Interbellum Polish Police training course award badges

[StefanM]

I have been offered first refusal on this group of three Polish Police training course award badges. They are:
- Mosty Wielkie police course
- Torun - River Police Course
- non-commisioned police officers course in Sosnowiec

Can anyone offer any insights on these badges, rarity and authenticity? They are not something I have seen before or have any knowledge about. The offer price is 4,000 zloty for the three. Your thoughts most welcome?

[justin1939]

Hello Stefan,

These are very interesting badges.

I would like to show you my original Prewar Polish Walther PPK holster which relates to one of your badges being from the pistol shown on the Przodownikow (Sergeants) probably pistol shooting course badge , ink stamped to the Glowna Komenda Policji Wojewodztwa......." (the last word is difficult to read) which translated means "Police Headquarters for Voivodeship, most likely in Silesia because of the maker was August Boczek i Syn, Chorzow. (A. Boczek and son) with Chorzow being one of the main cities in the Silesian voivodeship.

Interestingly, here is what the seller said -

An authentic pre-second world war (pre 1939) Polish Police duty holster. The holster is clearly designed for Walther PPK - which was a sidearm of higher ranking Polish Police officers. Holster is in an excellent condition for its age. Leather is clean and supple, there are no cracks, tears, repairs. Stitching is intact. The only noticeable flaw are two pinhole size punctures on the flap. The punctures are through and through, minimal, although visible upon close inspection.

The inside flap has a makers mark - August Boczek i Syn, Chorzow. (A. Boczek and son), clearly a name of the manufacturer. I researched it and couldn't find any information about the firm. I would imagine that the firm was just a small fine lather making shop in the city of Chorzow in the Silesia region of Poland.

The inside of the flap has a blue ink stamp, stamped twice. The stamp bled a little and it is hard to read. What I can make out of it is "Glowna Komenda Policji Wojewodztwa......." (the last word is completely unreadable), which can be translated to "Police Headquarters for Voivodeship.... "

The holster is clearly pre-II WW. Most likely belonged to a higher ranking Polish Police official. Chorzow was one of the main cities in Silesian voivodeship so I'm assuming that the original owner was a Police official in the Headquarters of Silesian Police.
Again, the holster is clearly designed for Walther PPK. From the information I gathered the majority of Polish police officers before 1939 were armed with revolvers. Some higher ranking officers, especially in the late 30's were issued Walthers PPKs".

If only this holster could talk, I could find out who was the original owner, probably who were the later German owners by force, either a souvenir or used by them and some of the english markings on the flap probably refer to an later American owner, who brought it back as a souvenir, with or without the original pistol, maybe a replacement German Walther PPK from after capture at the end of the September Campaign, maybe it still had the original pistol at that time.

I would be very keen to get the original pistol back for it, or at least a prewar Polish produced one, but most likely I will have to settle for a prewar commercial or military one from another country, is the main difference the carved grips with the crowned Eagle. as hopefully in the future, I could find someone who could make them for me, to swap over.

I would be extremely happy and proud if someone, would volunteer to do this for me sometime in the future, of course, I would pay a fair price for the time and effort.

What made me so keen on this holster was that it has not been considerably and irreversibly altered at all, has reasonably clear stamps for the Police Headquarters, so being rarer, but not something which has a lot of collectors, which means something that most likely won't be faked for profit and also a reasonably low purchase price of 350 USD.

Is it right that the Prewar Polish Vis holsters always are the most expensive of all Prewar Polish produced holsters, please ?

Thank you very much, in advance.

Justin

justin1939

[Gunny Hartmann]

Very interesting badges!...