible when the tunic is buttons up. Nice original maker mark. The tunic is roughly size 34" chest.