A WW2 German RLB Reichsluftschutz Officers Armband
This WW2 German RLB Reichsluftschutz officers armband is a 1st pattern example from the Reichsluftschutzbund, the Reich Air Raid Protection League, a Nazi-era civil defence organisation responsible for air raid precautions on the home front. The armband is made from blue woven cloth with a gold-toned woven braid border running along both long edges. The central motif is a bright, star-shaped embroidered badge with a dark blue “RLB” monogram above a small embroidered swastika, a design associated with the officer grade of the organisation. The reverse carries a printed maker’s mark reading “ERHA-WUPPERTAL GES. GESCH”, identifying the manufacturer and the legal protection notice.
Condition, Originality and Collector Interest
The armband shows age-related wear consistent with its period, including some fading and surface soiling to the blue cloth, along with light marks and minor discolouration visible in the photographs. The gold braid borders and the central embroidered star remain well defined, and the maker’s stamp is legible on the reverse, which supports its originality. Pieces of this type from the Reichsluftschutzbund are of interest to collectors of German home front material, uniform accessories and the history of civil defence during the Second World War. Buyers should examine the photographs carefully and consider the condition described when assessing this lot.
