History

During the Third Reich, an effort was made to unite all of Germany’s disparate provincial police forces and agencies into a single cohesive national unit. To attain this goal, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was named Chief of the German Police in the Ministry of the Interior in June 1936. That same month, Himmler implemented new standardized uniforms, headgear, and insignia. The uniforms worn prior to Himmler’s appointment were often navy blue, particularly in what had been Prussia. The new uniforms were green, in a shade that was then dubbed “Police green”.

The German Police were divided into two main units, the Ordnungspolizei (Orps or Regular Police) and the Sicherheitspolizei (Secret Police); the Ordnungspolizei were unofficially called the green police (Grüne Polizei) as a result of their uniform colour. The Sicherheitspolizei were made up of two main organizations, the Gestapo and the Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Investigation Police). At the beginning of the Second World War, the Sicherheitspolizei were brought under the auspices of the Reich Main Security Office.

There are several different models of steel helmets worn by German Police personnel during the Third Reich, similar to the progression of helmet types in the Wehrmacht. Each iteration of the steel helmet was launched in an effort to reduce the time and cost associated with helmet production.

All steel helmets came in a set shell and liner size, and the shell sizes were often stamped on the inside of the helmet itself, frequently on the back of the helmet near the neck-guard.

The transitional helmets were produced from First World War helmet shells that were modified post-war to meet the new Third Reich requirements. These transitional helmets were worn between wars, and prior to the introduction of the M(odel 19)35 helmet design. The First World War helmets types that were used for transitional helmets include the M16, M17, M18, and the Austrian M18.

The German Police transitional helmets always feature two decals. The decals vary depending on the year of production. Helmets produced from 1933 to January 1934 feature a slanted shield with the Prussian colours on the right, and a small slanted white swastika on the left. The helmets produced from April 1934 to July 1934 feature a slanted shield with the three national colours (black, white, and red) on the left, and a small slanted white swastika on the right. Another alteration was made to the decal designs in July 1934, wherein a black outline was added to both decals to differentiate them from the helmet’s paint finish, and the slanted white swastika on the right side was enlarged.