The Schutzmannschaft or Auxiliary Police (literally: "protection team" abbreviated as Schuma) was the auxiliary police of native policemen serving in those areas of Eastern Europe occupied by Germany during World War II. Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler established the Schutzmannschaft on July 25, 1941 and subordinated it to the Order Police (Ordnungspolizei; Orpo). By the end of 1941, some 45,000 men served in Schutzmannschaft units, about half of them in the battalions. During 1942, Schutzmannschaften expanded to an estimated 300,000 men, with battalions accounting for about a third of the force. These local police far outnumbered the equivalent German personnel several times (in most places, the ratio of Germans to natives was about 1-to-10) and played a critical role in the fighting against Soviet Partisans.

Offered here are a pair of lower ranking collar tabs. Formed of a rectangular pattern dark blue green wool badge cloth folded and sewn with twisted wire piping, worn without ornamentation for the lowest officer ranks, mounted to a buckram backing. Pair. Exc.