Original Item: Only One Available. This is an especially interesting German fire service officer’s greatcoat originally tailored in November 1933 by A.W. Hering of Bremen and subsequently configured with the insignia and carmine branch distinctions associated with the later Feuerschutzpolizei. Constructed from fine-quality dark navy-blue doeskin-style wool, the coat retains its original tailor’s label, black rayon upper lining, double-breasted front, elaborate rear button arrangement, carmine-piped collar, and sew-in field-grade officer shoulder boards carrying a single pip for the police rank equivalent of Oberstleutnant, or Lieutenant Colonel. The 1933 tailor date is particularly significant because it predates the formal creation of the Feuerschutzpolizei, showing that the coat itself originated in the earlier German municipal or professional fire-service system and was apparently updated for later police-era wear.

The coat is made of fine quality navy blue "doeskin" style weave wool. In form these tunics are more or less identical to the Army Heer greatcoat except for the colors and material used. They may also have some additional ornamentation when compared to the standard Army issue. These were preferred during the cold months, and have an unmistakable silhouette. The interior of the great coat is lined on the top with black rayon, and is in very good condition. There is a horizontal slash pocket on the inner left chest, with a maker’s tag inside reading:

A.W. Hering, Bremen
Herr. … Kaffenstrok(?)
No. F2 Nov. 1933

This names the overcoat, and dates it to November 1933, rather early. The great coat matches very well with the M36 pattern, with a navy blue "badge cloth" lay down collar and long cuffs at the end of the sleeves but as the tag shows it is actually dated 1933, three years before this pattern. A Prussian law of December 15th, 1933 placed professional and other fire services increasingly under police supervision, creating the framework generally known as the Feuerlöschpolizei. The more comprehensive Reich law of November 23rd, 1938 subsequently transformed qualifying professional fire brigades into the nationally organized Feuerschutzpolizei, placing them within the German police structure.

The most likely interpretation is that this was an existing professional fire-brigade officer’s coat that remained in service and was later updated with post-1936 or Feuerschutzpolizei-era insignia.

The collar itself features Karminrot (carmine red) piping around the edge, the Truppenfarbe (Troop Color) of the Feuerschutzpolizei. The front features the correct "double breasted" 12 button front closure, featuring 6 buttons on each side, which are sewn directly to the fabric of the coat. These are all maker-marked on the back, and look to be of steel construction with pebbled nickel silver top caps. There are diagonal slash pockets on either side at the waist, which have top flaps that can be worn both in and out of the pockets. The rear bottom of the coat has seven buttons as shown, with a strap in the middle for tightening. 

The “sew-in” style Officer’s Stabsoffizier schulterklappen (Field-grade Officer shoulder boards) of this tunic are bordered with two rows of fine silver flatware "Russia Braid" double piping with woven in carmine chevrons, which are plaited together to form a loop around the buttonhole. The sides and bottom, as well as the attachment straps, are fire police Karminrot (carmine red). These shoulder boards each bear one pip, denoting the rank of Oberstleutnant, equivalent to a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel.

Condition is very good considering the age, with the colors retained very well, and no major damage, just the usual light staining and wear from service. There are a few small moth holes and light wear to the fabric, but nothing out of line considering the age of the greatcoat.

The strongest historical aspect of this coat is its transitional chronology. Its November 1933 tailor date places the garment before the standardized 1936 fire-service uniform regulations and several years before the formal creation of the Feuerschutzpolizei, while the later carmine branch distinctions and Oberstleutnant-level police shoulder boards indicate continued or renewed use under the reorganized fire-police system. Rather than diminishing the coat, that combination makes it a particularly revealing example of how high-quality privately tailored fire-service uniforms could survive institutional changes and be updated as Germany’s professional fire brigades were absorbed into the national police apparatus.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 9"
Shoulder to sleeve: 24"
Shoulder to shoulder: 16"
Chest width: 17"
Waist: 18"
Front length: 48"

Overcoats in various forms have been used by militaries since at least the late 18th century, and were especially associated with winter campaigns, such as Napoleon's Russian campaign. The full-length overcoat was once again popularized by the use during World War I of the trench coat.

Stereotypically, overcoats used by the army tended to be single-breasted, while navies often used double-breasted overcoats. Overcoats continued to be used as battle dress until the mid-1940s and 1950s, when they were deemed impractical. However, in colder countries, such as the former Soviet Union, they continue to be issued and used. When more efficient clothing and synthetic fibers became readily available, the overcoat began to be phased out even there.