TThe GFP was brought into being on 21 July 1939 following the signing of a new document, Heeres Dienstvorschrift (geheim) 150, by Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel.
The members of this new force were classed as Wehrmachtbeamte and not as professional career soldiers, though regular members of the armed forces could also be temporarily attached to the GFP as required, where they brought a specific skill that was required for the execution of a specific task, whether that skill might be technical, in languages or whatever. As well as suitable personnel from other branches, soldiers from the Feldgendarmerie were also occasionally attached to the GFP.
The GFP were effectively the military’s plain clothes detectives within the Reich, only normally wearing uniforms if serving in the occupied territoriesTheir principal duty was to investigate all threats to the state, especially espionage and treasonous activities and to combat Sabotage and hostile propaganda
When uniform was worn, GFP officials were identified by a light blue intermediate underlay on the shoulder straps (wine red for Luftwaffe GFP), together with a metal cipher “GFP” in white metal Latin characters (gilt for Luftwaffe).
Extremely rare shoulder strap of a Luftwaffe Geheime Feldpolizei official with the rank equivalent of Hauptmann.A black cuffband with the inscription Geheime Feldpolizei woven in aluminium thread was produced but so far no evidence has emerged of it actually being worn.
A rare original Geheime Feldpolizei cuffband
Soldiers on temporary attachment wore the uniform and insignia of their original unit, but with the addition of the “GFP” cipher on the shoulder straps.
