L013782 LUFTWAFFE ADMINISTRATION SHOULDER BOARD.

BACKGROUND: The Reichsluftwaffe, (National Air-Force), was officially established on February 26TH 1935 as the third branch of service of the Wehrmacht, (Armed Forces). On March 9TH 1935 the formation of the new Reichsluftwaffe was announced to the foreign press and on March 16TH conscription was reintroduced for all three branches of service. On May 21ST 1935 the Reichsluftwaffe designation was altered to Luftwaffe, (Air-{Weapon}, Force). On it’s establishment the Luftwaffe adopted the shoulder board/strap rank insignia that had been utilized by it’s clandestine, civilian forerunner the Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports Association). The shoulder boards/straps remained in use through-out the war with minor modifications. The Officer’s shoulder boards were worn in matching pairs and indicated the branch of service and rank of the wearer. Originally the Officers shoulder boards utilized a bright, silver/aluminum Russian braid until regulations of April 1942 introduced a less visible, matte, Russian braid although the bright, silver/aluminum braid continued to be worn for the duration of the war. The German armed forces had a tradition, dating from the 1700's, of maintaining a separate branch of Administrative Officials to oversee all administrative functions, thus freeing up active Officers and allowing them to concentrate on actual military matters. The Officials were responsible for a wide variety of administrative tasks from Court Martial, Librarian, Supply, Technical and Meteorological Services, to School, Barracks, and Hospital administration. Most Officials careers consisted of four varying grades, of high, elevated, medium and low grade with slightly differing identifying insignia for each grade. The grade of the career was determined by the education and/or experience of the individual. Originally the uniformed Officials were allotted identifying, dark green waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with a bright red, nebenfarbe, (Secondary Color), to indicate their actual career, which was displayed on the shoulder boards. Further regulations maintained the dark green branch of service color, but introduced a wide variety of secondary colors for easier identification of the Official’s actual career. Personnel serving with the Professional and Specialist Schools, as instructors were allotted orange as their secondary color. The Professional and Specialist School instructor’s service encompassed a wide range of specialties including, Librarian, Medical, Veterinary, Pharmacists, Chemists, Psychologists, War Science Studies and the School of Higher Military Affairs.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $39.00

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