Description
German Wehrmacht Feldgendarmerie Gorget, Early Pattern, fl.U.V. 1935 Marked
This is an original German Wehrmacht Feldgendarmerie gorget, an iconic and historically significant piece of Third Reich military police equipment. The gorget features the unmistakable Wehrmacht eagle clutching a swastika above the inscription “Feldgendarmerie”, identifying the wearer as a member of the German Army’s military police. Both the eagle, lettering, and the securing buttons were originally treated with phosphorescent paint, allowing the gorget to glow in the dark. This feature was essential for nighttime traffic control, checkpoints, and rear-area policing duties, giving Feldgendarmerie personnel immediate authority and visibility after dark.
This example is fl.U.V. 1935 maker marked on the catch, indicating early production and placing it firmly in the pre-war to early-war period, shortly after the reestablishment of the Feldgendarmerie following Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933. After their reintroduction into the Wehrmacht, Feldgendarmerie units received full infantry training in addition to specialized police instruction. Training was conducted at the military police school in Potsdam near Berlin and covered criminal law, police powers, weapons training, self-defense, investigative methods, and administrative duties. Standards were exceptionally high, with failure rates significant—only 89 of 219 candidates graduating in 1935.
During the war, Feldgendarmerie units operated within army divisions and at corps level, often working alongside the Geheime Feldpolizei, SS, and regional commanders. Their responsibilities ranged from traffic regulation and population control to anti-partisan operations, apprehension of deserters, and enforcement of discipline behind the front lines. As the war progressed, their authority and feared reputation grew, earning them the grim nicknames “Kettenhunde” (Chained Dogs) and “Heldenklauer” (Hero Snatchers). They were also responsible for administering Strafbataillone, punishment units for soldiers sentenced by court-martial.
The Feldgendarmerie gorget remains one of the most recognizable symbols of German military policing in World War II. Early, maker-marked examples such as this are increasingly scarce and represent a powerful artifact of Wehrmacht discipline, control, and rear-area operations.
