Ranks and insignia of the German Women's Auxiliary Services

The Ranks and insignia of German Women’s Auxiliary Services were the ranks given to women who served in the German military and paramilitary forces during WW2.

Wehrmacht

The first female auxiliary service in the Wehrmacht was the Army signals communications female auxiliaries, formed on October 1, 1940. Others followed suit, in the army and in the other services. Until December 1941, recruitment was by volunteer enlistment, but by that date unmarried women in the age group 18–40 years could be drafted into auxiliary service.[1] All female auxiliary services were uniformed and under military discipline, with free rations, quarters and clothing. Yet, they were paid according to civil service pay rates and were not considered members of the armed forces, but auxiliaries of the armed forces. Their ranks did not correspond to military ranks.[2]

Army
Nachrichtenhelferinnen (NH) des Heeres

Army signals communications female auxiliaries.

Insignia
(1940 – 1942)		 No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent No insignia
NH-Hauptführerin NH-Oberführerin NH-Führerin NH-Unterführerin NH-Oberhelferin Nachrichtenhelferin
Insignia
(1942 – 1945)[3]		 No insignia
NH-Oberstabsführerin NH-Stabsführerin NH-Hauptführerin NH-Oberführerin NH-Führerin NH-Unterführerin NH-Haupthelferin NH-Oberhelferin NH-Vorhelferin Nachrichtenhelferin
Insignia No insignia
Marineoberstabsführerin Marinestabsführerin Marinehaubtführerin Marineoberführerin Marineführerin Marinehaupthelferin Marineoberhelferin Marinevorhelferin Marinehelferin
Source:[4]

Air force
Flugmeldediensthelferinnen (FMDH)

Female air warning service auxiliaries

(6 July 1940 – 2 August 1940)
[5][6]		 No equivalent No insignia
Hauptgruppenführerin
(Senior work group officer)		 Betriebsgruppenführerin
(Work group officer)		 Aufsicht
(Warden, supervisor)		 Helferin
(Female auxiliary)		 Anwärterin
(Applicant)
(2 August 1940 – 26 February 1941)
[7]		 No insignia
Kameradschaftsführerin
(Comradeship leader)		 Betriebsgruppenführerin
(Work group officer)		 Betriebsgruppenunterführerin
(Work group junior officer)		 Aufsichtshelferin
(Female supervisor auxiliary)		 Flugmeldehelferin
(Female air warning auxiliary)		 Anwärterin
(Applicant)

On 26 February 1941, the Flugmelde-Helferinnen were incorporated into the Luftnachrichtenhelferinnen (Luftwaffe female signals communications auxiliaries).

Luftnachrichtenhelferinnen (LNH)
Insignia[8]
Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde-Stabsführerin Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde-Hauptführerin Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde-Oberführerin Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde-Führerin
Luftnachrichten-Betriebs No equivalent No equivalent Luftnachrichten-Betriebs-Oberführerin Luftnachrichten-Betriebs-Führerin
Insignia[8] No equivalent
Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde-Haupthelferin
(major plane spotter auxiliary)		 Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde-Oberhelferin
(senior plane spotter auxiliary)		 Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde-Helferin
(plane spotter auxiliary)		 Luftnachrichten-Flugmelde-Anwärterin
(applicant)
Luftnachrichten-Betriebs Luftnachrichten-Betriebs-Haupthelferin
(major plane spotter auxiliary)		 Luftnachrichten-Betriebs-Oberhelferin
(senior plane spotter auxiliary)		 Luftnachrichten-Betriebs-Helferin
(plane spotter auxiliary)		 Luftnachrichten-Betriebs-Anwärterin
(applicant)
Flakwaffenhelferinnen

Female anti-aircraft auxiliaries 1944.

Insignia No insignia
Flakwaffen-Stabsführerin Flakwaffen-Hauptführerin Flakwaffen-Oberführerin Flakwaffen-Führerin Flakwaffen-Obertruppführerin Flakwaffen-Truppführerin Flakwaffen-Oberhelferin Flakwaffen-Helferin
Source:[9]
Luftschutzwarndiensthelferinnen

Civil defence air-raid warning service female auxiliaries.

