Product Details
ALCOSO, SOLINGEN,
A RARE PERSONALISED GERMAN REICHSARBEITSDIENST (RAD) OFFICERS DRESS HEWER,
circa 1939, with 10in. clip-point blade bearing the motto 'ARBEIT ADELT' (Work Enables), nickel-silver cross-guard with spiral quillions featuring the RAD device to the front and the engraved owners initials 'H.C.' to the reverse, rare yellow plastic grip panels and nickel-silver eagles-head pommel, together with its original nickel-silver scabbard with RAD symbols and owners initials, the whole remaining in fine order
Provenance: The RAD was formed in the late 1920's and early 1930's by its leader, Konstantin Heirl, for the purpose of eliminating the mass unemployment existing among the youth of Germany at that time. Every young German male was required to serve a period of six months in the RAD prior to joining the Army. The men lived in camps and were trained in drill, marching, and digging, but were not armed. By 1939 the RAD had 360,000 men in service that were organised and administered by a small number of permanent full time staff. With the onset of war in 1939, the RAD members were given military training and subsequently, transferred directly into the Nazi Armed Forces. During the war, RAD members were called upon to level roads and airfields, clear away rubble, repair damaged railways, collect captured war material, and generally perform manual labour in the occupied territories. In 1943 the RAD was armed and militarised and operating through out the occupied territories. To show how important the RAD became to the war effort, Adolf Hitler awarded the German Order to Konstantin Heirl, only the second recipient of Germany's highest award. Instituted in December 1937, the RAD Leaders Hewer was issued for wear to permanent officers of the rank of Feldmeister or above. The Hewer was designed by Paul Casburg and was more dagger like than the RAD Enlisted Mans Hewer (Lot 371) in that it is very light in comparison. The Hilt took the form of a stylised eagles head pommel and was usually made of a low-grade aluminium. The grip plates were plastic and are found in white 95% of the time, yellow-orange grip plates being very seldom encountered. The Hewer could be purchased by the relevant officers, a few of whom had it engraved with their initials, but it is very rare indeed to find personalised daggers. Production was discontinued in 1942.
Estimate £700-900