GERMAN RLB Deutscher Luftschutzverband (German Air Protection League) OFFICER’S SLEEVE EAGLE

GERMAN RLB Deutscher Luftschutzverband (German Air Protection League) OFFICER’S SLEEVE EAGLE

Machine woven, stylized, RLB pattern, national eagle in bright, silver/aluminum flat-wire threads with black accent threads, clutching a black, canted, swastika, superimposed on a silver/aluminum sunburst pattern, mounted on a machine woven, grey rayon base that is machine stitched to a cut-out, blue/grey wool backing.

History:
Formed in late 1932 the Deutscher Luftschutzverband (German Air Protection League), was a voluntary organization designed to provide civil air raid protection in large civilian centers. Shortly after Hitler ascension to power the Deutscher Luftschutzverband was restructured and placed under the supervision of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, (National Ministry of Aviation), under the control of Hermann Göring. On April 29TH 1933 the Deutscher Luftschutzverband was renamed RLB, Reichs Luftschutz Bund, (National Air Raid Protection League), and was given status as an official, national, organization tasked with all aspects of civil air raid defence. The RLB remained a voluntary organization with a small cadre of paid, full-time, uniformed, officials to oversee the organizations functions until June 1935 when obligatory service was introduced. Uniformed RLB personnel wore a distinctive, stylized, national eagle on the right forearm of the service uniform. Generally officers ranks of RLB-Führer up to and including RLB-Präsident utilized a hand embroidered sleeve eagle in bright silver/aluminum threads while EM/NCO’s ranks of RLB-Trupppmann up to and including RLB-Obertruppmeister utilized machine woven sleeve eagles in silver/grey threads. This particular example in silver/aluminum flat-wire threads was most likely worn by Officers and senior NCO’s.