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SD, SB, AND POLICE BATTALIONS
With the appointment of SS General von dem Bach-Zelewski as Coordinator of Anti-Partizan in the East, a variety of security formations were beginning to emerge. As early as 1941, these security formations were beginning to be diluted with Baltic and Ukrainian recruits. These units were supervised by the SS Police and SD/SS Security Staff. In Ukraine and the Baltic provinces all these scattered units were formed into an auxiliary police force known as the Schuetzmannschaft Ordungspolizei (Schuma). The units were either divided into Front or Guard Units. Although the SS and Police operated within Army-administered areas, the Army had its own security formations, known as Security Divisions. When the Germans split up and conquered Poland in 1939. Large areas were incorporated directly into the Reich, while other lands inocrporated into Reichskommissariats of Ostland (Baltic States and Belarus) and Ukaraine. The repressive german policy towards the Poles led to creation of Ukrainian-Galician police force for the Galicia District. Twelve Schuma Battalions were organized: 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212. With the rize of partizan warfare, the main duties of such Schuma battalions were to seek out and destroy the Soviet Partizans. Each battalion had a staff and four 124 man companies, each with one machine gun platoon and three infantry platoons; totalling 700 man. The battalions varied from Frontline, Guard, Engineer, Construction and Replacement Battalions deployed along the Army Group Rear Areas. The SD also included Schuma forces (Schuetzmannschaft der Sicherheitspolizei). A number of home guard organisations (SB - Sluzhba Bezpeky / Selbstschuetz) were also created. Ukrainians joined the German-sponsored forces in large numbers, and in late 1942, 70,000 were in the Schuma, becoming one of the largest Schuma forces. About 35,00 served in 71 Schuma Batallions: 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 61, 62, 63, 101, 111, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 129, 130, 131, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 143 to 169. These battalions included some Cossack, cavalry and artillery units. Home Guards were disignated as the Ukrainian National Self-Defence Force (UNS) and had up to 180,000 man. When in 1944 the Red Army overrun Ukraine, these units were transfered to Ukrainian Self-Defence Legion and others had joined the 14th and 30th divisions of Waffen SS. In the Crimea in early 1942 the SD organized 3.000 Crimean Tartars into eight highly effective Tartar Self-Defence Companies for anti-partizan operations on the peninsula. SCHUTZMANSCHAFTEN INSIGNIA
Police battalion patch, beltbucle and epolets.
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SD from Stanislaviw/Ivano-Frankiwsk
Ukrainian SD Officers
Ukrainian Officer from the Police Unit
Members of Shuma are being awarded for bravery
Soldier being decoraded with Eastern
People Medal. Note the large swastika patch, collar patches and swastika epolets. 
Schuma Bergmutze, with cloth Swastika badge -
a distinctive feature for Ukrainian battalions. In some cases Trident police badge would be used as well. |
 
Green trimming was used by NCO's, silver by Officers.
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(a) is first designation, (b) is second type. Consists of silver tress/stars.
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All the above are aluminum tress, worn 10.5cm above the end of cuff.
Unter-Korporal |
Vize-Korporal |
Korporal |
Vize-Feldwebel |
Kompanie-Feldwebel |
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POLICE BATTALIONS INSIGNIA
"General Gouvernment" cuff title worn by Galician police,
green trimming for NCO's, silver for Officers. 
POLICE AND SCHUMA UNIFORMS
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