History

The DAF (Deutsche Arbeitsfront = German Labour Front) was the result of a forced association of all German trade unions, established on May 10, 1933. Its purpose was the coordination and control of all aspects of German labour to serve the interests of the NSDAP. The DAF leader was Reichsleiter Robert Ley.

The Werkscharen (Factory Brigades) of the DAF were the “soldiers” of the organisation, formed in 1934. They were trained and organised as paramilitary, uniformed units, yet remained unarmed. Beginning in April 1937, active Werkschar units (Stoßtrupps) would wear silver-coloured insignia, while administrators wore gold-coloured insignia. Even though Werkscharen were not affiliated with the Reichsluftschutzbund (RLB, National Air Raid Protection League), during the war they often functioned as factory air raid protection auxiliaries.
Some companies, especially major corporations, used additional security personnel, which were dubbed Werkschutz (Factory Protection), and later Werksicherheitsdienst (Factory Security Service).

The Werkschar Visor Cap was introduced in late 1938. It is in the style of the original DAF visor cap, dark blue with a black cap band featuring an oak leaf pattern. The cap features a black vulcan fibre visor and piping in the same colour as the cap body. The difference was mainly in the cap insignia worn. The Werkschar cap featured a “political” style eagle emblem at the cap top, the same one worn by NSDAP members on their caps, and a DAF oak leaf wreath with a swastika inside a cogwheel on the cap band.

Werktrupp Leaders, that is the ranks of Betriebsblockobmann and above, as well as DAF Amtswalter and KdF Warte wore a hand-embroidered matte gold-coloured cap badge set and a gold-coloured chin cord.
Stoßtrupp leaders, that is the ranks of Werkscharmeister and above wore a hand-embroidered silver-coloured wire cap badge set and a silver-coloured (aluminum) chin cord.
The ranks of Rottenführer to Werkscharmann in a Werktrupp wore a matte gold-coloured metal cap badge set and a leather chin strap.
The ranks of Rottenführer to Werkscharmann of a Stoßtrupp wore a silver-coloured metal cap badge and a lacquered chin strap.

Beginning in May of 1939, Werkschar leaders were automatically elevated to the NSDAP function of “Political Leader”. They kept wearing the same visor cap, but with an NSDAP political leader wreath and cockade instead of the DAF oak leaf wreath with cogwheel and swastika.