{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-named-rad-labor-service-em-nco-m43-brown-wool-field-cap-with-arbeitsgau-xviii-niedersachsen-ost-traditions-badge-size-57cm","title":"Original German WWII Named RAD Labor Service EM\/NCO M43 Brown Wool Field Cap with Arbeitsgau XVIII Niedersachsen-Ost Traditions Badge, Size 57cm","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a very appealing named German WWII \u003cem\u003eReichsarbeitsdienst\u003c\/em\u003e RAD EM\/NCO M43 style field cap, or \u003cem\u003eEinheitsmütze\u003c\/em\u003e, constructed from olive brown wool and fitted with the desirable regional Traditions badge for \u003cstrong\u003eArbeitsgau XVIII Niedersachsen-Ost\u003c\/strong\u003e. The cap retains its aluminum RAD shovel insignia, fold down cold weather skirt, original style single front button, complete four prong traditions badge, and an interior name label identifying \u003cstrong\u003eArbeitsmann Grimm L.\u003c\/strong\u003e of \u003cstrong\u003eAbt. 6\/288 Leubach\u003c\/strong\u003e. The combination of named ownership and a surviving regional traditions badge gives this cap substantially more collector interest than an anonymous example.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cap is constructed from attractive olive brown wool, similar in weave and weight to military field wool but with the distinctly browner coloration associated with RAD uniforms. The fold down skirt remains in place and is secured at the front by a single large aluminum button.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe front crown carries the characteristic aluminum RAD shovel head emblem. The central canted hook cross retains its black enamel highlight, while the border of the shovel retains red enamel. Two stylized sheaves of wheat extend upward from the lower portion of the insignia at opposing angles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fabric covering of the visor remains in very good condition. The internal cardboard stiffener, however, has become heavily rippled with age and is cracked through at the center. The break allows noticeable vertical movement and should be handled with care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe left side of the cap carries a particularly desirable \u003cem\u003eTraditions-Mützenabzeichen\u003c\/em\u003e for:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArbeitsgau XVIII\u003cbr\u003eNiedersachsen-Ost\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis regional traditions badge displays two crossed stylized horse heads above a hook cross. The horse head motif was associated with Lower Saxon regional tradition and was incorporated into the distinctive insignia of Arbeitsgau XVIII. Surviving period references identify this specific pattern with \u003cstrong\u003eArbeitsgau XVIII Niedersachsen-Ost\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll four attachment prongs remain present and are secured through the fabric of the cap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interior is lined in golden brown cotton or a cotton rayon blend. Unlike the relatively clean exterior, the lining shows extensive genuine service wear, with deeply worked in perspiration, oils, dirt, and staining across much of the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere also appears to be residue from some form of coating or treatment on portions of the lining, particularly toward the rear. We do not know its purpose or when it was applied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral areas of the lining show fraying and tearing consistent with prolonged wear and age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the inside front is a period style paper name label reading:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArbeitsmann\u003cbr\u003eGrimm L.\u003cbr\u003eAbt. 6\/288 Leubach\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe label identifies the wearer as \u003cstrong\u003eArbeitsmann Grimm L.\u003c\/strong\u003e and records his RAD unit as \u003cstrong\u003eAbteilung 6\/288, Leubach\u003c\/strong\u003e. The label is glued into an area that does not show the same concentrated perspiration staining as the surrounding lining, so its cleaner appearance is not inherently inconsistent with the rest of the cap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cap measures approximately \u003cstrong\u003e57cm\u003c\/strong\u003e using a hat sizer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall condition is very good for a genuinely service worn RAD field cap. The exterior wool remains strong and attractive, the front RAD emblem is complete, and the Arbeitsgau XVIII traditions badge is especially noteworthy with all four prongs intact. Interior wear is considerably heavier, with staining, fraying, and tearing, while the cracked visor stiffener is the principal structural condition issue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the RAD uniform and headgear collector, this example offers an excellent combination of identifiable wear, regional insignia, and named unit attribution. The \u003cstrong\u003eArbeitsgau XVIII Niedersachsen-Ost\u003c\/strong\u003e traditions badge, \u003cstrong\u003eArbeitsmann Grimm L. \/ Abt. 6\/288 Leubach\u003c\/strong\u003e name label, size \u003cstrong\u003e57cm\u003c\/strong\u003e, original shovel insignia, and complete fold down skirt make this a particularly interesting and researchable field cap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eM43 Einheitsmütze\u003c\/strong\u003e (Unit Cap) is a variety of \"Ski Cap\" and was based on the Bergmütze (Mountain Hat) used by Austrian and German Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Troops) during WWI. Germany had adopted it in 1915, and after the war it spread throughout the military.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe skirt that surrounds the cap is made in the same wool as the cap, and can be folded down over the ears, though this was rarely done outside of the Mountain troops, which had a double-thickness skirt. The skirt has a small dip in the front quarter with a divide secured by one aluminum button which is covered by an embroidered cockade. The small section in the front quarter was built shorter to show the insignia, and cover the wearer's chin or mouth, without disturbing breathing by covering the nose. There were also later M43 caps, such as those used by the DAK, that omitted the skirt entirely, as it had little use in the desert heat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReich Labour Service “RAD”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Reich Labour Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst; RAD) was a major organisation established in NSDAP Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarise the workforce and indoctrinate it with NSDAP ideology. It was the official state labour service, divided into separate sections for men and women.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom June 1935 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 into an auxiliary formation which provided support for the Wehrmacht armed forces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom a construction standpoint, the appearance of the present cross is particularly informative. The 1939 founding decree prescribed the appearance and manner of wear of the decoration but did not, in the cited provisions, assign a particular core metal to an identifiable recipient category or branch of service. The exposed brass-colored core on this example consequently should not be interpreted as indicating that it belonged to an officer, a particular service, or a special class of recipient. Likewise, without a surviving maker mark or other documentary provenance, no responsible attribution to a specific manufacturer or original wearer can be made from the cross itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe heavy wear provides an unusually clear view of how the decoration was assembled and finished. What would originally have presented primarily as a dark central cross bordered by a contrasting silver-colored frame now exposes substantial areas of the underlying core. This alters its present appearance considerably but also makes the non-ferrous construction readily visible without requiring the attribution of a manufacturer or recipient that the surviving evidence does not support.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46320786866245,"sku":"ONSV26JOS161","price":650.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/98C28B7F-C407-4842-9BB2-603A2DA139AF.jpg?v=1794254641","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-named-rad-labor-service-em-nco-m43-brown-wool-field-cap-with-arbeitsgau-xviii-niedersachsen-ost-traditions-badge-size-57cm","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}