WWII GERMAN - RAD SWIMMING SUIT
The German National Work Service (RAD - Reichsarbeitdienst) was established on July 1934. This started as a labor
organization. It provided labor to several agricultural and public works around Germany. On June of 1935 it
was transformed into a full blown ministry. With the passage of the Reichs Labor Service law, all males between
the ages of 18 and 25 were required to serve 6 months under the RAD organization. This acted as a stepping stone
where later they were obligated to serve 2 years in a branch of the military.
While the RAD swimsuit is not the most valuable item portrayed on this website it is however a rare and interesting
find. The author has not seen another example of its kind. The item is in un-used condition.
The suit is of cotton construction. Blue color and has a patch with the RAD emblem sewn to its left side
(left picture). The same side of the suit has two draw strings. The inside front and back contain markings
stamped with black ink. One of the markings is a date, 1939.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German collectibles. 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 collectible worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the collectibles is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
items 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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Many German items are 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 the items. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine
the authenticity of a german military collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other collectibles of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our
WWII German Collectibles
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine), Air Force (Luftwaffe),
political, civil service, homefront and many more areas.
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