Original Item: Only One available. This is a very good condition Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police) NCO/EM Schirmmütze Visor Cap, which unlike most we have had before, is in the standard 1942 pattern as used by other branches of the Polizei. Others we have had were in the solid dark navy blue that seems to have been favored by the Fire police.

This is a high quality German made Visor Cap, with a lovely gently sloped "Saddle Form" shape. It looks to originally have been constructed this way, as it has this shape even though the crown stiffener is still present. The front peak of the cap is also quite high, especially when compared to other visor caps we usually see. It is fabricated from the correct police blue green "doeskin" wool, with a dark brown "badge cloth" band and a traditional high front. The visor cap has matching Karminrot (carmine red) piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, which is the Truppenfarbe (troop colors) for the Protection Police Fire Branch (Feuerschutzpolizei).

Cap is decorated with the correct insignia, including an aluminum Ordnungpolizei wreathed eagle on the band, with the classic metal Tri-color cockade above, still bearing its vibrant red felt insert. Both are in great shape, with the cockade showing just a bit of oxidation, and the eagle still has both retaining clips, so it is attached firmly. It is fitted with a silver bullion chinstrap, indicating that it is for an Officer in the fire protection police, and it is attached with the usual pebbled metal buttons.

The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting light wear along the edge and is brown on the underside. There is very little crazing or other deterioration to the gloss black upper, however the visor is definitely loose on the body of the cap, as the stitching has degraded quite a bit. The sweatband is brown faux leather similar to oilcloth, and has unfortunately torn out around about 50% of the circumference, including on the front.

The cap has a very nice condition orange rayon lining, which shows some staining and discoloration from use. The top has a mostly intact celluloid sweat shield diamond with mostly intact stitching. It is marked Stirndruckfrei / Deutsches Reichspatent on the top underneath, indicating that the "Forehead pressure free" design is Patented, however there is no maker marking that we can see. It is named to Kronenberg in the name tag slot.

Overall condition is very good, with the colors well retained on the exterior. There are a few small moth nips on the exterior, and there is also staining around the bottom of the cap. The main condition issue however is definitely the deteriorated sweatband.

A lovely example of a Fire Police Officer's visor cap, ready to add to your collection!

More on the Fire Protection Police:

On June 17TH 1936, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed to the newly created position of Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern (Chief of the German Police in the National Ministry of the Interior), effectively giving him full control of all police agencies within Germany including the Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police). As a result of this appointment and the restructuring of all the separate German state police into a single national police force new regulations were instituted on June 25TH 1936 to bring about uniformity in dress for all police through-out the country. The Police were divided into eight assorted branches of service with each branch being assigned a specific identifying, Truppenfarbe, (branch of service color), with the Feuerschutzpolizei being allocated carmine truppenfarbe. The Feuerschutzpolizei were further distinguished from the other police branches of service with blue uniforms and headgear instead of the typical police green uniforms.