172. Reich Protection Police: Waterways Protection Police Wachtmeister, 1941. Greatcoat.
The Waterways Protection Police (Wasserschutzpolizei) was a branch of the Schutzpolizei responsible for policing and patrolling all navigable inland rivers and canals, regulating waterborne traffic, preventing smuggling, enforcing safety and security measures and inspecting waterways shipping. Members of the Waterways Protection Police wore navyblue uniforms with gold coloured buttons and insignia.

173. Customs Service: Oberzollrat, 1938, Parade Uniform.
The German Customs Officers (Landzollbeamtm) were divided into two distinct bodies, the Zollgrenzschutz or Customs and Border Protection and the Zollbeamten or Customs Officials. With the exception of the Waterways Customs Officials, who wore navy blue uniforms and gold insignia, the Customs and Border Protection and the Customs Officials wore the same basic uniforms with the same basic insignia. They were however distinguished from each other by the former having all their metal insignia, including the embroidery work of their badges, collar patches and shoulder straps in a dull grey colouring (gold for high ranking officials) whilst the latter body of men wore their insignia in bright aluminium or bright silver (gold also used for the insignia of their higher ranking officials). Both formations used dark bottle green as their facing and piping colour. Doth these organisations were under thejurisdiction of the Reich Finance Ministry but on 1 October 1944 the Customs and Border Protection service was transferred to be administered by Department IV of the Reich Security Main Office, the Gestapo. Their function together with the already existing Border Police (Grenzpolizei) was to guarantee the ncial sovereignty of the Reich through border security measures. The Grenzpolizei was responsible for passport control at the borders, airports, roads and highways. It was entrusted with the entire normal border control.

174. German Order Police: Lieutenant, Police Combat Regiment, 1943, Field Service Uniform.
For service outside the Reich frontiers, Barrack Police were formed into Police Regiments and Independent Battalions for the most part motorised and consisting of 500 to 550 men each, and organised and equipped on a military basis (see also No. 180). They served as security troops in all occupied countries and in an emergency, took part in military operations. They gained a reputation for extreme brutality and fanatical loyalty to Himmler and the Nazi regime. Members of these Police Regiments and independent Police Battalions wore the standard pattern Schutzpolizei uniforms supplemented with items of Army equipment. Camouflage clothing worn within these Police units was of the Waffen-SS style and camouflage patterning.

175. German Police Formations: BahnschutzpolizeiGruppenf�hrer, 1941, Service Uniform.
At the beginning ofl 1941 it was decided by the SS authorities, who were responsible for control of the Bahnschutzpolizei, to introduce two new types of uniforms for members ofthe Railway Protection Police to wear. One, manufactured in material of a soft blue-grey colour and intended for peacetime use and the other was to have been a field-grey version for use during the war. However, due to reasons of economy and for fear of possible confusion with the uniforms of the Army and Waffen-SS the field-grey version was suppressed. The blue-grey version however was produced, issued and worn by all ranks from the lowest 'Anw�rter' up to the most senior official 'Chef der Bahnschutzpolizei'. Both a closed neck version of the tunic was produced as well as a jacket worn open at the neck, this necessitated in two sets of collar patches being produced, both patterns of which indicated the seven grades of Bahnschutzpolizei ranks. Nine different types of shoulder straps were used and no less than six variations of cuff-titles were worn, each one differing in design according to the rank grading of the wearer. All this was completed by two styles of hats, four types of chin straps or cords, three different arm eagles and sixteen various trade badges. It was obviously felt necessary to supply this variety of uniforms and insignias to be worn by men whose task it was stmply to protect railway property and to maintain law and order on the German State Railway systems.

176. German Police Formations: SS-Gruppenf�hrer und Generalleutnant der Polizei Hans Weinreich, Chef der TeNo, 1942, Service Uniform.
Towards the end of 1942 senior members of Police formations were ordered by Himmler to wear SS style collar patches. Green was retained as the base colour and all embroidery work was carried out in gilt thread. Those ranks from SS-Brigadef�hrer u.Generalmajor der Polizei up to and including SS-Oberstgruppenf�hrer u.Generaloberst der Polizei were affected. Whereas they had previously worn the style of collar patches as shown in No. 170 they now had to wear the appropriate SS pattern patches as shown here in No. 17.

177. Reich Protection Police: Barrack Police Armoured Vehicle Crew Member, 1937. Overalls.
Kascrnierte Polizei or Barrack Police was the term employed to describe formations of the Schutzpolizei, generally in company strength, which were quartered in barracks in the larger towns and cities throughout Germany. They were equipped with armoured cars and weapons which in the main consisted of heavy and light machine-guns, submachine-guns, rifles, pistols and grenades. Their function was to act as a mobile reserve for the ordinary Municipal Police when additional manpower was needed at any scenes of mass demonstrations, severe air raids or similar emergencies. They constituted a valuable arm of shock troops to supplement the National Socialist Party's own para-military formations. They could be described as the lineal descendants of the earlier Landespolizei, a paramilitary body of police permitted to Germany by the Treaty of Versailles (No. 181).

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