{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-rad-national-labor-service-oberstfeldmeister-officer-uniform-tunic-by-ferd-kunzewith-armband-and-kvkii-ribbon","title":"Original German WWII RAD National Labor Service Oberstfeldmeister Officer Uniform Tunic by Ferd. Kunzewith Armband and KvKII Ribbon","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a high quality tailor made earth brown RAD Officer Field Uniform tunic with a fine whipcord weave wool exterior shell. It features a four button front closure with a chocolate brown lay down collar. Tunic has two pleated breast pockets with straight edged button down flaps and two slanted hip pockets with rounded button down flaps. All of the buttons are maker marked and look to be pebbled non-magnetic aluminum, sewn directly to the fabric. The left waist pocket has the large eyelet near the top for use with a dagger \/ hewer, and the tunic's reverse features a vertical tail skirt vent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interior is fully lined in a gold\/tan cotton rayon blend, and the sleeves are lined with blue striped white cotton. The lining has a horizontal slash pockets on the inner chest of both sides, and there is a tailor label on the reverse that reads as follows:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFerd. Kunze\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBREMEN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDOVENTORSDEICH 20\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe checked the pockets, but unfortunately there was not any name tag installed. Condition of the tunic is very good, with only light wear, and no major tears, mothing, or other damage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe left sleeve has a lovely machine embroidered aluminum bullion \u003cstrong\u003eRAD shovel logo\u003c\/strong\u003e on a black brown background, which has a red \u003cstrong\u003e177 \/ 5\u003c\/strong\u003e unit marking inside. Below this is an early war felt NSDAP \u003cem\u003earmelbinde\u003c\/em\u003e (armband) with a multipiece rayon swas on a white moire material circle. This has been hand stitched to the arm with red thread along both edges. Additionally, there is the ribbon for a War Merit Cross Second Class KvKII, a typical award for a member of the RAD, as it is a non-combat award.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collar is wrapped with chocolate brown wool, and has matching silver wire woven RAD Officer style \u003cem\u003eKragenspiegel\u003c\/em\u003e collar tabs, somewhat similar to Heer Litzen, which have a hand embroidered silver bar, referred to as \"double filling\" on them. The velvet and aluminum type of collar tab was used by ranks \u003cem\u003eUnterfeldmeister\u003c\/em\u003e (Oberfeldwebel) through \u003cem\u003eOberstfeldmeister\u003c\/em\u003e (Hauptmann). The tabs have a black velvet plush material background, the branch of service color for \"General Service\" in the RAD.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \"sew-in\" style \u003cem\u003eschulterklappen\u003c\/em\u003e (shoulder straps) are constructed with a double row of fine silver flatware \"Russia Braid\" double piping with black chevrons woven in, with both rows going around the button hole on the other end. There are two gold rank \"pip\" devices present, indicating the RAD rank of \u003cem\u003eOberstfeldmeister\u003c\/em\u003e (Colonel Field Master), equivalent to a Heer Army \u003ci\u003eHauptmann \u003c\/i\u003e(Captain). The bases of the shoulder straps have the same black plush material on them for \"General RAD\" as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a well-preserved tailor-made RAD Oberstfeldmeister’s field tunic retaining its matching collar tabs, rank shoulder straps, unit-marked sleeve insignia, NSDAP armband, and War Merit Cross Second Class ribbon. The Ferd. Kunze of Bremen tailor label, high-quality whipcord wool construction, complete maker-marked buttons, and very good overall condition give the tunic considerable collector interest. Although no name tag remains in the interior pockets, the surviving insignia and fittings present a cohesive example of an RAD officer’s uniform for the rank equivalent of a Heer Hauptmann.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApproximate Measurements:-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCollar to shoulder: 8\"\u003cbr\u003eShoulder to sleeve: 23.5”\u003cbr\u003eShoulder to shoulder: 14.5\"\u003cbr\u003eChest width: 16.5”\u003cbr\u003eWaist: 15.5\"\u003cbr\u003eHip: 20\"\u003cbr\u003eFront length: 27.5\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe basis of the RAD, \u003cem\u003eReichsarbeitsdienst\u003c\/em\u003e, (National Labor Service), dates back, at least, to 1929 with the formation of the AAD (\u003cem\u003eAnhalt Arbeitsdienst\u003c\/em\u003e) 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 (\u003cem\u003eNationalsozialist Arbeitsdienst\u003c\/em\u003e), 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45366112813125,"sku":"ONJR26JUMS069","price":1195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/1D3818A2-7B8D-44D7-BFA7-5C7B68C9E609.jpg?v=1784302960","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-rad-national-labor-service-oberstfeldmeister-officer-uniform-tunic-by-ferd-kunzewith-armband-and-kvkii-ribbon","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}