Hitler Youth Deutsches Jungvolk Winter cap

“He alone who owns the youth gains the future.” Adolf Hitler, 1935

The first attempt to establish a youth section of the National Socialist Movement was in 1922 with the creation of the Jugendbund der NSDAP, as a junior branch of the SA. Members of the youth section wore an identical brown uniform to that worn by the SA, and this gave rise to certain problems. Many of the older boy were often mistaken for members of the SA and involved in street brawls with the political opponents of the National Socialists, some even being killed. To distinguish the youth section from the adult members of the SA, in 1924 the Jungsturm took to wearing a separate uniform with a badge of a swastika on a red and white diamond and was renamed the Hitler youth.

The Deutsches Junvolk (DJ) for younger boys, aged 10 to 14 was formed in 1928. This cap is for a Jungvolk boy from around 1940 and formed part of the winter uniform. There was also a lighter tan coloured cap for the summer uniform.

With the passing of the Youth Service Law in 1939, service in the Hitler Youth became compulsory for every child in Germany between the age of 10 and 18.

Picture 3 shows Hitler awarding 12 year old Alfred Cech with the Iron cross for bravery during WW2. In addition to their pre-military training, the DJ contributed to the German war effort by collecting recyclable materials such as paper and scrap metal, and by acting as messengers and helpers for anti aircraft guns. By 1944, the Hitler Youth formed part of the Volkssturm, an unpaid, part-time militia. In theory, service in the Volkssturm was limited to boys over 16 years of age, however much younger boys, including Jungvolk members, often volunteered or were coerced into serving in these units; even joining the "Tank Close-Combat Squads" which were expected to attack enemy tanks with hand-held weapons. Cech's medal was for rescuing German soldiers under fire from advancing Russians, using his father's cart.