Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice, genuine steel construction M34 "Square Dip" Third Reich helmet, outfitted for German WW2 Ordnungspolizei civic police issue. Features genuine double decals of civic eagle and NSDAP swas shield. Comes with a complete leather liner and top pad, however the chin strap is broken close to the left side. All four liner attachment pins are present, along with the cork spacer washers on the inside of the helmet. The helmet definitely looks to have seen a good amount of use during the war.

The exterior of this German helmet retains much of the original semigloss black paint on the exterior, with overall light wear resulting in some missing paint and oxidation of the steel. Both decals are almost completely retained, however they have yellowed quite a bit, giving them a fantastic aged look. The interior has retained the black paint very well, showing some scattered oxidation. There is also a partial (Lion Logo) / D.R.P. / THALE stamp next to a large letter A on the rear skirt, indicating production by the Eisenhüttenwerke, Thale factory.

The leather liner is in good condition, with light wear and some deterioration along the front edge, but no tearing or other major damage. The top tie is present and fully intact, and there is a faint size 54 stamped on the rear. The remains of the chinstrap are in delicate condition, and there are only 3 tabs for attachment of the leather neck shield, however this may be due to the smaller size.

A very nice example that comes ready to display!

The Ordnungspolizei, abbreviated Orpo, meaning "Order Police", were the uniformed police force in NSDAP Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo organization was absorbed into the NSDAP monopoly on power after regional police jurisdiction was removed in favor of the central N government ("Reich-ification", Verreichlichung, of the police). The Orpo was controlled, nominally by the Interior Ministry but its executive functions rested with the leadership of the SS until the end of World War II. Owing to their green uniforms, Orpo were also referred to as Grüne Polizei (green police). The force was first established as a centralized organization uniting the municipal, city, and rural uniformed police that had been organized on a state-by-state basis.

The Ordnungspolizei encompassed virtually all of NSDAP Germany's law-enforcement and emergency response organizations, including fire brigades, coast guard, and civil defense. In the prewar period, Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, and Kurt Daluege, chief of the Order Police, cooperated in transforming the police force of the Weimar Republic into militarized formations ready to serve the regime's aims of conquest and racial annihilation. Police troops were first formed into battalion-sized formations for the invasion of Poland, where they were deployed for security and policing purposes, also taking part in executions and mass deportations. During World War II, the force had the task of policing the civilian population of the occupied and colonized countries beginning in spring 1940.