Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a WWII German Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD - National Labor Service) M43 Einheitsmütze cap. It is constructed of very nice olive brown wool, very similar to that used by the military, but with more brown in the mix. It features the correct "fold down" skirt for colder weather, with two pebbled aluminum buttons 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 insignia has suffered some age related oxidation and flaking of the enamel, allowing the base metal to patinate. The visor is still in very good condition, with no cracks or major bends in the cardboard stiffener.
The cap is lined with lovely golden brown cotton twill, which shows just a bit of wear from use. There are no markings we can see, and the cap is probably a size 56-57cm. Definitely one of the best examples of an RAD cap that we have seen lately!
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.
