Germany, RAD. An Officer’s Service Cap, Arbeitsgau XVIII, by Berthold Lissner

(Reichsarbeitsdienst Tuchmütze für Offiziere). A rare and exceptionally well-preserved Reichsarbeitsdienst (Reich Labour Service/RAD) “Robin Hood” service cap, constructed of olive-drab wool. It features a raised canister surrounded by side walls which are trimmed along the edge with silver aluminum wire piping and slope downward toward the front. Dual ventilation holes flank each side of the canister, and are reinforced with magnetic metal grommets. Pinned onto the left side of the walls is a silver medal traditions device indicating issue to Arbeitsgau XVIII (Niedersachsen-Ost), measuring 38 mm (w) x 42 mm (h). A dark brown wool inset is set in place across the forehead and pinned with an aluminum RAD insignia measuring 45 mm (w) x 38 mm (h). A protruding visor completes the exterior features, and consists of a rigid card stock core fully lined in identical wool, overlaid across the top with a single tresse constructed of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire. A multi-piece olive-drab rayon liner encompasses the interior, while a wide brown leather sweatband surrounds the lower edge. Both the liner and sweatband are maker marked “ABTEILUNG BERTHOLD LISSNER, GUBEN”. The back of the sweatband is pinned with a brown rayon bow tie, in turn situated above a label bearing a size mark of “53”. The cap measures approximately 17 cm (w) x 26 cm (l) x 14.5 cm (h). Minor material fatigue consistent with age and period wear is visible to the interior liner, but this scarce unit-attributed example, which demonstrates superior quality of construction, remains in an extremely fine condition.