RAD Generalarbeitsfuhrer Identification Guide

[Gwar]

Name: Schmückle

Vorname: Karl

Geburtsdatum/-Ort: 15.05.1895

Todesdatum/-Ort:

Amtsbezeichnung/Dienstgrad: Obergeneralarbeitsführer

Arbeitsgau XXIII Thuringen

[Gwar]

Seldom, if ever seen, 

Name: Schneider
Vorname: Johannes
Geburtsdatum/-Ort: 23.11.1896
Todesdatum/-Ort: 26.12.1968
Amtsbezeichnung/Dienstgrad: Generalarbeitsführer

I hope to have better scans soon..

[Preppy Picker]

Some really cool pictures. I really enjoy the variety of badges that are being worn.

[Gwar]

I am on the fence with this photo, I have researched the possibilities but am still unsure if they are even a GAF, if I were to guess, it would be GAF Etterich

Name: Etterich

Vorname: Arthur

Geburtsdatum/-Ort: 08.03.1894

Todesdatum/-Ort: 24.08.1960

Amtsbezeichnung/Dienstgrad: Generalarbeitsführer

Arbeitsgau XXIV Mittelrhein

[Gwar]

These photographs aren't that special, we have seen GAF Neuerberg "The One Armed Bandit' in this thread, these particular photos can be found in memory books from that GAU and they were mass produced, so nothing to write home about, if you look close, Neuerberg is wearing the sleeve designation XXX, just before he took over XXII

[Jack the Collector]

4 hours ago, Gwar said:

these particular photos can be found in memory books

Indeed,I think many collectors who have grown up in the digital age are unaware that people ordered duplicates when they had their photos developed as well.

[Gwar]

Jame, Correct-a-Mundo !

[Gwar]

A group photo of ( From left to right ) Dr. Schmiedler, RAF Hierl and GAF Simon, the rest are unknown as of yet.

[Gwar]

Getting back to GAF Simon

Name: Simon

Vorname: Karl

Geburtsdatum/-Ort: 25.03.1885

Todesdatum/-Ort: 16.03.1961

Amtsbezeichnung/Dienstgrad: Obergeneralarbeitsführer

Arbeitsgau XIV Merseburg

Afre more of Simon, notice the other individuals..

A few more of Simon

[Jack the Collector]

Looks that GAF Simon was well decorated in WW 1?

[Gwar]

After attending elementary school and secondary school, Simon joined the Bavarian 1st Ulan Regiment in 1905, with which he took part in the First World War from August 1914 to November 1918. In February 1920 he retired from the army as a lieutenant. He then earned his living as a bank clerk and as a commercial clerk.

Simon joined the NSDAP in 1920 and was involved in the establishment of the party organization in the Palatinate until 1923. In 1922 he co-founded the NSDAP local group in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. During the passive resistance against the occupation of the Ruhr, Simon was arrested by the French occupying forces in March 1923 and expelled from the Palatinate two months later. Simon moved to Central Germany, where he was district leader of the party between June and November 1923. He joined the newly founded NSDAP on 27 May 1925 (membership number 5,917). Later he was the founder of the NSDAP local group in Leuna, district leader of the party for Merseburg, Gau economics officer and member of the Gauleitung as well as temporarily deputy Gauleiter for Halle-Merseburg. In 1929 he was an employee of several National Socialist newspapers under the pseudonym "Spektator".

From 1932 to 1933 Simon sat as a member of the Prussian Landtag. From 12 November 1933 until the end of Nazi rule, Simon was a member of the National Socialist Reichstag as a representative of constituency 11 (Merseburg). From October 1933 Simon Gauarbeitsführer was for Halle-Merseburg. In April 1945 he was promoted to Obergeneralarbeitsführer in the Reich Labour Service.

[Gwar]

RAF Hierl and GAF Simon

[Gwar]

Karl Schmückle

After attending secondary school, Karl Schmückle was trained at the Non-Commissioned Officer School from 1910 to 1914. In 1914 he was assigned to the Infantry Regiment 121, Alt-Württemberg, with which he took part in the First World War from 1914 and fought mainly in France. From 1915 Schmückle was a pilot in Kampfgeschwader 3; later he moved to Jagdgeschwader 2. After the end of the war, he belonged to the Freikorps under Otto Haas, with whom he took part in the suppression of the Munich Soviet Republic. In 1921 he left the army with the rank of lieutenant. Among the awards he could look back on at that time were the Iron Cross of both classes, the Golden Medal of Valor, the Silver Medal of Merit, the Friedrich August Medal, the Military Merit Medal, the Wounded Badge, Pilot's Badge and Cup of Honor "Winner in Air Combat". From 1925 Schmückle belonged to the Thuringian Police. He attended the Higher Police School; In 1932 he retired with the rank of captain.

