Original German WWII Luftschutz Air Raid Protection Ordner Event Marshal Embroidered Armband Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is very nice German WWII Luftschutz (Air Raid Protection) Messenger armband (Ärmelbinde), made from what we believe is a machine woven cotton / rayon blend. This pattern of armband is one of several that were used by specialized personnel of the Reichsluftschutzbund, the German air raid defense organization during WWII. The design features a dark blue band with a BeVo style machine embroidered letter O, which stands for Ordner (event marshal), used by those in charge of organizing various events. The armband measures approximately 14 1/4″ x 3 1/2″, and is sewn together in the back. One edge is folded over, so it was originally 3 7/8″ wide.

Condition of the armband is very good, though it does show some folding and light staining at the edges, so it was definitely in service at some point. There are also a few tears and other issues resulting from the relatively low quality of the original construction.

Ready to add to your German Armband collection!

History of the RLB

The Reichsluftschutzbund (RLB) (National Air Raid Protection League) was 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.