Insignia for GFP impression

[askhati]

I recently acquired several Osprey and MAA books on the German police, field police and other police-like units, and the GFP - Geheime Feldpolizei - caught my attention. I started looking for insignia for them (litzen, shoulder boards) and pulled a complete blank for the Heer GFP. For the Luftwaffe GFP, I found a site that provides repro litzen and boards, but the Heer GFP insignia - nebenfarbe of blue-gray, compared to the red of the Luftwaffe - is nowhere to be found.

Any ideas? I am looking for a rank of Leutnant or Oberleutnant, with the blue-gray piped litzen and the matching Heeresbeamte boards.

[pepperpot]

I started the ball rolling on GFP over 5 years ago and have both Heer and Luftwaffe impressions.
this shop first made them from original I had at the time.
http://www.historical-militaria-shop.com/search.htm (Miss Militaria) very helpful website
the highest rank for Luftwaffe is Oberfeldpolizeidirektor = Oberst Ltn. Lower ranks have GFP in gilt and higher ranks are silver, the reverse to normal. For the Heer the ranks went up to Generalmajor according to my book on german ranks.
Osprey have got their info wrong at least twice, I contacted the Gentleman's club in the USA and told them, the admin said thanks, the author said nought!!
Both LW and Heer use the same EMand officers uniforms.
also on the cuff was " Geheimefeldpolizei" although depending which book you consult it is debateable whether theses cuff titles were worn. I have the on both my Oberfeldpoliziedirektor Luftwaffe and Heer Feldpolizeikommissar = Hauptmann
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0pzZ ... re&f=false
graham

[askhati]

Thanks, I've been looking at that exact site

However, I am not finding the Heer GFP insignia for an Oberleutnant there (unless I'm missing something).

- The litzen, per my reading, should be regular Heer ones, officer grade with silver wire, on a dark green base and with the blue-gray nebenfarbe and thread in the middle of the litzen bars. The site does not stock them.

- Likewise for the Oberleutnant shoulder boards: my reading indicates that I need leutnant boards in silver wire, with a dark green base and blue-gray nebenfarbe. The shop doesn't have it either.

Any ideas on an alternative source?

[pepperpot]

may be out of stock, send an email, but that where I got both Heer and Luftwaffe from
graham

[askhati]

Ok, so Historic Militaria no longer stocks the Heer GFP insignia, and cannot restock them due to concerns regarding the original fabricators.

Any other ideas for sources of GFP insignia?

[pepperpot]

I have emailed her, waiting reply. I also ordered 2 sets for new uniforms, so im surprised I never got a cancellation email.
graham
graham

[pepperpot]

Ok don't give up yet, I have put a suggestion to H.M. and are waiting a reply. Its a quantity problem.
To contact me in future please use email address,
thanks,
graham

[askhati]

I got the same response from her: she can't afford to buy masses of the insignia (as sold by the fabricators), and then have it sitting on the stock shelves for years. Makes sense, from a supplier's viewpoint, but also sucks a bit for someone looking for only one set instead of 10+...

[pepperpot]

I don't normally advertise businesses here as its not my job, this is a 1 off exception.
Historical Militaria Heer Geheime Feldpolizei shoulder boards.
Heerespolizeichef - Oberst
Oberfeldpolizeidirektor - Oberstleutnant
Feldpolizeidirektor - Major
Feldpolizeikommissar - Hauptmann
Feldpolizeiobersekretär/Inspektor - Oberleutnant
Feldpolizeisekretär - Leutnant
im setting up a 1 of run of the above shoulder boards. If anyone wants to purchase these please let me know and ill add your name to the order for these.
graham

[pepperpot]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geheime_Feldpolizei
interesting reading, however Gordon Williamson, Ron Volstad (1989). German Military Police Units 1939-45. Osprey Publishing. pp. 13–16. is wrong for the Luftwaffe, despite advising them about their mistake I received no reply.