RAD Hewers - Who would wear?

[David C]

Hi guys,

For a good while now I've been trying to find out who would actually wear the RAD hewers. There are a couple of points that I can't find a satisfactory answer to. Can anyone help?

On 16th August 1934 the wear of the RAD hewer was approved for ranks of Truppführer and above. Amendments dated 10th November 1934 and 7th January 1935 restricted wear to Unterfeldmeister and above. This must have pissed off any Truppführer or Obertruppführer who had taken the plunge and already bought a hewer,..no?

With the introduction of the leaders hewer on 21 December 1937 the 1934 hewer was relagated to use by NCOs and enlisted men.

Now I can see NCOs who are hoping to persue a career in the RAD buying a hewer but an enlisted man on his 6 month compulsory service?

Was it only NCOs and Leaders who could have a 'career' in the RAD? or could you be a fulltime EM?

All of this becomes redundant of course if it was common practice for RAD 'units' to own their sidearms and issue them out to personnel as and when required.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
David.

[David C]

If you haven't got any facts how about some opinions guys?

[David C]

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[David C]

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[David C]

Just trying to stimulate some discussion in this quieter section of the forums that's all

Cheers,
David.

[Skipper Greenwade]

Dave,

I must admit I've never given much thought to the organization/structure of the RAD. I looked up the ranks on another site on the Web, but am not sure where the enlisted, NCO and Officer ranks even start and stop. Sorry, but I don't think you'll find a lot of discussion here!

From the what-it's-worth department, I have very nice, representative examples of the full-stag 1934, the standard 1934 and the officers pattern hewers and - like most others (I imagine) held to the belief that the 1934 pattern hewer was for all ranks until '37 when the officers pattern hewer came into use.

Just not something that bears a lot of thought for me. I personally think the 1934 pattern hewers are rather clunky and unattractive, but you gotta have one if you're putting together a collection of all the Third Reich daggers.

Anyone else ? ? ?

[lakesidetrader]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. RAD daggers are quite common likely refecting the large number of members as I think service was compulsory for a length of time. Here are a few other factors that contribute to the large # of these things out there:
1-These were used as tools, as opposed to the dress daggers we most commonly see which were only for dress occasions. Being a tool likely meant that it may have been a compulsory part of equipment, I don't know for sure just speculating.
2-The other factor that comes into play is that many of the EM Hewers were unit marked indicating that the RAD unit rather than the individual owned them. These may have been handled by many of the guys through the prewar years. Saving the individual the expense of the purchase.

I know guys who only collect RAD hewers. Hold one in your hand, you certainly know you have it there, unlike a Navy which is a dainty thing in comparison!!

[David C]

Thanks for the replies guys.

The EM hewer is indeed a handful I like them. Although the design is based on the medieval sidearm the Falchion, itself thought to have derived from a woodsmans axe, I'm not so sure that they were actually used as tools.

The original press anouncement:

"The hewer of the Reich Labour Service is designed in conformance with the RAD's non-combatant activities. It is not only a dress uniform accoutrement but also a practical tool for the cultivation of our soil. It is therefore symbolic of the objectives of the Reich Labour Service, namely to secure new land for our people and a new people for our land."

I think it was more symbolic than practical. I can't see Rad men hacking away with their, relatively expensive, dress hewers when a more utilitarian and much cheaper axe would have been available.

If regularly used as tools the surviving hewers would be beat to hell and back and they aren't. Yes the existence of unit marked hewers on a significant scale would indeed answer my question. However from the examples I have come across, I would say that most aren't unit marked. I could be wrong though.

As to their availability, a very high number of people would have passed through the RAD. If everyone purchased a hewer there would be huge amounts of them out there. If a significant proportion were unit owned then they would be less common today. I think this second scenario must be the correct one.

When compared to Army and Luftwaffe daggers I would say there are far fewer RAD hewers in existence. Come to think of it I seem to see more Kreigsmarine daggers than RAD for sale on the sites.


Cheers,
David.