BACKGROUND: The SHD, Sicherheits und Hilfs Dienst, (Security and Assistance Service), was formed in May 1937 as a uniformed, voluntary, civilian, organization under control of the RLM, Reichs Luftfahrt Ministerium, (National Ministry of Aviation), under the command of Hermann Göring. The SHD worked in conjunction with the RLB, Reichs Luftschutz Bund, (National Air Raid Protection League), and the LSW, Luft Schutz Warndienst, (Air Raid Warning Service), in the civil air defence network, with its primary functions being decontamination, fire fighting, rescue and repair and assisting civilian personnel and securing buildings following an air raid. For a short period of time, (June 1939-March 1940), SHD rank insignia was displayed as a series of green armbands with various, white, horizontal bars to indicate the specific ranks until March 1940 when shoulder cord rank insignia was introduced to replace the armbands. Of Note: In mid-1942 the organization was renamed Luftschutz-Polizei, (Air Protection Police), and came under control of the Ordnungspolizei, (Order Police). As early as 1928 the Germans had established a civilian Flugmeldedienst, (Air Reporting Service), to observe and record all aircraft flying over German territory. Originally the Flugmeldedienst was under the control of the Reichs Post Ministerium, (National Postal Ministry), to obscure the potential military employment of such a service. After Hitler’s ascension to power in January 1933 control of the Flugmeldedienst, was transferred to the RLM, Reichs Luftfahrt Ministerium, (National Ministry of Aviation), under Hermann Göring, as a sub-section of the Luftwaffe, (Air-Force). In May 1937 the Flugmeldedienst was redesignated, LSW, Luft Schutz Warndienst, (Air Raid Warning Service), and was responsible for observation and analysis of all aircraft in German skies, and the eventual sounding of air raid warning alarms to alert the general public and the assorted civil air defense organizations of air raids. The LSW worked in close cooperation with the police and the other civil air defense organizations and were also responsible for sounding the "all clear" signal. Since both the SHD and the LSW were established in May 1937 and were mutually supporting organizations it is not surprising that the shoulder cord rank insignia utilized was basically identical for both organizations. The shoulder cords were worn in matching pairs on the service uniform and underwent a minor modification for both organizations in August 1941. Both organizations also utilized the same, basic, rank designations with the appropriate unit, (SHD/LSW), prefixes.