WW2 German Army Feldgendarmerie (Military Police) Sleeve Eagle. Dark-orange machine embroidered eagle with black swastika surrounded by an oval wreath on a field-grey Abzeichentuch wool oval. Shows storage wear, age some staining from being packed in a duffle bag for 70 years. This example came to us as part of the "Dachau hord" of insignia brought home by an intrepid american Gi at the end of the war. A unique piece of history! VG+.

History

Prior to mobilization in 1939, before the outbreak of World War Two, The German Armed Forces had no full time permanent Military Police force.

When MPs were needed units were created by temporarily assigning personnel from the civilian Police.

On mobilization, these same experienced policemen were called upon to create the first of the Army's Feldgendarmerie units. Initially, they wore their original Police uniforms, and were identified as Military Police, solely by the wear of an armband on the left sleeve. It was in green cloth with the legend "Feld=Gendarmerie" machine woven in yellow rayon.

Feldgendarmerie units received full infantry training and were given extensive police powers. A military police school was set up at Potsdam, near Berlin to train Feldgendarmerie personnel. Subjects included Criminal code, general and special police powers, reporting duties, passport and identification law, weapons drill, self-defense techniques, criminal police methodology, and general administration.

All prospective candidates served at a Feldgendarmerie command after the first term of examinations. Courses lasted one year and failure rates were high: in 1935 only 89 soldiers graduated from an initial intake of 219 candidates. Feldgendarmerie were employed within army divisions and as self-contained units under the command of an army corps. They often worked in close cooperation with the Geheime Feldpolizei (English: Secret Field Police), district commanders and SS and Police Leaders.

After surrender of all German forces in May 1945, some Feldgendarmerie and Feldjägerkorps units in the western zones of occupied Germany were allowed to keep their weapons by the Allies because of the number of POWs that required guarding and processing. For example, the British VIII Corps based in Schleswig-Holstein used an entire regiment of volunteers from the Feldgendarmerie to maintain discipline at its demobilisation center at Meldorf. Re-activated military police, who received extra rations as pay, were identified by an armband stating Wehrmachtordnungstruppe (Armed Forces Order Troop). More than 12 months after the official end of the Second World War, the Feldgendarmerie became the last German units to surrender their arms in June 1946.

German military police wore a sleeve eagle, similar in style to the civiliam Gendarmerie as a distinguishing mark on their left sleeve.

Below are several videos related to the Feldgendarmerie which may be of interst to collectors and historians.