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.

Since neither shoulder boards nor collar patches were worn with the work uniform, a different system of rank insignia had to be used. Initially these insignia were only used for the ranks of Unterfeldmeister to Vormann. They were made from aluminum between 1935 and 1939, then the material changed to grey cotton or artificial silk. The backing was in the same colour as the uniform.
A 2nd pattern was introduced in 1942.

Sleeve insignia were introduced for Officer ranks on January 14, 1943. They were used on all uniforms on which no collar patches and shoulder boards were worn, including track suits, anoraks, windbreakers, camouflage blouses, firing-range dress, dispatch riders coats, and white snow smocks. The insignia are grey for Company and Fieldgrade Officer ranks, whereas the ones for General ranks are gold-coloured. They were worn on the upper left sleeve.

The sleeve insignia for Oberstfeldmeister shows four downward pointing narrow chevrons, the upper one with a loop at the top.