THE GERMAN POLICE
Supreme Headquarters
Allied Expeditionary Force
Evaluation and Dissemination Section
G-2 (COUNTER INTELLIGENCE SUB-DIVISION)
SECRET
SHAEF / M.I.R.S / WAR OFFICE / M.I. 14, London, 1945
An extremely rare, original, WW2 intelligence manual, produced by SHAEF in April 1945. The German Police was a secret document with a limited circulation, compiled by Allied intelligence services, and marked ‘Secret' on the front cover. It would have been issued to Intelligence Staff of the British and US Armies as a vital source of information on the various German military, paramilitary, and civilian Police units.
This is one of the few documents that can be directly connected to M.I. 14, the British wartime department that specialised in intelligence about Germany. Also known as 'Section 14', M.I. 14 was a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence. Originally part of M.I.3, during WW2 the German sub-department's expertise and analysis became so important to the war effort that it was spun off into its own Military Intelligence section. M.I. 14 was closely associated with M.I.R.S. (Military Intelligence Research Section) which was a joint Anglo-American agency with offices in Washington DC and London (Victoria Hotel), founded in 1943 under the supervision of M.I. 14 and G-2 (Counter Intelligence). Its personnel was comprised mainly of German emmigrants, and its task was the analysis of captured German documents and the dissemination of the knowledge gained from them. M.I.R.S. also had field agents who discovered valuable documents in Germany that helped the allies prepare for the Nürnberg trials.
The German Police was produced by SHAEF in conjunction with the British and American Military Intelligence agencies. It covers the history of the Nazi Police services, and particularly Himmler's involvement with the Gestapo and the secret organisations which were all included in the general term 'Police'. This detailed study examines Himmler's acolytes, the Higher SS Police Commanders, and the SS involvement in internal security matters in the Third Reich. It also gives details of the regular Police, as well as the Security Police (SiPo), the Security Service (SD), Gestapo and Kripo. There are extensive sections on the personnel, headquarters and regional offices of the various Police units.
The volume is very well illustrated with 36 colour plates (many of which are fold-outs), 10 black and white photographs, and two large folding charts of Police organisational structures. The colour plates include uniforms, insignia and an important section on official papers - with examples of identity documents for the regular Police, the SS (including the SS pay book), the SiPo, the SD, the Gestapo, the German standard ID card, Racial German ID cards and various other ID documents.
Compiled from numerous intelligence sources and reports gathered during WW2, The German Police includes a wealth of information on the history, structures, functions, units, and personnel of Nazi Germany's Police organisations. It details virtually everything that was known about the German Police in 1945, bringing together in one volume the work of SHAEF, G-2 Counter Intelligence Sub-Division, M.I.R.S., and M.I. 14. A fascinating and invaluable reference work on the German Police during WW2, this book is an important source for anyone researching the Nazi State, and the work of the Allied Intelligence Services.
***Please Note: NSDAP and other controversial political symbols and insignia have been edited in the images displayed in this listing. In the book itself, these symbols are present, unedited, and exactly as originally printed***
Condition:
In very good condition. The hardback binder cover is in good condition, with minor signs of wear and use, some wear to the edges, and some marks. The laced binding is good and secure. The text, illustrations, and plates are in very good condition, with some creases to the fold-out plates, some archival paper tape repairs, and general signs of use.
Published: 1945
SHAEF hardback binder boards with laced binding
Illustrated with 36 colour plates, 10 b/w photographs, 2 large folding charts
Dimensions: 215mm x 330mm
Pages: 397 (plus plates, photos, charts)
