Dave Cameron
Posted 01 May 2004 21:08
The bummer:


Posts: 1673 | Location: Colorado | Registered: 08 April 2001

Here are my two examples of the very difficult to collect named Gemeinden eagle., along with a pair of "meister" rank boards and collar tabs.

Interestingly they are both the same pattern, and obviously manufactured by the same maker. They were obtained years apart from two very different areas.

Regards,
William Unland

And my example of a GemPo NCO's tunic:

Back:

Tabs, clearly showing the deep "wine red" of the Gemeindenpolizei:

Regards,
William Unland

Hello,

To continue this thread here I present a rather hard to find greatcoat for a meister of the GemPo. It is executed in better than average wool in a standard cut and pattern. It has the cahracteristic dark carmine red piping and insignia of the GemPo.

A view of the back. The cut is rather skimpy with little room for expansion in the vent. Obviously this coat was not the most expensive model available.

The interior is fully lined with the typical "military" type green cotton. The coat is extremely heavy, but without taking it appart I can only guess what insulating material is under the lining.

A view of the GemPo shoulder board:

The collar is piped in the standard manner:

The most interesting detail on this coat is that it was quite clearly produced with a sleeve eagle machine "zig-zag" sewn to the left sleeve. As the sewing holes do not penetrate the lining, and there is no evidence of the shoulder lining being reattached I conclude that this was entirely original to the coat.

This raises the possibility that for some unknown period of time, at least the GemPo wore sleeve eagles on their greatcoats. At some point the eagle on this coat was removed very carefully to comply with the standardized regulations. This suggests that this coat was produced in early 1936 before the regulations became commonly implemented

Best regards,
William Unland