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German Police Belt Buckles


SARGE
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Gents,

 

This is a WWII German Police belt buckle that was made by Assmann in 1938. It continued in use by the postwar German Police with modifications. The aluminum buckle has had the swastika removed from the center of the design by police armorers in order to make the buckle acceptable for use by postwar Polizei forces. In this case the large swastika was removed by pounding it out but some buckles of this style will be found with flower designs stamped into them or have had the center roundel removed or covered with another roundel with various generic sun-wheel, or similar, designs.

An official modification making a different variation for the buckle collector.

 

 

Postwar Pol buckle.JPG

Postwar Pol buckle tab.JPG

Postwar Pol buckle back.JPG

Postwar Pol buckle back close.JPG

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Yes, just another variation showing postwar use.

 

Here is what the aluminum buckle would have looked like during the war and before the official modification.

 

 

Pol alum EM buckle front.JPG

Pol alum EM buckle back.JPG

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  • 3 months later...

Here are two examples of the belt buckle worn by Feuerwehr (FW) and Feuerschutzpolizei (FSP) enlisted men and NCOs. The buckle is essentially the same as the standard Police box buckle but it was made with a blackened finish and worn on a black leather belt. Notice that the buckle with the non-pebbled background to the swastika is the proper belt for this buckle as it has a blackened catch as well. Also notice that the buckle on the FW uniform does have a pebbled background to the swastika. These differences are simply those of the different manufacturers.

FW belt & buckle.JPG

FW belt & buckle.JPG

FSP belt buckle.JPG

FW buckle top.JPG

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Here is an example of the gold colored box buckle that is generally identified as a Water Police (Wasserschutzpolizei) buckle. This gold colored buckle was also worn by Traffic Policemen (Verkehrspolizei) and by the Emsland Prison Police. So, it could have been worn by any of those agencies.

 

 

 

Pol EM gold buckle front.JPG

Pol gold EM buckle back.JPG

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Here is an interesting roller buckle that was worn by Bavarian Policemen. These very scarce belts/buckles were made in both black and brown leather but the silver colored buckle was the same. These belts and buckles were worn by the Bavarian Landespolizei, and other Bavarian Policemen, until Nationalization and the new circa 1936 uniform regulations became effective. This particular black leather belt and buckle was made in Munich and it is so marked on the back of the leather.

 

 

Bavarian LAPO EM belt.JPG

Bavarian LAPO NCO tunic.JPG

Bavarian LAPO Speiss.JPG

Bavarian LAPO.jpg

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Here is an example of the post 1936 regulation Police buckle for Officers. This is the proper brocade dress belt for Police Officers but the SS brocade belt, or buckle, could also be worn by Police Officers who were policemen and members of the SS.

 

 

 

Pol Off belt buckle.JPG

Pol Off belt back.JPG

Pol Off belt.JPG

Pol Off belt mothing.JPG

Pol Off buckle.JPG

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Since we looked at the Weimar Republic and early NS Zeit Bavarian Police buckles here are some worn by the Prussian Police prior to 1936.

 

This nickel box buckle with the sideways "flying eagle" was worn by Prussian Police NCOs. An earlier nickeled box buckle, worn in the early days of the Weimar Republic, showed the eagle in a flat face forward (non-flying) view. This buckle was worn by the Prussian Police until it was replaced by the post-1936 Nationale Polizei buckle with the large central swastika.

 

The gilt round "Freistaat Preussen" buckle with the same eagle was worn in both white and gold metal finishes by the Prussian Police and other law enforcement agencies such as the Forestry Service. Both of these are shown in the period Assmann catalogs.

 

 

Prussian Off buckle.jpg

Prussian Off buckle reverse.JPG

Preuss enlisted belt.JPG

Prussian Pol EM buckle front.JPG

Prussian Pol EM buckle back.JPG

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Here are a couple of photos from a grouping of around 100 pictures of mostly Bavarian Policemen showing their transitional uniforms. There are photos of both the Bavarian Police roller buckle shown above and the round Prussian buckle being worn with transitional uniforms. The roller buckles are worn by LAPO and the round buckle by SCHUPO.

 

These photos are in my collection.

 

 

Bavarian LAPO.JPG

Bavarian LAPO buckles.JPG

Pol trans buckle.JPG

Pol trans buckle close.JPG

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And... here is an example of the earlier nickel box buckle with the non-flying Prussian eagle worn in the early days of the Weimar Republic. While the buckle with the flying eagle was still shown in the Assmann catalog as their Nr.18180 Schupo buckle these particular early buckles were replaced fairly quickly. They are quite difficult to find by collectors today.

 

 

Preus SCHUPO buckle 1st.JPG

Preus SCHUPO buckle back 1st.JPG

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NS Zeit Police Officers normally wore the round buckle with a large swastika on their brocade belts as shown above. They typically wore their leather belts with a rectangular pebbled buckle with two tongues. These buckles can be found on black, brown, or white police belts that are the same as the Wehrmacht or Reichsheer "Offizier-Koppel". These buckles are shown in period Assmann & Sohne catalogs in 50 and 55cm sizes. They can also fasten in the normal manner with the two tongues slipping into two holes in the leather belt or having a crank bar which fastens to a flat metal hook in the same manner as enlisted box buckles fasten. These are shown in the Assmann catalog as their #22715 and #24146 as "Koppelschnallen fur Polizei-Offiziere" respectively.

 

Here is an example of the wartime #22715 buckle on a white leather police property marked belt. Notice the "DRGM" and Assmann markings on the back of the white metal buckle.

 

Below is also an example of the #24146 style buckle on a black leather Officer belt.

 

 

Pol white belt buckle.JPG

Pol white belt buckle close.JPG

Pol white belt buckle front.JPG

Pol white belt buckle back.JPG

Pol white belt back.JPG

Pol white belt markings.JPG

Pol Off-EM belt front.JPG

Pol Off-EM belt back.JPG

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  • 6 months later...

Here is an example of the Bavarian Police belt and buckle worn until it was replaced after 1936 that I picked up at an area militaria show over the weekend. Notice this steel roller buckle is permanently attached to a brown leather belt. These brown belts were worn by both the Munich Police (PDM) and the Bavarian State Police (Landespolizei),

 

The brown belt is shown in conjunction with the rather scarce brown leather holster worn with the "PDM" marked Walther PP pistols that were ordered by the Munich Police.

 

 

PDM belt brown.JPG

PDM belt rig.JPG

PDM belt rig front.JPG

PDM belt rig back.JPG

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  • 1 month later...

In reference to your Prussian Police buckle of 1936 ...I have a similar two piece interlocking buckle with a rearing horse on it. I was told that this could possible be a state Police or Fire buckle but have not been able to ID it as yet. Any ideas?

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Yes, the Assmann catalog shows the interlocking round belt buckle with a rearing horse as being a Feuerwehr buckle from Hannover, Westfhlen or Braunschewig depending upon the details. Can you show a photo of your buckle?

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  • 3 years later...

 

My latest Polizei variation that I acquired at a local militaria show recently is an Imperial Bavarian Gendarmerie buckle.  It is a neat variation in that it is in the seldom seen small narrow leather belt (Prinzen) size.  Notice it is die struck and has only one tongue on the roller bar.  This buckle had been on my want list for years and I found it randomly in the corner of a showcase at the show.  

 

 

Bavarian buckle bottom.JPG

Bavarian buckle.JPG

Bavarian buckle back.JPG

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