Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent service worn example of a WWII German Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD - National Labor Service) M43 Einheitsmütze cap. It is constructed of very nice brown wool with the correct "fold down" skirt for colder weather. It features two pebbled aluminum buckles to the front, securing the skirt.
The peak of the cap has a lovely metal RAD shovelhead logo, which has a canted Swas (Swas) in the middle, with 2 sheaves of wheat extending from the bottom at 45 degree angles. The Swas is highlighted with black enamel, while the border of the shovel is highlighted with red. The visor is still in good condition, though the cardboard stiffener definitely has some ripples and bends.
The exterior material is a coarser weave than we usually see, and does have some wear and small tears. We cannot tell if these are from use or moth. The interior also has some tears, so this is definitely a cap that did see use. There are some ink stampings on the inside of the crown, which we have not been able to identify.
Ready to display!
The M43 Einheitsmütze (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.
The 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.
Reich Labour Service “RAD”
The 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.
From 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.
