Original German Pre-WWII Early M34 Square Dip First Pattern Order Police Helmet with Double Decals - Orpo

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice genuine steel construction M34 "Square Dip" Third Reich helmet, outfitted for German WWII Police issue, as they were issued early during NSDAP rule in Germany. It has two of the distinctive "salt shaker" style seven hole vents on each aide, as is correct, but unlike most we see, they are actually separate pieces of steel inserted into holes in the shell, so this is a VERY early helmet. Features genuine double decals of a "mobile" Swas on the right, and a tilted national colors decal on the left. There are no holes on top for the mounting of a comb, denoting that this helmet was designed and issued as a Police helmet, not a fire police helmet.

The exterior of this German helmet retains most of the original black paint, with some chips, scratches, and oxidation spotted across the exterior. The Swas decal is nearly 95% complete, and the National Colors is about the same, with both showing light wear and a lovely age toned color to the white part of the decals. There are some small dents, but no major damage, just the expected wear from service. The only markings we found on the shell are over the left ear, including a "Lion" logo, indicating production by the Eisenhüttenwerke, Thale factory. This is the same factory that developed the M-35 lineage of helmets. Next to the marking is a large letter "B".

Comes with a complete leather liner with all four split pins still present, though the liner has definitely shows a good amount of staining from use, and the top tie string is missing. There is a crown pad at the top, which shows wear, and we can see crumbled red orange rubber from the original forehead pad. The chinstrap is the two buckle type similar to WWI issue, and is in good shape, There are only three tabs on the liner for attachment of a leather neck protector, but it does not look like any are missing, so most likely in the early period they only used three tabs.

Overall a great opportunity to get a very early NSDAP Civic Police helmet with lots of character. Ready to display!

The Ordnungspolizei, abbreviated Orpo, meaning "Order Police", were the uniformed police force in NSDAP Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo organization was absorbed into the NSDAP monopoly on power after regional police jurisdiction was removed in favor of the central N government ("Reich-ification", Verreichlichung, of the police). The Orpo was controlled, nominally by the Interior Ministry but its executive functions rested with the leadership of the SS until the end of World War II. Owing to their green uniforms, Orpo were also referred to as Grüne Polizei (green police). The force was first established as a centralized organization uniting the municipal, city, and rural uniformed police that had been organized on a state-by-state basis.

The Ordnungspolizei encompassed virtually all of NSDAP Germany's law-enforcement and emergency response organizations, including fire brigades, coast guard, and civil defense. In the prewar period, Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, and Kurt Daluege, chief of the Order Police, cooperated in transforming the police force of the Weimar Republic into militarized formations ready to serve the regime's aims of conquest and racial annihilation. Police troops were first formed into battalion-sized formations for the invasion of Poland, where they were deployed for security and policing purposes, also taking part in executions and mass deportations. During World War II, the force had the task of policing the civilian population of the occupied and colonized countries beginning in spring 1940.