RAD Officers M43 Cap, Nr.Mint
Price: Sold
Description: Officers earth brown wool visored field cap with factory applied silver wire piping. Introduced in 1943, with fold-down, button side panels, in the same material as the crown and body of the cap. Cap has a machine-woven RAD insignia machined to front and not through the lining indicating applied when assembled; The interior is fully lined in brown cotton-rayon. Ersatz brown leather sweatband at brow. Lining is stamped with depot “Lago-WIen” & date “1944”; separately size stamped “59”. Appears unused.
Background: The basis of the RAD, “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, “Freiwilligen Arbeitsdienst-Bayern” (Volunteer Labor-service [of]-Bavaria). Shortly after Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor, on January 30th, 1933, the NSDAP consolidated these, and other labor organizations, into the NSAD, “Nationalsozialist Arbeitsdienst” (National-socialist Labor-service); a national labor service. In June of 1935 the NSAD was re-designated RAD. In July of the same year RAD service became compulsory, with all German citizens between 19 and 25 years of age required to enlist for a six month term. This law also decreed that all military conscripts serve a nine month term.
