Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII period custom made RAD, or Reichsarbeitsdienst, decorative sign constructed in the form of a shovel. Measuring approximately 36" overall, it combines a wooden handle with a curved steel shovelhead bearing a large hand painted RAD insignia.

The Reichsarbeitsdienst, or Reich Labor Service, was the German state labor organization responsible for compulsory labor service, public works, agricultural projects, and later wartime support duties. Separate sections existed for men and women, and RAD personnel increasingly supported the German armed forces as WWII progressed.

The complete sign measures approximately 36" in length. The shovelhead measures approximately 10" wide and just under 12" high.

The head is formed from a piece of sheet steel bent over a laminated wood top to create its curved shovel profile. The straight folded edges near the upper portion suggest that the steel may originally have been part of a larger sign, container, or other fabricated sheet metal object before being repurposed into this display.

The front bears a large hand painted RAD emblem consisting of a black shovelhead flanked by two sheaves of wheat extending upward at approximately 45 degree angles. The emblem is painted on a white circular field surrounded by a red shield with white and black borders.

The painted design shows substantial wear, abrasions, finish loss, and age related damage consistent with service, handling, and storage. The hand painted character and visible wear give the piece a distinctive period made appearance.

The precise original purpose has not been confirmed. Its shovel form and RAD insignia suggest that it may have served as an office or barracks decoration, an organizational display, or possibly a directional sign. No mounting inscription, location marking, or documentation accompanies it.

The steel head is attached to the wooden handle by a single nail. The connection remains intact but is somewhat loose and should be handled carefully to prevent further movement or damage.

With its substantial 36" size, unusual shovel shaped construction, hand painted RAD emblem, laminated wood support, and clearly service worn finish, this is a visually striking example of German WWII organizational ephemera. The uncertain original function, reused sheet steel construction, worn paint, surface damage, and loose single-nail attachment are fully disclosed. It would display particularly well in an RAD Labor Service, German WWII organization, barracks art, period signage, or home front collection.

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.