Original Item: Only One available. This is a very good condition Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police) NCO/EM Schirmmütze Visor Cap, which is size marked 54 ½ on the interior. The cap has a very nice condition brown lightweight brown oilcloth crown lining, with a brown twill side interior surface. The inner crown still has a fully intact celluloid sweat shield diamond, with intact stitching. This marked with the following maker information:-

Reichsbahn
Kleiderklasse

Carl Isker
UNIFORM-MÜTZEN-FABRIK
Köln
54 ½

Based on these markings, we believe that this cap was converted from a Reichsbahn railway cap, either during original manufacture or later. The caps were very similar in color and piping color, so a cap on hand may have been used.

This is a high quality German made cap, which is most likely intended more for an NCO than an enlisted man. It is fabricated from very dark navy blue "doeskin" wool cloth, with a wide black velvet plush material cap band. This is flanked by two rows of carmine red (karminrot) color piping around the circumference, the Protection Police Truppenfarbe (troop color) for the Fire branch. The crown stiffener is still present, giving it a very sharp look.

Cap is decorated with the correct insignia, including an aluminum Ordnungpolizei wreathed eagle on the crown, with the classic metal Tri-color cockade below, still bearing its vibrant red felt insert. This is reverse of how they usually are, but would be exactly correct if the Reichsbahn insignia was replaced with the police eagle. Both are in very good shape, with just a bit of oxidation and antiquing on the eagle. The EM/NCO chinstrap is in very good condition, showing some nice checking to the finish, and is held in place by the pebbled gold buttons.

The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting light wear along the edge and is brown on the underside with cross hatching. There is a lovely pattern of crazing and checking on the gloss top, only achieved after many years. The sweatband is made from chestnut brown pressed paper faux leather, and is in very good condition, but also very stiff due to age.

Overall condition is very good, though there is some moth damage to the bottom of the cap and piping due to moth damage. There is some under the chinstrap as well, as well as on the very bottom of the cap.

A lovely example of the very colorful Fire Police visor cap with some interesting history, 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.