On February 1, 1930, Schmückle joined the NSDAP (membership number 190,193) in Jena. Schmückle was the founder of the Nazi police student councils. From September 1932 he headed a labour camp on the Ellenbogen in the Rhön.

After the transfer of power to the National Socialists, Schmückle was from April 1933 state commissioner for the voluntary labor service in Thuringia. From October 1933 to September 1941 he served as leader of the Arbeitsgau XXIII "Thuringia" based in Weimar. From 1934 to September 1941 Schmückle was a member of the Gauamtsleiter of the NSDAP Gauleitung for Thuringia. In 1935 he was appointed to the Thuringian State Council. In the Reich Labor Service (RAD) he held the rank of General Labor Leader from December 1935. From March 1936 until the end of Nazi rule in the spring of 1945, Schmückle sat as a member of the National Socialist Reichstag, in which he represented constituency 12 (Thuringia).

After the German attack in the west, Schmückle was between 1940 and 1942 Higher RAD Leader at Luftgaukommando XII, which was responsible for the west of France. From December 1942 he was leader of the Arbeitsgaus XXX "Bayern-Hochland" based in Munich. Schmückle was last promoted to Obergeneralarbeitsführer on 20 April 1945.

At the end of the war, Schmückle was captured by American troops in Mittersill in Austria in May 1945 and interned according to automatic arrest. After his release in June 1947, he initially lived as a merchant in Sonthofen, from 1956 in Fischen in the Allgäu.

On 1 June 1945, an ordinance of the military government for the district of Saalfeld prompted the renaming of "Karl-Schmückle-Straße" in Pößneck to "Am Teichrasen". 

[Gwar]

The 'Boss' with a few Feldmeisters from Abt. 1/95, most likely location is Velten Honor Name 'Theodor Fontane'

[Gwar]

Unknown Arbeitsfuhrer

[Gwar]

Name: Band

Vorname: Victor

Geburtsdatum/-Ort: 04.12.1897

Todesdatum/-Ort: 31.10.1973

Amtsbezeichnung/Dienstgrad: Obergeneralarbeitsführer

Arbeitsgau XXXV Niederdonau

[SARGE]

I love the removable trunk on the back of his automobile.  I don't recall seeing one of these before.

 

Great photographs of your very focused collection that you have been showing.  Keep it up.

 

 

[Gwar]

GAF Dr. Wagner

[Gwar]

GAF Schinnerer

[Gwar]

GAF Schroeder

[Gwar]

GAF Roch, just behind and to the right of him is GAF Dr. Wagner

[Gwar]

Name: Faatz

Vorname: Wilhelm

Geburtsdatum/-Ort: 14.11.1891

Todesdatum/-Ort: 22.04.1965

Amtsbezeichnung/Dienstgrad: Generalarbeitsführer

Arbeitsgau XXV Hessen-Sud

[SARGE]

I see an interesting Imperial pin back award that he is wearing in the first photo.  It looks like an Austro-Hungarian badge perhaps?  Do you know what it is?

 

 

[Gwar]

Faatz, although highly decorated and a key figure of the Reichs Arbeits Dienst has little information as to when and the circumstances behind his awards, but this is what I have, War Honor Decoration in Iron, a.k.a. “Bloody Ludwig” Krieger-Ehrenzeichen in Eisen was instituted on March 03, 1917 by the Grand Duke of Hesse Ernst Ludwig (Großherzog Ernst Ludwig von Hessen, 25.11.1868-09.10.1937) in conjunction with the 25th jubilee of his reign. highest award of the Grand Duchy for exceptional frontline bravery, criteria for decoration with the War Honor Decoration in Iron were quite strict. Thus, contender should have been a Hessian subject as of August 01, 1914; holder of the Prussian Iron Cross 2nd class and Hessian Silver Bravery Medal (Allgemienes Ehrenzeichen für Tapferkeit); frontline soldier or officer for at least two years (including recovery in hospital for less than two months), and lastly, he should have been wounded during frontline operations. The latter led to the unofficial label “Bloody Ludwig” (“Blutiger Ludwig”) given to this award by frontline soldiers. Due to the connection of this decoration to the Bravery Medal sometimes it was qualified as the Hessian Bravery medal 1st class. The award had a shape of a wide round laurel wreath bearing number “25”. Intertwined letters “E” and “L” signifying for the ruler of Hesse Ernst Ludwig. 

[Gwar]

GAF Dr. Wagner

Next to Dr. Wagner is Bernhard Rust, Minister of Science, Education and National Culture (Reichserziehungsminister) in Nazi Germany. A combination of school administrator and zealous Nazi, he issued decrees, often bizarre, at every level of the German educational system to immerse German youth in Nazi ideology. He also served as the party Gauleiter in Hanover and Brunswick from 1925 to 1940.