Few know it today but the Nazi Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD or German State Labor Service) which was begun as a civilian paramilitary organization, was deployed under arms in combat situations along side regular

soldiers.

This beautiful 9 x 12-1/4 inch, 240 page very, very heavily illustrated hard cover book is called Schaffen für Deutschland and tells the story of the RAD in peace and in war time. Although it is undated it was probably printed in 1943 at the direction of Reichsarbeitsführer Konstantin Hierl by Johann Kasper & Co., of Berlin and Amsterdam.

Page after page of huge clear photographs show the peacetime work of the Reichsarbeitsdienst in clearing land, pouring concrete bunkers, erecting barbed wire barricades, building bridges, etc. A larger portion of the book is devoted to splendid photos of the RAD under arms putting their skills to use as combat engineers, learning to shoot, setting communications poles and stringing wire, capturing prisoners, being decorated with the Iron Cross, moving field guns and other equipment.

RAD women are shown too as their jobs changed from harvesting crops to working in factories, nursing wounded Wehrmacht soldiers and taking over jobs formerly done by men.

Schaffen für Deutschland is far and away the best book published in Nazi Germany about the concept of and deployment of the Reichsarbeitsdienst in times of peace and times of war.