Insignia No insignia
LS-Warndienst-Oberführerin LS-Warndienst-Führerin LS-Warndienst-Hapthelferin LS-Warndienst-Oberhelferin LS-Warndienst-Helferin
Source:[10]

Wehrmachthelferinnenkorps

On November 29, 1944 all female auxiliary organizations, except the Civil defence air-raid warning service female auxiliaries, were merged into one corps, the Wehrmacht Female Auxiliary Corps.[11]

Insignia No insignia
Oberstabsführerin Stabsführerin Hauptdienstführerin Oberdienstführerin Dienstführerin Obertruppführerin Truppführerin Oberhelferin Helferin
Source:[12]

Ordnungspolizei
Helferinnen der Ordnungspolizei

During the war, the female civilian employees of the Ordnungspolizei were augmented with drafted female police auxiliaries; Stabshelferinnen performed office work, Nachrichtenhelferinnen worked with signals communications, while Kraftfahrhelferinnen drove automobiles.[13]

Rank insignia for Female Police Auxiliaries was introduced in 1944.

Insignia No insignia
Führerin Unterführerin Helferin
Source:[14]
Feuerwehr-Helferinnen

Female fire fighting auxiliaries were drafted into the fire service from 1943.[15]

Rank insignia for Female Fire Fighting Auxiliaries was introduced in 1944.

Insignia No insignia
Kreishelferin d. Fw. Unterkreishelferin d. Fw. Haupthelferin d. Fw. Oberhelferin d. Fw. Helferin d. Fw.
Source:[15]

Paramilitary

Female Reich Labour Service, Auxiliary War Service

During the war, the six months mandatory service in the Female Reich Labour Service was extended with another six months in the Kriegshilfsdienst (the auxiliary war service).[16] The auxiliary war service of RAD was prolonged with another six months in April 1944, and at the end of November all time limits for service were removed. The majority of the additional draft of 150,000 young women were to serve in the Luftwaffe air defense.[17] They should not be confused with the Flakwaffenhelferinnen of the Luftwaffe.[18] They formed special RAD-Flak units with RAD uniforms.[19] While the Wehrmacht female auxiliaries served in large numbers in occupied Europe, members of the RAD Auxiliary War Service only served within the German borders.[20]

Insignia No insignia
Stabshauptführerin* Stabsoberführerin* Stabsführerin* Maidenhauptführerin* Maidenoberführerin* Maidenführerin* Maidenunterführerin* Jungführerin Kameradschaftsälteste Arbeitsmaid
* = professional leaders[21]
Source:[22]

References
  1. Williamson 2003, p. 4.
  2. United States War Department 1945, p. 12.
  3. Williamson 2003, p. 7.
  4. Williamson 2003, pp. 13-14.
  5. Schlicht & Angolia 1999, p. 518.
  6. Davis 2001, p. 246.
  7. Schlicht & Angolia 1999, p. 519.
  8. Davis 2001, p. 248.
  9. Williamson 2003, p. 20.
  10. Williamson 2003, p. 19.
  11. Absalon 1995, p. 470.
  12. Williamson 2003, p. 10.
  13. Deuster 2009, p. 188.
  14. Deuster 2009, p. 194.
  15. Deuster 2009, p. 263.
  16. Heineman 1999, p. 65.
  17. Kompisch 2008, pp. 229-230.
  18. Cassin-Scott 1980, p. 31.
  19. Maubach 2009, p. 350.
  20. Krimmer 2018, p. 34.
  21. Amtliches Werk 1943, p. 230.
  22. Williamson 2003, p. 23.

Bibliography
  • Absalon, Rudolf (1995). Die Wehrmacht im Dritten Reich: 19. Dezember 1941 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). H. Boldt. ISBN 978-3764619404.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Cassin-Scott, Jack (1980). Women at War. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0850453492.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Davis, Brian L. (2001). Uniforms and Insignia of the Luftwaffe, Vol 2 (in German). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-1854091079.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Deuster, Dieter (2009). Deutsche Polizei-Uniformen 1936-1945 (in German). Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3613031050.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Heineman, Elisabeth D. (1999). What Difference Does a Husband Make?: Women and Marital Status in Nazi and Postwar Germany. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520937314.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Kompisch, Kathrin (2008). Täterinnen: Frauen im Nationalsozialismus (in German). Böhlau Verlag. ISBN 978-3412201883.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Krimmer, Elisabeth (2018). German Women's Life Writing and the Holocaust. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1108563758.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Maubach, Franka (2009). Die Stellung halten: Kriegserfahrungen und Lebensgeschichten von Wehrmachthelferinnen (in German). Vandenhoek & Ruprecht. ISBN 978-3525361672.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Amtliches Werk (1943). Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I (in German). Reichsministerium des Innern.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Schlicht, Adolf; Angolia, John R. (1999). Die deutsche Wehrmacht - Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1945, Band 3: Die Luftwaffe (in German). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3613020016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • United States War Department (1945). Handbook on German military forces, part I (TM-E 30-451). Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Williamson, Gordon (2003). World War II German Women’s Auxiliary Services. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1841764078.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.