They are shown in firefighting poses with equipment. Trouble is, not only are their uniforms that old 1938 version, but in fact are dress rather than utility uniforms...and I find it difficult to believe that German firefighters would wear dress rather than more utilitarian uniforms when fighting actual fires, especially in a setting from the 1940's. Did the kitmaker goof?

The average German uniform differed from the dress uniform mainly in quality. The cut was not much different. Notice that panzer men still wore a tie in the field. Dressier than todays camouflage fatigues for sure.

It wasn't like todays modern issue of four sets of utility uniforms and four different classes of dress uniform.

Whether or not German firemen were issued working coveralls, I don't know.

Gaz

I have seen pictures of German firemen in what are definitely undecorated working uniforms. I read that Napoleonic soldiers often wore surtouts and other plain outfits when in the field while they left dresser clothes at base.

Can I assume ICM figures are being discussed??

The only German firemen from WW2 in kit form so far.

My reference books are Osprey's "German Home Front" and "German Police". Pictures of people in uniforms but no "action" pictures of their fighting fires.

Andrew Mollo's "German Uniforms of WW2" has a late war picture of female firefighters undergoing training. They are wearing coveralls and the "Luftschutz" style helmet. The trainer, obviously a "regular" is wearing his full blue and black uniform. This would seem to imply that those who had the fire brigade uniform wore it, but the various auxilary personnel wore either coveralls, or in the case of those belonging to a uniformed organisation (e.g. the HJ)wore their own.

An interesting query! I've done an illustration of a HJ volunteer handling a hose and nozzle but I recall that it was difficult to find any solid info on the formal firefighting units. A quick look through my refs did show both the official blue/black uniform being worn along side a protective(?) overall. I found a German website that shows more info:

http://www.saar-nostalgie.de/Feuerwehr.htm

HTH'
Ron Volstad