Schuma Panzer EM/NCO's Side Cap

The Schutzmannschaft (Schuma) or Auxiliary Police was the collaborationist auxiliary police of native policemen serving in those areas of the Soviet Union and the Baltic states occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, established the Schutzmannschaft on 25 July 1941 and subordinated it to the Order Police. 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, or less than one half of the local force. Everywhere, local police far outnumbered the equivalent German personnel several times; in most places, the ratio of Germans to natives was about 1-to-10. Schuma units usually was equiped with captured weapons from various countrys but was also equpied with weapons produced in Germany. The “Schuma” units was rarely provided tanks and when they was it was almost always captured or tanks manufactured in Czechoslovakia. In June 1942 distinctive cap and sleeves emblems were introduced for Schuma personnel to distinguish them from Ordnungspolizei, personnel.

Black wool construction cap with fold down side and back panels. As is typical the fold down panels are hand-stitched in the upright position at the front center of the cap. The front center of the cap has a machine woven insignia consists of a swastika encompassed by a laurel leaf wreath in grey rayon threads on a black rayon base. The insignia is neatly hand sewn to the cap. The interior of the cap is fully lined in black cotton cloth. Lining is stamped manufacturers code “1040” and size “57”. All in white ink. The cap is in a well preserved condition with light signs of age and real use.

Super scarce cap, second one we had for sale in over 30 years!!