BACKGROUND: The basis of the Reichsarbeitsdienst, (National Labor Service), dates back, at least, to 1929 with the formation of the AAD, Anhalt Arbeitsdienst, (Anhalt Labor Service), and the FAD-B, Freiwillingen Arbeitsdienst-Bayern, (Volunteer Labor Service Bavaria). Shortly after Hitler's appointment as Chancellor, (January 30TH 1933), the NSDAP consolidated these, and other labor organizations into the NSAD, Nationalsozialist Arbeitsdienst, (National Socialist Labor Service), under the control of Reichsarbeitsführer Konstatin Hierl. On June 26TH 1935 the NSAD was re-designated RAD. In April 1934 Hierl developed a uniform including the distinctive "Robin Hood" style service cap. The design of the cap was based on a cross between a traditional style peasant cap and the traditional hunters cap. Originally the caps were issued with rank distinction piping with black piping for the EM/NCO ranks of Arbeitsmann to Truppführer, silver piping for company and field grade Officer's ranks of Obertruppführer to Oberstarbeitsführer and gold piping for General Officer's ranks of Generalarbeitsführer to Reichsarbeitsführer. In 1940 the use of the black piping for the EM/NCO ranks was discontinued but the silver and gold Officer's piping remained in use until the end of the war.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nicely formed, starched, mid-brown wool construction cap with non-functional, turned up side and back panels which gently slope downwards to the front sides. The turned up side and back panels are piped at the top edge with officers silver/aluminum piping. Each side of the caps body has two brown enamel painted magnetic sheet metal ventilation grommets positioned just above the turned up panels. The top center of the cap has a distinct, recessed, lateral crease. The front center of the cap has a chocolate brown felt centerband with a hand embroidered (silver bullion with red & black rayon) officers RAD insignia. The insignia consists of an inverted, pointed tip, spade head with a red embroidered outer border encompassing a central, black embroidered, canted swastika flanked by diagonally angled sheaves of wheat. The cap has a short, rounded, extended front visor with an internal stiffener. The visor has a row of reinforcement stitching near the forward edge and a "U" shaped, silver/aluminum officers piping positioned mid-way from the forward edge. The left side turned up panel has a stamped, natural aluminum traditions badge for Arbeitsgau, (Labor District), Niedersachsen-Ost, (Lower Saxony-East). The insignia consists of two stylized horses heads with diagonally angled crossed "tails" which flank a central canted swastika. Of Note: Only seventeen of the forty Arbeitsgaue were authorized wear of a traditions badge and they were generally a distinctive historical emblem of the particular region. Cap is complete with its original 2" tan/brown alkor sweatband. The sweatband shows the typical flaking for alkor, but is all complete. The cap is in overall excellent condition with minimal nap wear.

GRADE ***3/4                             PRICE $952.00