Description
Fire Protection Police
During the Third Reich, efforts were undertaken to consolidate Germany’s numerous provincial police forces into a unified national organisation. To facilitate this process, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed Chief of the German Police within the Ministry of the Interior in June 1936. In the same month, Himmler introduced standardized uniforms, headgear, and insignia. Previously, many of these police uniforms, particularly in former Prussian territories, were navy blue. The new standard was a distinctive shade referred to as “Police green.”
The German Police were categorized into two primary divisions: the Ordnungspolizei (Orpo or Regular Police) and the Sicherheitspolizei (Secret Police). The Ordnungspolizei became informally known as the “green police” due to their uniform color. The Sicherheitspolizei encompassed both the Gestapo and the Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Investigation Police). With the onset of the Second World War, the Sicherheitspolizei came under the jurisdiction of the Reich Main Security Office.
Fire Protection Police Dress Bayonets were intended for wear with evening dress uniforms during parades and special occasions. These bayonets were not designed for attachment to rifles. The handle consisted of the pommel, grip, and cross guard, constructed from nickel-plated white metal or steel. The pommel featured a blunted beak design, while the grips were made from black-checkered plastic affixed by two rivets. The cross guard incorporated two outwardly curving “S”-shaped quillons. The blade itself was fashioned from nickel-plated steel.
There were two principal variations of the bayonet: those issued to Officers (from the rank of Obertruppführer upwards), which had a blade length of approximately 200 mm, and those for Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs; from Truppführer downwards), with blades measuring approximately 250 mm. The ricasso on both sides of the blade typically displayed manufacturer markings, and a sawback could be added for an additional fee. Certain bayonets featured etched inscriptions signifying presentation to retired Fire Protection Police personnel.
The scabbard was composed of steel, coated in black enamel paint, and equipped with a frog stud on the obverse. The frog, constructed from black leather, enabled attachment to the wearer’s belt. Manufacturer information, including name and location, was generally acid-etched onto the reverse ricasso, with trademarks often appearing on the obverse ricasso. Issuing numbers appeared only when the bayonet was produced by the Fire Protection Department, usually marked on the ricasso or cross guard reverse; privately manufactured bayonets did not bear these numbers. Property marks, though seldom seen, denoted particular districts, such as the example “F.W. BERLIN” for the Berlin Feuerwehr. Finally, a silver, red, and black portepee or sword knot was authorised for use with Police Dress and Service Bayonets.
