Geheime Feldpolizei/Secret Field Police

[tyskaorden]

Does anyone know exactly was the role of the GFP was?

[Christoph Awender]

The following description of the GFP comes from German Military Police Units 1939-45 by Gordon Williamson & Ron Volstad. Published by Osprey Publishing. "The Geheime Feldpolizei-GeFePo or GFP- was Germany's 'plain clothes' military police, somewhat similar to the British Special Investigation Branch (SIB) of the Military Police. It was formed in 21 JULY 1939 by order of the chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel. Members of the GFP were classed as Wehrmachtsbeamten or 'military officials'.The functions of the Geheime Feldpolizei were many, and included counter-espionage, counter sabotage, detection of treasonable activity and counter-propaganda. The Geheime Feldpolizei also assisted the Army legal system in investigations for courts martial. Officials of the Geheime Feldpolizei, largely recruited from the Criminal Police, had similar authority to those of the Polizei and Sicherheitsdienst. In carrying out their duties they could wear whatever civilian clothes or uniform was considered appropriate. Each member had, in addition to his ID disc and Soldbuch, a pass in green card showing his photo in civil and military dress, and a police warrant disc. By virtue of his special identity papers, the GFP official was entitled to pass through military roadblocks enter military buildings; utilise military signals and communications equipment; commandeer military vehicles; procure military supplies and accommodation wherever necessary in execution of his duty; and use public transport systems free. Some of the general tasks allocated the GFP official include: personal escort to various military VIP's; assistance to state security personnel in counter espionage work; interrogation of captured enemy soldiers; detection of enemy aliens using German ID/uniforms, etc.; securing of telegram and mail facilities on entering enemy territory; securing of railway terminals; searching out enemy radio equipment and signal detection; rounding-up inflammatory and libellous materials; precautionary measures against rail sabotage; detection of enemy agents dropped by parachute; assistance at customs posts against smuggling; watch on river traffic; prevention of unauthorised travel; checking travel papers; watch on neutral personnel (i.e. diplomatic and military attachés, etc.) and on foreign newspaper correspondents, etc. The overlap between some of the duties of the Feldgendarmerie and Geheime Feldpolizei is clear but by no means unique, as some overlap between the work of all security agencies is inevitable.

Christoph

[Nagelfar]

hmmm, Gefelpo?

[tyskaorden]

Thank you Cristoph, now I understand the role of the GFP.
Do you know anything about their organisation?

[GFM2000]

Wasn't the Secret Field Police under Canaris's command at some time? I recalled this organisation was one of many that Heydrich tried to oust from the Admiral, and have it absorbed into the RSHA.

I recalled too that the Secret Field Police had also committed atrocities, hand-in-hand with the SS in the East.

[Gwynn Compton]

Possibly, or perhaps your confusing them with the Estat... need Beevor's Stalingrad to spell the rest of it

Gwynn