RLB Enlisted Belt Buckle; 3rd Pattern Reichsluftschutzbund
Price: $225
BUY / RESERVE THIS ITEMDescription: Third pattern RLB enlisted buckle in 2 piece aluminum; maker marked on reverse; an uncommon buckle in excellent condition (some confusion still over 2nd or 3rd pattern).
Background: Formed in late 1932 the Deutscher Luftschutzverband (German Air Protection League), was a voluntary organization designed to provide civil air raid protection in large civilian centers. Shortly after Hitler ascension to power the Deutscher Luftschutzverband was restructured and placed under the supervision of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, (National Ministry of Aviation), under the control of Hermann Göring. In 1933 the Deutscher Luftschutzverband was renamed RLB, Reichs Luftschutz Bund, (National Air Raid Protection League) and was given status as an official national organization tasked with all aspects of civil air raid defence. The RLB remained a voluntary organization with a small cadre of paid, full-time uniformed officials to oversee the organization’s functions until June 1935 when obligatory service was introduced. RLB uniform regulations were first addressed in 1933 and included a box belt buckle and a blackened leather belt for all EM/NCO ranks. The first pattern, (Circa 1933), belt buckle was replaced with a second pattern in May 1937 and in January 1939 a third and final pattern EM/NCO’s belt buckle was introduced. Although the newer belt buckles were intended to replace the earlier patterns all three were worn through-out the war. Of Note: All three RLB EM/NCO’s belt buckles were also worn by enlisted personnel serving with the SHD, Sicherheits und Hilfdienst, (Security and Assistance Service), and the Wasserstrassenbeamten, (Canal and Waterways Officials).
