Who are these troops???

[Danmark]

Who are these troops in this MG-34 team? They have police decals on their helmets but SS style sleeve eagles and Heer collar tabs???
What am I missing here?

Dan ( confused )

[KMMorris]

SS military police possibly? it also has me puzzled.
Morris

[aj4010]

Enlarged a bit, if you click it.

[ObKrieger]

They are men of the 4. SS Polizei Division, I believe.

Yep, I was right! Here you go: Axis History Factbook: 4. SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier-Division

[Danmark]

Thanks Mo! .... so the change was that the police sleeve eagle was replaced by the SS one?
( bet they would have preferred to be directing traffic ......LOL )
Cheers, Dan

[Doppelgänger]

Propaganda photo undoubtedly, so perhaps not indicative of an actual fighting unit?

[ObKrieger]

Thanks Mo! .... so the change was that the police sleeve eagle was replaced by the SS one?
( bet they would have preferred to be directing traffic ......LOL )
Cheers, Dan

I believe so, although I'm not really someone who knows too much about the uniform changes. According to the site, they used Polizei insignia until February of 1942.

I am not really sure about how they used SS rank insignia on the Polizei uniform. I would be interested to get an answer...

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Mo, you are correct on your id.

They used Police rank insignia and collar litzen until 1942. They were still Police personel until 10th Feb 1942. Prior to this date full SS members of the unit wore the runes on the lower pocket. After 1942 they were all SS members and wore conventional SS rank insignia etc.

The photo shown dates from France 1940 I believe.

Cheers, Ade.

[Danmark]

Thanks Ade - I found it on the web but it was probably originally in a SIGNAL publication .... seems like the quality they used to publish.