M1936 Gendarmerie Shako for Enlisted Ranks and NCOs

The M1936 police shako with brown fittings belonged to the German Gendarmerie, the branch principally responsible for policing rural districts, small communities and areas outside the regular urban Schutzpolizei system. The Gendarmerie formed part of the Ordnungspolizei, the umbrella organization encompassing Germany’s uniformed police services. It should not be confused with the Wehrmacht’s Feldgendarmerie, which performed military-police duties within the armed forces.

The historical pattern was constructed around a rigid shell, normally moulded from vulcanized fibre and covered with police-green wool cloth or felt. Depending on the production batch, dye, lighting and subsequent ageing, this colour could appear grey-green, blue-green or almost blue-grey. The shako had a tall, compact profile with a flat crown, short front peak and downward-sloping rear peak. Screened ventilation openings were usually positioned on both sides.

Its principal branch distinction was the use of medium-brown fittings and leather components. The crown, front and rear peaks, edging and reinforcing strips could be made from brown-lacquered fibre and brown leather. This separated the Gendarmerie pattern from the corresponding Schutzpolizei shako, whose external fittings were normally black.

The adjustable brown leather chinstrap identified the version for enlisted and NCO ranks. It was fitted with metal sliding buckles and attached to side posts derived from the Model 1891 system. Gendarmerie officers wore a yellow-metal scale chain in place of the leather strap, while gilt fittings were prescribed for generals. The form of the chinstrap or scale chain is consequently an important feature when identifying the intended rank group.

The front carried the national German police eagle introduced in 1936. Generally manufactured from aluminium or another lightweight alloy with a silver-coloured finish, the large emblem depicted a spread-winged eagle placed over a vertical oak-leaf wreath. The eagle held a swastika surrounded by a second wreath. A fully equipped shako also carried an elongated oval national cockade in black, white and red above the eagle.

The Gendarmerie used orange as its branch colour, displayed on uniform piping, collar patches and other insignia. On the shako itself, however, the brown exterior parts provided the clearest distinction. The urban Schutzpolizei used a similar pattern with black fittings, while the Traffic Police also employed a white version.

The pattern appeared during the reorganization and standardization of the German police beginning in 1936. It gradually replaced earlier regional and Weimar-period shakos, which commonly displayed police stars incorporating the arms of individual German states. The new national police eagle occupied most of the front and standardized the appearance of the different branches brought together under the Ordnungspolizei.

The shako was worn with several forms of service, reporting and parade dress. A plume could be mounted on the crown when required for ceremonial use. For field duties and operational deployments, it was increasingly replaced by the steel helmet, peaked cap or other more practical headgear.

Period-manufactured examples could contain a leather sweatband and a fingered leather liner. Interior markings might identify the manufacturer, head size, year of production, police depot or issuing unit. Their presence and arrangement varied according to the maker and supply contract.

Historical note: the colour known as Polizeigrün was not perfectly standardized. Some production batches had a noticeably blue-green appearance, while ageing and exposure to light could make the difference even more pronounced. When identifying a Gendarmerie shako, the brown fittings and leather components are therefore generally more significant than the precise shade of the cloth covering.