History

The RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst = Reich Labour Service) was officially established on June 26, 1935 as the sole, and compulsory, labour service of Germany. Its purposes were to help the economy, curb unemployment, and indoctrinate its members with the NSDAP ideology, as well as play its part in militarising the German population.

The FAD (Freiwilliger Arbeitsdienst = Voluntary Labour Service) was the precursor of the RAD in the early 1930s. Official uniform regulations were first introduced on October 1, 1933, with modifications made in July 1934. It is also known as NSAD (Nationalsozialistischer Arbeitsdienst = National Socialist Labour Service).

The earliest uniforms were a not entirely successful attempt at standardisation. They gave way to a second wave of FAD uniforms that, when the RAD was established, experienced no significant changes.

The Reichsarbeitsdienst der weiblichen Jugend (RADwJ, Reich Labour Service of Female Youths) was the female branch of the RAD. It was smaller than the male branch. In accordance with the place of a woman within the nationalsocialist ideology, the tasks the young women were assigned were chosen to prepare them for a domestic life of caring and nurturing. They included, for example, light farm work, taking care of the young, the old, and the sick, and organising entertaining events. While outwardly organised in a similar manner as the male branch, including the wear of uniforms, the RADwJ was much less militarised.

The Deutscher Frauenarbeitsdienst rank brooches were discontinued on August 17, 1937 with the introduction of new RADwJ rank brooches. The brooches remained round and convex. They feature the RADwJ emblem, a swastika with two wheat ears. The rim features the inscription “REICHSARBEITSDIENST / WEIBLICHE JUGEND” in Roman script. With the introduction of new ranks and new brooches, this system was discontinued in October 1939.

Apl. (außerplanmäßige = supernumerary) Lagergehilfinnen, Kameradschaftsälteste and Arbeitsmaiden wore an “Altsilber” (old silver) coloured brooch. To distinguish between the ranks, apl. Lagergehilfinnen wore an additional two brown rings on the cuffs of their uniforms, whereas Kameradschaftsälteste wore one brown ring.