Foreign Volunteer Polizei & Schuma:

Korporal, Ukrainian Schutzmannschaft, Battalion 3:

Schutzmannschaft aka “Shuma” as well as “Hilfspolizei” or “Hipo’ were axillary police battalions of native policemen in eastern occupied areas seized from the Soviet Union. The Germans utilized local police auxiliaries volunteers called Hilfswilligen as the so-called Protective Detachments or Schutzmannshaft; they usually augmented the Ordnungsploizei.

The Shutzmannschaft Battalions were organized by Nationality at each location: Ukrainians, Belarusians, Estonians, Lithuanians, and Latvians. Battalions had the authorized strength of about 500 troops, always outnumbering their supporting German personnel. By 1 July 1942, eighteen and a half Ukrainian Schutzmannschaft battalions had been formed, with a further three battalions set up in Belarus mainly staffed by Ukrainians.

Note: I have also seen these uniforms with medium green cuff highlights, but am not sure what they represent.

This ‘Korporal’ wears the first style uniform of the Schutzmannschaft which is converted from the early SS uniform. He is armed with a captured Moisen-Nagant rifle. In some other cases Officers may be armed with Soviet Automatic or Semi-Automatic weapons, and other older German weapons have been seen.

I want to mention that I do not support any of these organizations, nor do I promote anything of the sort, They show a very dark part of the WWII Story that needs to be known, it happened, and it is what it is, let’s us not repeat it. There is a lot to study here, and learned about repercussions 50 years down the road. I still show it here as a part of history, and to understand what happened a little of the situation at that time, and the decisions people made, for one reason or another, some had no choice but it often got ugly, still it was but 1 small part of the big story of WWII, the world was at war, except a few the played both sides.

Let’s face it, the War was as brutal as they get, the ones that followed we also unbelievable, the atrocities on both sides driven by fear, and un-letting horror. We continue to kill each other in the most horrible ways for God, Country, Politicians flexing their muscles, or just plain Terror, we are the most destructive, the most denial, yet pampered species in the world. And all we want is Peace and Freedom. Just my two cents, for what it’s worth.

Vizekorporal, 115. Bataillon (Ukrainian) Schutzmannschaft:

Schutzmannschaft or Schuma were the auxiliary native policemen serving in those areas of the Soviet Union and the Baltic states occupied by the Reich. Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, established the Schutzmannschaft on 25. Juli 1941 subordinating it Ordnungspolizei.

By the end of 1941, some 45,000 men were serving in Schutzmannschaft units. During 1942, Schutzmannschaften expanded to an estimated 300,000 men. In all occupied areas local police far outnumbered German personnel several times over; in most places by 10-to-1. Schutzmannschaft-Bataillonen was created to provide security in the occupied territories, in particular by combating the partisan forces.

Bataillon was formed in numbers that follow: 21 Estonian, 47 Latvian, 26 Lithuanian,11 Belarusian, 8 Tatar, and 71 Ukrainian. Schuma Bataillons had an authorized strength of around 500. Initially called Hilfspolizei, Germans did not want to attach any police title to the force, and it became Schutzmannschaften.

These units were an integral part of the local German police structure and dealt with a variety of issues, including everyday crimes except when they concerned German citizens. Initially, only a small fraction of local auxiliaries were armed. However due to limited supervision, particularly in rural areas, members of Schutzmannschaften had considerable power and there were frequent complaints of corruption and abuse. Local men volunteered for a number of reasons.

Prior police or military experience and wanted a job that paid steady wages and provided food rations. Joining the German war apparatus also provided certain privileges and protections for the men and their families such as exemption from forced labor. Pensions were available to family members of those killed in anti-partisan operations.

