Minifigure – German Feldgendarmerie Sergeant (NCO)(Military Police Squad Leader) WWII (LEGO Compatible)

Character Identification

Specific Name: WWII German Feldgendarmerie Sergeant (NCO) (Military Police Squad Leader)

The text on the image explicitly labels this figure as “MTZ031 Feldgendarmerie Sergeant”. This represents a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) of the German Field Police, ranking between the enlisted soldier and the lieutenant seen in previous images.

Visual Description

This custom-printed minifigure depicts a heavily armed MP ready for combat or partisan hunting operations:

• The Gorget (Ringkragen): Like all Feldgendarmerie, the defining feature is the silver Gorget plate hanging from a chain around his neck. This badge of authority gave him the power to give orders to soldiers outside his own unit.

• Weapon (Firepower): Unlike the officer with a pistol or the traffic guard with a paddle, this Sergeant is armed with a black MP40 Submachine Gun. This suggests a role in anti-partisan duties or securing dangerous rear areas where heavier firepower was needed.

• Headgear: He wears the Field Grey Side Cap (known as the Schiffchen or Overseas Cap). It features the Wehrmacht eagle and cockade insignia on the front.

• Uniform & Gear:

  • Ammo Pouches: The printing on his stomach area depicts the specialized MP40 Magazine Pouches (three long vertical pockets) rather than standard rifle pouches.

  • Insignia: The collar features the silver NCO braiding (Tresse), and his left arm bears the Police Eagle Patch and the brown “Feldgendarmerie” Cuff Title.

  • Back: The rear view shows standard field gear: a gas mask canister, bread bag, and canteen.

Historical Background

• The NCO’s Role: A Feldgendarmerie Sergeant (likely an Unteroffizier or Feldwebel) would lead a small patrol or man a checkpoint. He was the “working hand” of the military police, directly enforcing discipline.

• Anti-Partisan Operations: Behind the Eastern Front, Feldgendarmerie units were often tasked with hunting “partisans” (resistance fighters). This required them to carry automatic weapons like the MP40 seen here, rather than just traffic wands.

• “Kettenhunde”: Like his comrades, he bears the “Chained Dog” nickname due to the gorget. By the end of the war, these NCOs were often the last line of “order” in a collapsing army, forcefully rounding up stragglers.