SS Polizei at War 1940 – 1945

Ian Baxter, a military historian of some note, has gathered together through his own personal collection and various archives, a collection of rare pictures. These pictures illustrate what the SS Polizei did and where they went throughout the course of the war. Over five chapters we are given a pictorial history of them in action, at rest as well as how the division was organised.

Even before the outbreak of the Second World War, Himmler had wanted to create a third division. This new division was formed from ordinary German policemen, and was created to be the military division of Himmler’s ever-growing empire.

The recruits to this division were not as enthusiastic as recruits to the SS, they undertook their service wearing the battle field grey uniforms bearing police insignia rather than those of the SS.

The very many pictures in this book take us from the initial training, with the various soldiers and their poor equipment on show. From there we see them in all the theatres of war in which they took part. From the Western Front to Greece and then the posting to send dread through any German, the Eastern Front.

It was often portrayed that the Polish fought the blitzkrieg on horseback, while not true, the use of horses was used to give the picture of the Polish Army being backward. To those who do not know that both sides used horse, will see this division using horses as well as carts to break the taboo that the Germans were all mechanised.

This is a wonderful history book with notes on where the Polizei division were in action, and the pictures some of which need explanation. While in film the Germans were portrayed as being well equipped and modern for the age, some of these pictures will challenge those thoughts.

An interesting and engaging pictorial history, for all those interested in the military history. ( )