BACKGROUND: Formed in late 1932 the Deutscher Luftschutzverband (German Air Protection League), was a voluntary organization designed to provide civil air raid protection in large civilian centers. Shortly after Hitler ascension to power the Deutscher Luftschutzverband was restructured and placed under the supervision of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, (National Air Ministry), under the control of Hermann Göring. On April 29TH 1933 the Deutscher Luftschutzverband was renamed RLB, Reichs Luftschutz Bund, (National Air Raid Protection League) and was given status as an official national organization tasked with all aspects of civil air raid defence. The RLB remained a voluntary organization with a small cadre of paid, full-time uniformed officials to oversee the organizations functions until June 1935 when obligatory service was introduced. Non-uniformed RLB personnel were issued an identifying armband to be worn on the upper left sleeve when performing RLB duties. Originally these armbands utilized the first pattern RLB emblem, (Circa 1933-1938), until October 1938 when the RLB emblem was redesigned and replaced the earlier pattern for the duration of the war.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: First pattern, (Circa 1933-1938), mid-blue cotton construction RLB EM/NCO’s armband features a machine woven first pattern RLB emblem to the obverse center. The RLB emblem is in the form of a forty-eight point, white, star burst pattern base with the stylized, navy blue initials, "RLB" to the center, positioned above a small, canted, navy blue swastika. The obverse of the armband also has a faint, mostly illegible, red, RLB issuing authority inkstamp. The reverse of the armband has a central, vertical, machine stitched seam and the white, machine woven, manufacturer’s acronym and location, "BeVo-Barmen", indicating manufacture by Bandfabrik Ewald Vorsteher of Wuppertal-Barmen, and additional script, "Ges. Gesch." indicating, Gesetzlich Geschützt, (Protected by Law). Nice.