History

The RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst = Reich Labour Service) was officially established on June 26, 1935 as the sole, and compulsory, labour service of Germany. Its purposes were to help the economy, curb unemployment, and indoctrinate its members with the NSDAP ideology, as well as play its part in militarising the German population.

The FAD (Freiwilliger Arbeitsdienst = Voluntary Labour Service) was the precursor of the RAD in the early 1930s. Official uniform regulations were first introduced on October 1, 1933, with modifications made in July 1934. It is also known as NSAD (Nationalsozialistischer Arbeitsdienst = National Socialist Labour Service).

The earliest uniforms were a not entirely successful attempt at standardisation. They gave way to a second wave of FAD uniforms that, when the RAD was established, experienced no significant changes.

In general, RAD members wore the standard NSDAP armband (black swastika in white circle on red). Armbands specific to the RAD exist, however, no information from official sources about them has been found so far.

An armband suspected to have been worn in an air raid protection context exists, but its purpose is unknown. It is white with blue top and bottom borders, as well as two blue vertical borders surrounding the centre emblem, which is a black RAD spade with a swastika on it, flanked with wheat ears.
Variations of this armband exist, for example featuring an entirely black spade without a swastika, or lacking the vertical borders.