Note: The collar tabs in the old photograph, do not match my uniform here, but are variations, they also have a typical early brown collar uniform. I realize these volunteers are a very hot topic at the moment, but the uniforms I’ve had for ages, and have been on multiple sites I’ve had now, still I am not about the politics of it now, but rather the history, what the uniform may have looked like and tell the story of it…

Zugführer, Schumannschaft Bataillon 35, Ukrainisch:

The Schutzmannschaft, or Schuma served as auxiliary native police forces in the Baltic States and former Soviet Union. Formed in Juli 1941 the Schuma was subordinated to the Ordnungspolizei. Starting at a total strength of 45,000 volunteers in 1941, during 1942 the Bataillons swelled to 300,000. Schutzmannschaft-Bataillonen provided security in the occupied territories, in particular by combating the partisans.

About 200 Bataillonen were formed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Tartar Cossaks, and Ukraine. 500-man Bataillonen were organized into Kompanie u. Zugs. The Zugführer is a decorated leader wearing a Police uniform with standard Schuma insignia.

The sleeve badge Treu Tapfer Gehorsam translates to Faithful Brave Obedient. These uniforms here, just to depict how these uniforms looked, the men that wore them were already judged, were shown not to glorify them but to show that they were real people, and history is to be studied, to understand how we got to where we are.

“UPDATED” Unterkorporal Schutzmannschaft der Sicherheitspolizei:

Schutzmannschaft or auxiliary police, usually supported the Schutzmannschaft der Ordnungspolizei. Created in November 1941, they were police units created from the local population of that region or country. Schema Bataillons were commanded by the higher SS and Polizei leaders in their region. Schutzmannschaft der Sicherheitspolizei or SD were units formed from members of the Schutzmannschaft der Ordnungspolizei.

The war period issue Polizei Bluse has no piping nor specially colored cuffs or collars and dates from 1943 or later. The SS style Litzen and black Schulterklappe SD service in the rank of Unterkorporal. No one called me on it, but in the original photo shoot I had an overseas cap with a Polizei insignia on it, It bothered me, as it was incorrect it seemed to-me, so I finally changed caps, it now has this single button, M43 style cap with the Shumo insignia on it.

The First picture, shows foreign police I think, and they subsided and worked in compliance with, and adapted the German customs, under their control. The Second picture is SHUMA troops with SS National Eagles on the sleeves from what unit could be debated, dark caps and one has dark trousers. The last picture may be the Lituainian Volunteer Police, but it is unclear exactly what they are.

Romanian, “SCHUTZMANNSCHAFT :”

This uniform has a story, and I’ll get it on here, just needed to add the photos first. I collect uniforms-don’t even know why, It is a part of the story of the world though, and WWII happened, and had nothing to do with me, but we can’t run from history, we have to learn from what happened, and why things happened, what leads to what, in in the process people had to make choices to run, or fight, be victims, or try to change what was happening.

Sometimes people were between a rock and a hard spot, sort of damned if you do and damned if you don’t one picks sides, often with who they think will win, not necessarily what they believe in all the time, right or wrong comes up against if you want to live or die at the moment, and one sometimes they have no choice, you get volunteered by the conqueror, and you fight far from home and well, you could just get stuck. Anyway, I’ll get the story for this uniform in here.

Estonian Volinteer, Polizei Meister, Füsilier Bataillon 286:

Initially, the ranks of the Estonian security battalions and the auxiliary police wore Wehrmacht uniforms or the uniforms of the pre-war Estonian and even Latvian armies. Later on, the German police uniform, distinguished from the army uniform by its darker-colored cloth and brown collars and sleeve cuffs, became the standard. 

A small shield with national colors (blue-black-white) was worn on the cuff. The officially established variant of the shield was ornamented with three gold heraldic lions on a background consisting of angled blue, black, and white stripes with yellow edging.

Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 286 was formed by the Estonian police constable, and other civilian police officers in early June 1943 the battalion was sent by train from Tallinn to Riga, where it began training near Baldur. After the end of the training, the battalion was sent to eastern Poland and Belarus, to fight against partisans taking part in  anti-partisan operations "Unternehmen Sommer ", “Unternehmen Fritz ", and "Unternehmen Heinrich."

