German RAD Sport Shirt Patch

Roughly 145mm tall, 120mm wide (not including the factory backing), machine woven, shield shaped, RAD insignia consists of a narrow black outer border stripe with a white inner border stripe encompassing a red base with a central white circular field featuring a black spade head flanked by two diagonally angled sheaths of wheat. The insignia is still on its original white rayon factory roll. The factory roll is well marked with black machine woven RAD logo, “RAJD” in an inverted triangle position above “Ges. Gesch.”, indicating, Gesetzlich Geschützt (Protected by Law) and manufacturers initials, “L.D.”.

The basis of the Reichsarbeitsdienst, (National Labor Service), dates back, at least, to 1929 with the formation of the AAD, Anhalt Arbeitsdienst, (Anhalt Labor Service), and the FAD-B, Freiwillingen Arbeitsdienst-Bayern, (Volunteer Labor Service Bavaria). Shortly after Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor, (January 30TH 1933), the NSDAP consolidated these, and other labor organizations into the NSAD, Nationalsozialist Arbeitsdienst, (National Socialist Labor Service), under the control of Reichsarbeitsführer Konstatin Hierl. On June 26TH 1935 the NSAD was re-designated RAD. In April 1934 Hierl developed a uniform for all NSAD personnel which continued to be worn after the re-designation to RAD. Included with the uniform was a specific sports uniform which consisted of tank top T-shirt with the RAD insignia, and black short pants and shoes.