Original German WWII RAD National Labor Service Officer M38 Wool Overseas Cap with Flatwire Insignia

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a WWII German Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD - National Labor Service) Officer M38 overseas cap (Schiffchen). The overseas cap, nicknamed in German military slang as Schiffchen, or literally "little ship" as it resembled an up-turned row-boat, was standard issue for all branches of the Wehrmacht, as well as many civil organizations of the NSDAP.

This example is constructed of "earth brown" wool, with a gray green rayon cotton blend lining and brown leather sweatband in the front forehead area. We checked inside the cap, and we were not able to see any markings of any kind. The front features a fine aluminum flatwire embroidered RAD Officer's shovelhead insignia, which has a canted Swas (hook cross) in the middle, with 2 sheaves of wheat extending from the bottom at 45 degree angles. As this is an officer's cap, there is aluminum bullion piping along the faux flap on both sides, as well as along the top on both sides of the central pleat.

Condition of this cap is very good, showing little to no wear on the exterior. The color is well retained, the nap of the fabric is still mostly present, and there are no holes or major damage. There is a bit of soiling on the bottom front edge, and the interior of the cap does show a good amount of staining and wear. The cap looks to have been worn a lot during the wartime period, leading to deterioration of the interior, however it was well cared for, and probably worn indoors, as it shows little weathering. Size seems to be 57-58cm.

A lovely example of an RAD Officer M38 cap, the first that we can remember having, ready to display!

The basis of the RAD, Reichsarbeitsdienst, (National Labor Service), dates back, at least, to 1929 with the formation of the AAD (Anhalt Arbeitsdienst) and the FAD-B (Freiwillingen Arbeitsdienst-Bayern). Shortly after AH’s appointment as Chancellor in Jan 1933, the NSDAP consolidated all labor organizations into the NSAD (Nationalsozialist Arbeitsdienst), a national labor service, under the control of Reichsarbeitsführer Konstatin Hierl. It served as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarize the workforce and indoctrinate it with NSDAP ideology. It was the official state labor service, divided into separate sections for men and women.

On June 26 1935 the NSAD was officially re-designated RAD, and from then onward, men aged between 18 and 25 may have served six months before their military service. During World War II compulsory service also included young women and the RAD developed to an auxiliary formation which provided support for the Wehrmacht armed forces.

In April 1934 Hierl had 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.