Headgear of the Railway Police

Members of the Bahnpolizei wore two different service visor caps from 1933 until the end of the war.

The first cap, in the traditional "saddle" form, was of field-grey woolen cloth with dark green cap band and a black leather or fiber visor was worn with the hat. Officer piping was in silver-colored aluminum cord whereas other ranks caps were mousegrey.

The old style M-29 eagle in silver metal finish was worn on the upper crown of the cap until 1936. After that period, a Reichsbahn eagle was used. Secured to the cap band was a national cockade in a silver wreath, supported on a small winged wheel device. Officers wore caps using this insignia in silver wire with aluminum-colored whipcords attached to the body of the cap by pebbled silver buttons, Enlisted and NCO ranks wore metal insignia with black leather chinstraps and black enameled side buttons and fittings.

In 1941 a second pattern service cap of mottled blue color was introduced. This cap had a black velvet cap band for offcers and black wool for other ranks and used either gold, silver, or mouse-grey piping, depending on the rank of the wearer.

An embroidered or metal Bahnschutz eagle was worn below the crown of the cap and secured on the band was a national cockade flanked by a wreath having worked into it the flying wheel of the Reichsbahn service. This badge was either of gold, silver wire or metal composition, also dependent upon the rank of the owner.

Buttons secured either a gold, silver, or black leather chinstrap, and in the case of officer ranks the buttons were pebbled; enlisted and NCO buttons were of flat enameled black paint and were worn with a leather chinstrap.

The Commander of the Railway Police wore gilt embroidered insignia and piping on his cap with a gold-colored whipcord. Staff to Battalion Leaders wore silver embroidered insignia and silver piping; lower ranking officers also wore silver embroidered insignia and an aluminum cap cord with black flecking. NCO personnel and enlisted members of the Railway Police wore a leather chinstrap, naturally colored metal insignia, and their caps were piped in mouse-grey.


THE OVERSEAS CAP

An overseas cap was worn by all ranks of the Bahnschutzpolizei and was of mottled blue cloth having either gilt or silver piping along its crown and on the scalloped edges of the front side panels. A metal grommet was secured to each side of the cap for ventilation. Below the crown of the cap a Reichsbahn eagle was worn in either gilt or silver wire embroidery (machine woven white silk for lower ranks). A national cockade (embroidered or machine woven according to rank and affxed to a diamond shaped dark blue cloth patch) was flanked by a waffenfarbe of woolen material in a mouse-grey color.

The Chief of the Railway Police wore gilt embroidered insignia and piping; middle rank officers wore silver embroidered insignia and piping, and enlisted and NCO ranks utilized machine woven white silken insignia and no piping.


Tom Shutt, "Dress and Field Service Hats of the Third Reich, Vol.1", H.s.M. Publications, 1981