Shoulder Boards - EM Polizei

Shoulder Boards – German Police (Enlisted Men)

These shoulder boards are associated with enlisted personnel of the German police, particularly the Ordnungspolizei, during the Second World War.

In the German uniform system, shoulder boards were used to identify both rank category and organizational affiliation. Enlisted men wore relatively simple shoulder boards made from cloth without braided metallic cords, unlike those worn by officers and senior ranks.

This example is constructed from grey-green cloth, a color commonly associated with German police uniforms, and features orange piping along the edges. The orange color represented one of the Waffenfarben used by police units.

The boards follow the typical flat construction of enlisted shoulder boards and include a tongue and button fastening system, allowing them to be attached to the uniform. They were worn on various service and field uniforms used by police formations.

During the war, units of the Ordnungspolizei performed a wide range of duties including security tasks, policing operations and support roles in occupied territories.

These uniform components were produced by various military textile manufacturers, supplying insignia and uniform items for police and other state formations.