History

Like every organisation during the Third Reich, forestry was placed under the control of the NSDAP. The Reichsforstamt (National Forestry Office) was created in 1934 to replace the regional forestry departments that had existed prior to this date. The goals of the Reichsforstamt were to extract economic value in the form of timber from the forests for the German industry, as well as preserve nature and natural monuments for the people as a part of German culture.
A sub-department for professional hunters employed by the government was created. Hunting matters had formerly been a part of the Ministry for Food and Agriculture, but were now placed under the influence of the Reichsforstamt.
Private forestry matters were placed under the care of the Reichsnährstand (National Nutritional Estate) in 1941.
The Reichsforstamt was headed by Luftwaffe leader Hermann Göring as Reichsforstmeister (minister of forestry).

The Reichsbund Deutsche Jägerschaft (National Society of German Hunters) was founded in 1934 as a statutory corporation for non-professional hunters. All existing hunting societies were disbanded and memberships transferred to the Deutsche Jägerschaft. Membership was mandatory for everyone with a hunting license.
Hermann Göring led the organisation as Reichsjägermeister (minister of hunting).

The Reichsforstschutz or Forstschutzkommando (Forestry Protection Service), in 1943 renamed to Forstschutzkorps (Forestry Protection Corps), was a paramilitary force instituted in February of 1940 in the General Government (occupied Poland). Made up of German forestry officials and ethnic Germans from Poland, the Forstschutz was tasked with regular forestry duties, as well as patrolling and protecting woodlands to keep them from being used by the Polish resistance. In 1942, Forstschutz personnel was also stationed in the Eastern European occupied territories where their work was heavily focused on anti-partisan operations.
Very little is known about the Forstschutz organisation today, and all items related to it are exceedingly rare.

The fourth pattern of Forestry collar tabs was introduced in 1941, but due to difficulties with distribution wasn’t implemented until November of 1942. Not a lot changed compared to the third pattern, except that additional silver-coloured piping was introduced for all but the very lowest rank. The highest ranks still had gold-coloured piping. All ranks now wore embroidered rather than metal oak leaves, with once more the very lowest rank as an exception.

Collar tabs were as follows:
The Reichsforstmeister wore a unique set of collar tabs with white backing. The embroidery was gold-coloured and featured a swastika surrounded by an aureole inside a frame of oak leaves.
Generalforstmeister wore a frame of gold-coloured oak leaves with an additional three gold-coloured oak leaves in the centre.
Ministerialdirektoren and Ministerialdirigenten wore the same collar tabs as the rank above, but with only two oak leaves in the centre.
Oberlandforstmeister wore the same collar tabs as the rank above, but with only one oak leaf in the centre.
Landforstmeister and Oberforstmeister wore a frame of silver-coloured oak leaves with an additional three silver-coloured oak leaves in the centre.
Forstmeister and Forstassessoren wore the same collar tabs as the rank above, but with only two oak leaves in the centre.
Forstreferendare wore the same collar tabs as the rank above, but with only one oak leaf in the centre.
Anwärter für den höheren Forstdienst wore the same collar tabs as the rank above, but without any oak leaves in the centre.
Forstamtmänner and Oberförster wore a half-frame of silver-coloured oak leaves around the lower part of the collar tabs, with an additional three silver-coloured oak leaves in the centre.
Revierförster wore the same collar tabs as the rank above, but with only two oak leaves in the centre.
Revierförsteranwärter wore the same collar tabs as the rank above, but with only one oak leaf in the centre.
Forstlehrlinge wore the same collar tabs as the rank above, but without any oak leaves in the centre.
Oberforstwarte wore three silver-coloured oak leaves.
Forstwarte wore two silver-coloured oak leaves.
Forstwartanwärter wore one silver-coloured oak leaf.
Forstaufseher wore two metal oak leaves. The collar tabs featured no piping.