3er Wehrmacht / Polize medal bar

[jamie7d7]

Recently found this interesting spange for sale so decided to treat myself.

Finding any 8year Police medal on a bar is not a common occurrence and this one shows that the chap then went into the army and received the 4yr service medal as well as the Austrian Annexation medal

This brings my Polizei medal bar count to 8

[TabsTabs1964]

Totally according to your theory, and certainly not at all frequent

[HPL2008]

Finding any 8year Police medal on a bar is not a common occurrence and this one shows that the chap then went into the army and received the 4yr service medal as well as the Austrian Annexation medal

The other way around, actually: He served in the army and then moved on to the police (which many soldiers did after they had served out their time).

The long service award of the Wehrmacht was instituted in 1936, with awards discontinued in 1939 for the duration of the war. The Polizei award was instituted in 1938. Both were only awarded to personnel on active duty with the respective service.

Thus, somebody awarded the Polizei-DA in 1938 or 1939 could not have gotten the Wehrmacht-DA as well, even if he joined the army immediately afterwards.

Also, prior police service was only recognized for the Wehrmacht-DA if it was in a police force that had been absorbed by the Wehrmacht (all of which took place well before 1938), but prior military service was always recognized for the Polizei-DA.

Thus, he had served in the armed forces for at least 4 years and then transferred to the police at some point from 1936 to 1939, totalling a minimum of 8 years in both services by 1945.

[Ullergaard]

Lovely bar Jamie!
Will look good in your polizei display!

[jamie7d7]

HPL. Many thanks for the valuable information.

I've been a bit tardy of late reading up on TR Polizei, lord knows I've bought enough books. But house renovation seems to rule my life just now.