Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent original German WWII Streifendienst, or Patrol Duty, gorget worn by personnel of the Reichsarbeitsdienst, commonly abbreviated RAD. The gorget retains its original suspension chain, bright aluminum finish, applied RAD emblem, and nearly complete felt backing. Gorgets identified personnel performing specific authority, security, or ceremonial functions and were among the most visually distinctive pieces of German wartime uniform equipment.

The gorget developed from the throat armor worn by European soldiers during the age of plate armor. Long after its protective purpose disappeared, the form survived as a badge of office worn by military police, guards, standard bearers, and other personnel whose duties required them to be immediately recognizable.

This is the 1936 pattern RAD Streifendienst gorget. It consists of a half moon shaped aluminum plate with a polished finish. The center bears the RAD emblem, consisting of a shovel and wheat design incorporating a swastika. Above it is a raised banner reading:

STREIFENDIENST

The term translates as “patrol service” or “patrol duty.” RAD Streifendienst personnel were assigned to maintain discipline, supervise members of the organization, and perform security and traffic control duties at RAD facilities and transportation centers. During WWII, such personnel could be encountered at railway stations and other locations throughout Germany and German occupied territory, helping regulate the movement of RAD members, troops, workers, and equipment.

The gorget remains in excellent overall condition. The front retains its bright finish with only light age and handling wear. The raised emblem and lettering remain clear and well defined. The original suspension chain is present and also shows only minor wear.

The reverse is particularly well preserved and retains nearly all of its original felt backing. There is only a small amount of mothing to the felt, with no major loss. The attachment fittings and chain mounts remain intact.

The Reichsarbeitsdienst developed from German voluntary labor organizations established during the final years of the Weimar Republic. Early groups included the Anhalt Arbeitsdienst and the Freiwilliger Arbeitsdienst. Following the NSDAP rise to power in 1933, the various labor organizations were consolidated into a national labor service under Reichsarbeitsführer Konstantin Hierl.

The organization was officially redesignated the Reichsarbeitsdienst on June 26, 1935. RAD service became compulsory for young German men, generally requiring six months of labor service before military service. A separate female organization also existed, and during WWII the RAD increasingly provided auxiliary support to the German armed forces.

RAD members performed agricultural labor, road construction, land improvement, fortification work, and numerous other public and military support duties. The organization was structured along military lines, with uniforms, ranks, unit insignia, discipline, and ceremonial traditions intended to give labor service a distinctly paramilitary character.

In April 1934, Hierl introduced the characteristic RAD uniform, including the distinctive service cap often described by collectors as having a “Robin Hood” shape. Early caps used piping to distinguish rank groups. Black piping was worn by enlisted and NCO ranks, silver by company and field grade officers, and gold by general officers. Black enlisted piping was discontinued in 1940, while silver and gold officer piping remained in use.

RAD Streifendienst gorgets are considerably less commonly encountered than standard German military police examples. With its excellent polished finish, original chain, strong central emblem, and nearly complete felt backing, this is a particularly attractive example of a scarce German WWII RAD patrol service gorget.