Strange RAD pic, Sunwheel and volunteer shield on sleeve ? ID

[zbv500]

Hi all,

i have this RAD pic and wondered what this guys unit was exactly ?

The color of the armshield looks like some latvian volunteer shields ?

Has one of you any input on this guy and his unit ?

Thanks Jens

[zbv500]

2

[Bill H.]

FAD photo

Hi Jens,

What a great photo!!! Except for the hat I'd have no clue what organization this guy is from but the hat insignia is of the FAD (Freiwillige Arbeits Dienst) which, to my understanding, was a precursor to the RAD.

The shield insignia is similar in design and style to regional insignias of the Stahlhelm organization with which I suspect this photo is contemporary.

The mobile swastika insignia is really amazing. My bet is its in somebody's SS collection now as a rare early Wiking piece! That photo is a gold mine of info for guys with oddball insignia that is thus far undocumented.

In the early 1930s the Stahlhelm, and other veterans groups were brough under control of the Nazi party so you see uniforms of those groups at that time altered with addition of the party brassard. Later their uniforms and insignia were revised or the organization combined with existing party organizations. Its like when the Austrian Army got encorporated into the Wehrmacht they sewed army eagles, tabs and boards on Austrian army tunics until they got reissued with standard Heer examples.

I think this is what we are seeing here. Its an early photo showing the FAD man at the time of the Nazi attainment of power. Great photo!!

Cheers, Bill Huber

[zbv500]

Hi Bill,

many many thanks for your great explanations. Iam not very into RAD nor FAD and so i had no clue about it.
Your theorie makes absolutly sense, and yes, maybe someone will call the mobile swastika an early Wiking type, or even better it was determined as a fake since nobody has seen it before.
I too think that we can learn alot from fotos like these about uniformation and insignia.

Thanks alot Bill Bests Jens

[VerKuilen Ager]

A close look at the collar tabs reveals the letters "DDA" almost certainly for the group Der Deutsche Arbeiter, Verband nationaler Arbeitnehmer Deutschlands.

[Radcollector]

I may be mistaken but i believe he is a member of the Belgian FAD,he is wearing a FAD hat badge,and the insignia on his collar (spade and shovel) is the same as used on the Belgian FAD flag.I only have 2 Belgian FAD pictures in my collection and they dont show good close ups of the insignia,one is a over the shoulder shot (back of uniforms) of a flag bearer and the other is a picture from a distance,its hard to make out details.

[zbv500]

Hi Gentlemens,

thanks for your opinions, i think both have some good points.

Here is whats written on the back.

BTW, What are you thinking of the mobile swastika ? What was the relation of it in 1937 ??

Thanks Jens

[Radcollector]

Im even more convinced now that he is a Belgian FAD man,in Germany the FAD changed to the RAD in june 1935,he would not be wearing that hat insignia 2 years after the change,he is a feldmeister (FAD/RAD rank)the belgians still had the FAD at least untill 1943 if not longer(thats when the pictures i have are from) my collecting interests are only in german FAD/RAD ,i honestly dont know that much about the foreign FAD/RAD units besides the few pictures i have in my collection,its definately a interesting and rare picture.

[Bill H.]

Ok, that's it. I'm doin some research this weekend!! That DDA insignia is very diagnostic and should be able to be found in a reference somewhere. That should be a good starting point.

I've not heard of the Belgian FAD. Yancy, please fill us in! I was under the impression that the FAD was a makework organization like the CCC in the US during the 1930s. It provided jobs to the unemployed as a way of jumpstarting the economy.

The back of the card that Jens provided is another great hint because it gives the location which looks rather like Hasbach. Turns out Hasbach is very close to the Belgian boarder but I'm still mystified as to why Belgians would be involved in a German labor organization particularly a Nazi one. Hitler had reoccupied the Rheinland by this time and the French were busy with the construction plans for the Maginot Line. Were these volksdeutsch living in Belgium? It just seems odd that the Belgian government would sponsor or recognize a foreign labor organization. This is good stuff and I'm dying to find out more!!

The rest of the card reads "ge????ent vom Ihrem Kamerad, Karl Gundel, Feldmeister" as near as I can figure out with my sammlerdeutsch. Maybe our German members can pick up my slack here.

We have the man's name, rank, location and date! We should be able to figure out this mystery if we pool our talents.

Cheers, Bill Huber

[zbv500]

Hi Bill and Yancy,

many thanks for your great input, iam realy interested in the end of the story.

Bill, the missing word reads "gewidmet" and means dedication in english.

Great research guys, many thanks Jens

[Geheimrat]

Picture 7:
Es war
Feldmeister Kurt Gündel,
er war zuletzt Oberfeldmeister
im RAD-Meldeamt Pfarrkirchen
Gruß
Geheimrat

[VonPeter]

How can the pic have been taken 1937 when he has a KVM from 1940 on the ribbon bar?

/peter

[Geheimrat]

Hallo,
Kurt Gündel
ist am 4. April 1936
als Feldmeister in den Reichsarbeitsdienst eingestellt worden.
So steht es in den amtlichen Personaldaten.

[wilhelm Saris]

The picture was not taken in 1937, but signed then.
The picture is from about 1934. The DAD collar-patches, Saxonia related,
were not worn when the FAD became RAD in 1935.
The guy is not a foreigner.

[CWP]

How can the pic have been taken 1937 when he has a KVM from 1940 on the ribbon bar?

/peter

I believe that is a Hindenburg cross ribbon.