History

Shoulder boards in the Hitler Youth identified the wearer’s rank and deployment. They were first standardised in 1933 and worn on both shoulders. Lower ranks wore shoulder straps, while leader ranks wore the stiffer shoulder boards. For the sake of simplicity, the term “shoulder boards” will be used to refer to both from here on.

The shoulder boards for the specialised HJ sub-groups will be shown in the 1938 pattern unless otherwise indicated. Early shoulder boards were generally in brown, while those worn after 1938 were black.

Shoulder boards for members of the Medical HJ were introduced on April 15, 1935. They are light blue with silver-coloured piping and cyphers. Medical orderlies wore an Aesculapius cypher, while pharmacists wore a cypher in the form of a pestle and snake.
On September 2, 1938 the Aesculapius cypher was replaced by a life rune cypher.

Ranks in 1935 were as follows:
Hauptstabsarzt: one silver-coloured rank pip and two bars at the base (only one bar as of 1938).
Hauptarzt: one silver-coloured rank pip and one bar at the base (the bar was discontinued in 1938).
Truppenarzt: two silver-coloured bars at the base.
Hilfsarzt: one silver-coloured bar at the base.
Oberfeldscher: no additional rank cyphers.

Ranks for pharmacists in 1935 were as follows:
Hauptapotheker: one silver-coloured bar at the base.
Apotheker: no additional rank cyphers.

Ranks for pharmacists in January of 1936 were as follows:
Hauptstabsapotheker: one silver-coloured rank pip and two bars at the base.
Hauptapotheker: one silver-coloured rank pip and one bar at the base.
Truppenapotheker: two silver-coloured bars at the base.
Hilfsapotheker: one silver-coloured bar at the base.
Apotheker: no additional rank cyphers.