{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-rad-reich-labor-service-belt-with-aluminum-buckle-reichsarbeitsdienst","title":"Original German WWII EM\/NCO RAD Reich Labor Service Belt with Aluminum Buckle - Reichsarbeitsdienst","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice WWII German Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD) EM\/NCO's Aluminum Belt Buckle (\u003cem\u003eKoppelschloß\u003c\/em\u003e) with correct leather belt. The central RAD logo features five sheaves of wheat surrounding a shovel head with an embossed, canted, pebbled, swas on a textured circular central field. This is an early, injection molded, natural aluminum box buckle with a pebbled base field and a circular, embossed central motif. Later models used a stamped buckle with a separate logo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe back of the buckle is marked \u003cstrong\u003eR S \u0026amp; S\u003c\/strong\u003e on the shovel logo, which is for Richard Sieper \u0026amp; Söhne of Lüdenscheid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe belt itself measures 33” when fully extended, and is marked \u003cstrong\u003e90\u003c\/strong\u003e on the buckle end. It is also marked \u003cstrong\u003eCROUPON\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003e979\u003c\/strong\u003e on the buckle tab. The leather is definitely worn, but condition is solid with no holes or tears, though cracking is present, and leather is soft and pliable. Overall a great example of a hard to find WW2 German Belt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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. It served as an\u003cspan\u003e agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militari\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ez\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ee the workforce and indoctrinate it with NSDAP ideology. It was the official state labor service, divided into separate sections for men and women.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn June 26 1935 the NSAD was officially re-designated RAD. Originally personnel serving with RAD wore a variety of earlier FAD\/NSAD belt buckles until February 15TH 1936 when new pattern belt buckles for Officer’s and EM\/NCO’s were introduced to provided uniformity in dress.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":5770738499622,"sku":"ON4661","price":135.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/products\/ON4661__01.jpg?v=1599479354","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-rad-reich-labor-service-belt-with-aluminum-buckle-reichsarbeitsdienst","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}