Great thread. I love German uniforms but have no time for the politics behind them. 

Incredible uniforms - and informative review. Thank you for sharing!

I am glad you found the thread informative.  

 

Here are some Gendarmerie headgear that you may find interesting as well.

 

 

Could you share a close-up of that Edelweiss pin? It looks very similar to one in my collection - which I had assumed was just a civilian item.

Good eye spielhahnjaeger!  

 

This is indeed a civilian Edelweiss pin.  The kind the Germans still sell in the kiosks at the foot of the mountain.  This pin was on this Winter Mountain Cap when I bought it so I left it in place.  The issue Police Edelweiss pin was slightly different from the Army pin in that it had a longer stem.  I don't know if the Gendarm bought this particular pin on his own or someone put it on the cap postwar.  But, there it is.  

 

Here is another example of the Edelweiss pin on this Polizei Bergmutze with the short visor having machine sewn trap one-piece insignia.  Notice the cap does not have colored piping as is correct by regulation.  The coat is the Polizei Mountain Windjacke in salt & pepper Police green cloth.  The Police wind jacket was worn without any external insignia.  The uniform underneath is a Gendarmerie Officer.  

 

 

Who would have been issued a Polizei Bergmütze? Only Gendarmerie, giving their rural jurisdiction? And was it only a subset of the Gendarmes? Quite the collection you've got!

Thanks for the kudos.  

 

Only Gendarms were issued the padded winter cap with orange piping and metal insignia.  Notice the short visor, stiff body, and padded interior on this cap.  The Gendarm could wear the metal Edelweiss if they were mountain qualified and/or assigned.  Other active duty police troops who were mountain qualified and/or assigned could wear the Bergmutze with the short visor.  Other police troops not assigned to mountain areas wore the standard M-43 cap as shown above with a longer visor.  The Heer, Polizei, & W-SS all wore the Mountain cap with a short visor, the M43 with a long visor, and the Edelweiss insignia on the left side of the neck flap.  Period photos show various police troops, i.e. those serving in the the Italian mountains, wearing these caps.  

 

 

Very interesting, thanks! I assume this combination of service cap / M43 / Bergmütze all served to supplant the traditional shako? When was that phased out? I seem to recall some Volkssturm images of Shakos still in wear. Was that already out of regulation at that point?

It all depended upon the type of duty and/or the nature of the troop.  A career Policeman performing regular police duties within the Reich would wear the Tshako with the standard uniform consisting of a green uniform with brown collar and cuffs.  The same Policeman assigned to active service in urban warfare in the east would wear the Army (Heer) style uniform in all Police green cloth and a soft cap of a Schiffchen or an Einheitsmutze (Bergmutze or M-43) along with a steel helmet.  So, generally speaking all this headgear was worn throughout the war.  

 

I hope this is helpful.