WWII GERMAN RAD 4 YEAR SERVICE MEDAL -
The Reichsarbeitsdienst (or RAD, Reich Labour Service) was an institution established by Nazi Germany as an agency to reduce unemployment, similar to the Civilian Conservation Corps of the United States. During the Second World War it was an auxiliary formation which provided support for the Wehrmacht.
The RAD was formed during July 1934 as the official state labour service. The RAD was an amalgamation of the many labour organisations formed in Germany during the times of the Weimar Republic. RAD members were to provide service for various civic, military and agricultural construction projects. Konstantin Hierl was its director during the organization's entire lifetime.
The item featured here is a German RAD 4 year service medal. As issued during WWII. The design of the
medal consists of a dark blue ribbon. A spring-type pin is secured to the upper section by stiching
it in two different areas. The body of the medal is oval in shape. A wreath covers the perimeter of
the body. The front displays the RAD logo.
The back of the medal has the following writting in the center: "Fur Treue Dienste in Reichs Arbeits Dienst".
This is a photo of the award document.
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A document was issued with every long service medal.
The document was made of brown paper. The example shown here was dated 1939. It shows the name of the
person along with the RAD unit where he served.
The document has a type written date and is signed by the commander of the unit.
The example shown here has been hole punched and was placed in a two ring binder folder.
It is important to note thae the award documents were not standard. It is possible to find some that
are not identical to the one featured here.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German badges and awards. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points
that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German badge worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the badges and awards is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
badges in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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WE BUY German German tinnies and related items - All types of WWII German tinnies and contribution. Whether
they are military, Civilian, para-military, political, etc.
The process gets started by you sending us an
Email .
We will respond to your inquiry normally within 24 hours and in many cases much faster.
We can tell you what you have, what it is worth and how much we can pay you.
One item or an entire collection -
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Collecting Third Reich RAD items
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe
bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to
battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies.
Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.
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In trying to determine if you should collect WWII German RAD items there are certain factors that should be
considered.
The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the RAD items.
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This award is currently being
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality
of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style
and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.
If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our
WWII German Badges and Awards
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and
Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.
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