When the Red Army began a major offensive in the Nevel section, the battalion was sent directly to the front line and was put under the tactical control of the German 132nd Infantry Division until the second half of January 1944 when it fell under the command of the 290th Infantry Division.  Suffering massive losses the battalion was returned to Estonia in February 1944 with just 200 of the original 650 members.

This Polizei Meister has been awarded both the Iron Cross I & II Class as well as having been wounded in combat show by the award of the 1939 Wound Badge in Black. 

He wears an M36-type wool uniform, its piped in a lemon green color. Fancy for a field uniform, he would have had a belt with a side arm on it. He sports an M43 single-button cap with standard trousers all in military-feldgrau and boots. 

Major, Croatian Volunteer Polizei:

There is a long entangled web of people involved in WWII, and most when you think about it were fighting for someone else, or their friends, but there was a lot to the puzzle-and events go back to even WWI, how one thing leads to another amazes me, and there is a story for this fellow, I’ll dig it up again and get it on the sit in the future. This fellow is a high-roller, a pretty snazzy uniform one might usually only see in parades, but it is a field uniform.

I would assume there were not all that many Foreign Polizei Officers of this rank. There is a lot that never had photographs taken of them, If possible they were used in propaganda, or power and control of villages, towns cities, and land, and involved with the “Ethnic Cleansing” of them, installing new rules, and control.

Meister, Polizei-Battaillone:

Between 1939 and 1945, the Ordnungspolizei also maintained separate military formations, independent of the main police offices within Germany, The first such formations were the Police Battalions (SS-Polizei-Bataillone), for various Auxiliary duties outside of Germany, Including anti-partisan operations. this was a very dark spot in history for the Polizei), they also were involved in the construction of defense works (like the Atlantic Wall), and often supported the combat troops on or near the front lines.

Specific duties varied widely from unit to unit where they operated, different Foreign Volunteer groups, and from one year to another.

Generally, the SS-Polizei units were not directly involved in combat. Some Police Battalions were primarily focused on the traditional security roles of an occupying force, some did the ethnic cleansing dirty work.

The Police Battalions consisted of approximately 500 men armed with light infantry weapons. The battalions were originally numbered 1 to 325. Still, in February 1943 were renamed and renumbered in series 1 to about 37 to distinguish them from Schutzmannschaft, auxiliary police battalions recruited from the local population in German-occupied areas. The police battalions were organically and administratively under Chief of Police Kurt Daluege.

Still, operationally they were under the authority of regional SS. und Polizeifuhrer reported up the chain of command, bypassing Daluege, directly to the Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler. While these units were similar to the Waffen-SS divisions, they were not part of the Waffen-SS and should not be confused with the 4th SS Polizei Division.

This Meister (one who is knowledgeable about something specified) wears a late-war Feldbluse in the final SS camouflage pattern, which was fairly widely used, the dot-44 pattern. Like many pieces of camouflage, the blues are made from different runs of the pattern, this was done to save wasting material, The Final pattern BEVO collar insignia has replaced the more ornate early patterns (The universal Green-inlaid Heer-Wehrmacht Blitzen sometimes fit the role), woven in the metallic wire. The white “Polizei” sleeve eagle is embroidered, in gray on a Feldgrau wool, Black Swaztika with backing. This was common late in the war even with the SS troops, the ban on insignia was ignored.

Having served since the early days of the war, this Meister has not only earned both Esiernes Kreuze and the Ost Front medal as well as the Hungarian Anti-Communist Medal. Battling against Red-Partisan bands since 1942, he is well qualified for the Bandenkampf Abzeichen or Anti-Partisan Warfare Badge in Silver.

Enemy fire has inflicted at least a single combat wound that has been honored with the Black Wound Badge. Similar trousers were worn, with short boots and Gamaschen were worn. In combat, the Stahlhelm is worn while the Schifchen or overseas-style police cap is worn but generally not in direct combat.

In the old photos, the first depicts a Polzi Troop, not a camouflage uniform but rather a common smock, but note the insignia on his cap, and the second photo shows a Polizei man, with the Volunteer National/insignia on his sleeve with the rank chevron connected to it, with no insignia on his overseas cap.