Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice and somewhat rare German WWII Werkschutz (Factory Protection) Leader's Schirmmütze Visor Cap. We have seen these in a Feldgrau (Field Gray) color, but this example is in black, or possibly a very dark blue. The history of the Factory Protection service is somewhat convoluted, but appears to have involved both the DAF and the RLB, which was involved with the closely related Werkluftschutz (Factory Air Raid Protection) service.

The DAF Labor Front was the result of a forced association of all German trade unions, established on May 10, 1933. Its purpose was the coordination and control of all aspects of German labor to serve the interests of the NSDAP, and in reality did little to help or improve the status of workers.. The DAF leader was Reichsleiter and Reichsorganisationsleiter Robert Ley, who would later commit suicide before the Nuremberg trials.

The Werkscharen (Factory Brigades) of the DAF were the “soldiers” of the organization, formed in 1934. They were trained and organized as paramilitary, uniformed units, yet remained unarmed. Beginning in April 1937, active Werkschar units (Stoßtrupps) would wear silver-colored insignia, while administrators wore gold-colored insignia. Even though Werkscharen were not affiliated with the Reichsluftschutzbund (RLB, National Air Raid Protection League), during the war they often functioned as factory air raid protection auxiliaries.

Some companies, especially major corporations, used additional security personnel, which were dubbed Werkschutz (Factory Protection), and later Werksicherheitsdienst (Factory Security Service). Werkschutz insignia were first introduced in late 1937, which was an art deco style eagle looking to the left. holding a canted shield with a black swas (hook cross) on it. Some of the Factory Protection visors had colored piping, however it is not known what these signified.

This factory protection leader's cap is in very good condition, and features black or very dark blue wool construction. The crown stiffener is still installed, so the crown is still in great shape, showing just a bit of a "slope" to the sides. The cap does not feature any colored piping or a cap band, and has a lovely braided blue leader's chinstrap, held in place by black plastic buttons.

The front crown features a silver Werkschutz eagle over a metal tri color cockade on the cap band. The insignia are both in very good condition, showing just a bit of oxidation and wear. The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, and is brown on the underside with a cross-hatched pattern. The top shows a lovely pattern of checking and crazing in areas, which occurs as the black enamel finish degrades over time. There is also a line "melted" into the top, which could be from exposure to leather while in storage over a long period.

The inside of the cap is lined very nice blue lightweight canvas, possibly a cotton-rayon blend, and the celluloid diamond sweatshield is completely missing, with some of the stitching remaining. There are no maker or size markings present, but the cap seems to be about a size 58cm / US 7 1/4. The sweatband is made from high quality finished grained leather, and is really in great shape, showing very little use. There are the initials A and S on small metal badges on the inside.

Overall a very nice condition example of a rare German WW2 cap!

The Visor Cap-
The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.

Deutsche Arbeitsfront (German Labor Front or DAF):
With the dissolution of all Free Trade Unions in Germany in May 1933 the Deutsche Arbeitsfront, (German Labor Front), was established to replace the unions and to educate the workers in industry and commerce for smooth and efficient operation of all labor in the Third Reich. In October 1934 the DAF was given official status as a sub-section of the NSDAP and in March 1936 it was recognized as an independent NSDAP affiliated association and granted control of its own monetary budget. With this money it was able to procure its own signs and other insignia.

The Reichsluftschutzbund (National Air Raid Protection League or RLB):
The RLB was first organized by Hermann Göring in 1933 as a voluntary association. Existing volunteer air raid precaution associations were forced to merge with RLB. In 1939 the RLB became a Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts (quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization), while in 1944 it became an affiliated organization of the NSDAP Party. It was in charge of educating and training ordinary German men and women in civil defense procedures necessary for the basic level of local self-help of the civil population against air raids. The local level was formed around air raid wardens and operated in small first intervention squads. The training include fire fighting, protection against chemical weapons, communication procedures and preparation of houses and apartments against air raids.