History

Air raid protection organisations existed during the time of the Weimar Republic in the 1920s. However, in preparation for a coming war, a greater need for a centralised organisation under NSDAP control arose. It was established mere months after the NSDAP took control of Germany. The Reichsluftschutzbund (National Air Raid Protection League) or RLB was founded on April 29, 1933 under the control of Hermann Göring as Minister of Aviation. Naturally, its leader, as well as the nature of the organisation’s tasks, meant that the RLB would always have close ties to the Luftwaffe. All previously founded air raid protection organisations ceased to exist or were forcefully absorbed into the RLB.

The RLB’s function was to train the public on how to prepare for and deal with enemy air raids, and act as a supervisor of civil protection and defense, for both private homes and for places of work. Therefore, the RLB’s focus was split up into what was referred to as Selbstschutz (self-defense) for homes and Erweiterter Selbstschutz (extended self-defense) for places of work. Air raid protection of industry that was deemed essential to the war effort was referred to as Werkluftschutz (Factory Air Raid Protection) or WLS.
The core of the organisation was made up of high-ranking Luftwaffe officers (the RLB leader was always a Luftwaffe General) and a number of full-time salaried RLB members. These professional RLB members made up only a minority of the organisation, since the vast majority of members were, in fact, volunteers. Eventually, a law passed on June 26, 1935 made it a legal duty for almost everybody to receive training by the RLB.

In May of 1937, the Sicherheits- und Hilfsdienst (Security and Assistance Service) or SHD was founded. This was meant as a sister organisation of the RLB made up of professionals rather than amateurs, including firefighters, medical personnel, and specialist troops like public utilities repair service, gas decontamination service, or salvage crews.

At the same time, the Luftschutzwarndienst (Air Raid Warning Service) or LSW was founded. It was intended as an intermediary between the Flugmeldedienst (Flight Message Service) and the air raid protection organisations. The Flugmeldedienst was responsible for spotting enemy aircraft and determining their likely targets, so the population could receive a warning before an attack was carried out.

The SHD was split in the spring of 1942, with the Luftwaffe taking control of its mobile (motorised) units, and the Police taking control of its static units under the name of Luftschutzpolizei (Air Raid Defense Police).
The water-related units were formed into a new organisation, the Wasserstraßenluftschutz (Waterways Air Defense) or WSL. This organisation was entirely separate from and not affiliated with the Wasserschutzpolizei, the Water Protection Police. The WSL’s creation was officially announced on June 1, 1942.

WSL shoulder boards for lower ranks are in blue, more precisely “dragoon-blue”, since WSL uniforms were captured former French Army uniforms of this colour. Those for higher ranks were in blue and silver.
As with RLB shoulder boards, and unlike SHD/LSW and WLS shoulder boards, WSL members wore only one shoulder board, on the right shoulder.
The metal pips used on WSL shoulder boards are in the form of an eight-sided blossom with an encircled cross in the centre. They were referred to as “Rosetten” (rosettes) and were gold-coloured for higher ranks and silver-coloured for lower ranks.

The Reichswasserstraßen-Luftschutzführer wore a shoulder board made of a braid of cords in silver with a blue centre, as well as an additional two gold-coloured pips. Gruppenluftschutzleiter wore the same shoulder board, but with only one pip, and Abschnittsführer wore no pips.

Bereitschaftsführer wore a shoulder board made of two parallel straight cords in silver with a blue centre, as well as two gold-coloured pips. Hauptzugführer wore only one pip, and Zugführer wore no pips.

Hauptgruppenführer wore a shoulder board of four parallel straight blue cords with silver piping, as well as two silver-coloured pips. Gruppenführer wore only one pip.

Obertruppführer wore a shoulder board of four parallel straight blue cords, as well as two silver-coloured pips. Truppführer only wore one pip. Members in the rank of WSL-Vormann wore no pips, but a silver-coloured twist-cord over the shoulder board just above the end of the unbuttoned side. Members in the rank of WSL-Mann wore a plain blue shoulder board.