This website is dedicated exclusively to providing and collecting information about the cleaning kits used by the Germans in the Second World War from the point of view of a simple collector.

This blog has no sympathy or support to the Nazi regime that devastated Europe on the 40's. Also personally, when I see one of these kits manufactured on the war years, I think of the possibility that maybe it was made by a foreign forced worker under harsh conditions - more information about forced labor in Germany during WWII on the Links of interest page -.

Reinigungsgeräte for the Deutsche Reichspost

 The Postschutz [Postal protection] was created by a decree of March 7, 1933 within the Reichspostministerium in order to protect the infrastructure of the Deutsche Reichspost (DRP). By the end of 1933, 26,000 postal employees had volunteered for the Postschutz. They were armed with small arms like pistols, rifles and light machine guns and would receive new and modern weapons and it seems that they also made use of the new cleaning equipment.

 Numerous Rg34s examples with DRP markings have survived to this day, mainly from 1935.

A 1935 Rg 34 with DRP  (Deutsche Reichspost) marked on the inside of the main lid.

 As for the markings, most of them, with a few exceptions (see photo above), in addition to the DRP markings, also show a city code, which may correspond to the city or area of ​​the corresponding Postschutz unit. It appears that these two markings were stamped using separate dies. Normally these markings were present inside the lid of the main compartment, with a few exceptions as well.

 The observed city codes/identification/lid markings are:

  • DRP Gmb - Gumbinnen - G. Appel 1935 - (1)
  • DRP Klrh - Karlsruhe - G. APPEL - (2)
  • DRP Kln - Köln - G. Appel 1935 - (3)
  • DRP Lzg - Leipzig - G. Appel 1935 - (4)
  • DRP Hnvr - Hannover - G. Appel 1935/WaA139 - (5)
  • DRP Schw (outside) - Schweinfurt ? - G. Appel/WaA139 - (6)
  • DRP Mind - Minden - unmarked and also G. Appel 1935 - (7)
  • DRP Dssd - Düsseldorf - G. Appel 1935 - (8) y (12)
  • DPR zg (outside) - Leipzig? (light stamping or broken die) - G. Appel 1935 (9)
  • DRP Hbg - Hamburg - G. APPEL - (10)
  • DRP Bswg - Braunsweig - unmarked and also G. Appel 1935 - (11)
  • DRP rh - Karlsruhe ? (light stamping or broken die) - G. Appel 1935 - (13)
  • DRP Dtmd (outside) - Dortmund - G.APPEL 1935 - (14)
  • DRP Ffm - Frankfurt am Main - G.Appel 1935 - (15)
Images obtained from various sources, so many thanks to: Wulf, George, Richard, trinxet, k98k forum,...(sorry if I forgot anyone !)


Two additions (thanks to K98k forum and WAF!)

 
Please, any addition, correction, new info or better pictures are welcome...reinigungsgerat34@gmail.com

Thanks to Robin W., it has been possible to identify the Ffm code and a possible explanation for the zg and rh codes with only lowercase letters. 


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