Original WWII Hitler Youth HJ FLAK HELPER’S FIELD CAP. (HJ Luftwaffenhelfer Feldmütze) Certified
SOLD
Original WWII Hitler Youth HJ FLAK HELPER’S FIELD CAP. (HJ Luftwaffenhelfer Feldmütze) Certified. Beginning early in the war, Hitler Youth personnel performed a wide variety of jobs which freed up men for active military service, among them postal delivery, messenger services, fire fighting assistance, crop harvesting, and air-raid assistance. By late 1942, due to the deteriorating war situation and the increase in allied air-raids on Germany, the “Reichsjugendführung” (National-youth-leadership), in collaboration with the RLM, “Reichsluftfahrtministerium” (National-aviation-ministry), began the formation of the “Kriegshilfeinsatz der deutschen Jugend bei der Luftwaffe” (War-assistance-action of-the german Youth within the Air-force), which were to become active as of January of 1943. The regulations stated that all HJ personnel who had reached the age of fifteen were to “volunteer” for auxiliary service in the Luftwaffe, until they were called up for military service at the age of eighteen. Although the auxiliary service could be performed in any branch of the Luftwaffe, the most common branch of service was with the air-raid defence units. The majority of the personnel to serve as flak helpers were recruited from the “Flieger-HJ” (Flying[-formations] [of-the] – Hitler Youth), although youths were marshaled from all branches of the HJ. Originally, those employed as flak helpers wore their HJ uniforms, until June of 1943, when new uniforms and insignia were authorized. A grey wool visor cap with doubled-up, fold-down side panels, in the same material as the one-piece crown and two-piece body of the cap, which narrow and slope towards the front where they are fastened by a pebbled metal button and buttonhole. A vertical seam is to the rear of these fold-down panels. Sewn over the forward seam line of the body is a 30mm tall Hitler Youth emblem, in the form of a black mobile swastika to the center of a diamond, with white fields to its left and right, and red fields above and below. Its stiffened visor is also covered in grey wool. Rbnr marking with a 44 date and an unusually large size stamp 58. Nice untouched example with all original stitching to the insignia. RARE LARGE SIZE! Nice example issued with expected storage wear (see photos). Gettysburg Museum Of History (COA) provided. Rare 100% Guaranteed to be authentic. Sold for historic purposes only. See our other pieces on our web site. Also note when browsing our web site there are several pages of items, at the bottom of the list look for other page numbers. Nice EXAMPLE, very scarce large size!