Help! Luftwaffenhelfer dress, rank(?)

[Tim49980]

Hi all.

I'm also trying to get information on my grand father (rank?, branch, dress items etc).

I appreciate it's difficult to say much from pictures but I'm still learning so I'm glad of any help.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, this is what I've gathered so far. The breast eagle is that of a luftwaffenhelfer (which should be blue in colour). The district triangle looks to be Nord Niedersachsen, in white rather than gold? (I'm not sure of the significance of this)
I think it is early or pre war? I'm not sure of any details on the cloth and shoulder boards, DJ rather than HJ?
I'm not sure what cap he's wearing in the second pic, HJ or luftwaffer

[Neil Hever]

Second photo looks like a standard issue LW field cap in grey wool with a white Drillich or work uniform. NH

[Adrian Stevenson]

The photos are both wartime. Neil is correct.

The HJ flak helpers were a wartime invention.

The tunic worn in the first photo is the special one worn by them.

Cheers, Ade.

[Wilhelm Saris]

triangle is black/yellow (male); white is for girls/females.

[Neil Hever]

No rank visible in photo two. I think we can assume that photo two shows your relative at the lowest rank of Kanonier. If he was a rank or two above you would see a chevron on the left arm. NH

[HPL2008]

No rank visible in photo two. I think we can assume that photo two shows your relative at the lowest rank of Kanonier. If he was a rank or two above you would see a chevron on the left arm. NH

HJ Flak auxiliaries didn't hold soldiers' ranks, nor did they wear soldiers' rank insignia.

[Wilhelm Saris]

HJ Flak auxiliaries didn't hold soldiers' ranks, nor did they wear soldiers' rank insignia.

But there was a system of rank. According to the magazine "Deutsche Uniformen-Zeitschrift" from June 20, 1943 were
described and mentioned: Dienstgradabzeichen for Mannschaftsführer one aluminum star upon both shoulder-straps;
Luftwaffenoberhelfer a braid with a 0.5 cm width over both shoulder-straps.

[Neil Hever]

HJ Flak auxiliaries didn't hold soldiers' ranks, nor did they wear soldiers' rank insignia.

But it looks like he may have been drafted into the Luftwaffe in the second photo. It looks like a progression from Helfer to conscript into the Luftwaffe proper. I may be wrong but that is how it appears to me. Did Flak auxiliary personnel use standard LW caps? NH

[Wilhelm Saris]

Flakhelfer did anyway! The visored field cap and regular field cap, both
with Luftwaffe insignia.

Here two from my HJ-handbook.



With the second photo, an Oberhelfer, just a bit of the triangle is shown.

[Neil Hever]

Flakhelfer did anyway! The visored field cap and regular field cap, both
with Luftwaffe insignia.

Sure enough. Plenty of photographic evidence out there apparently showing a mix of HJ uniforms, LW uniforms and a mix of side caps, M43 caps and steel helmets in use by Flakhelfer personnel. Just googled images and there are tons. So the second photo is still likely to be of the subject as a Flakhelfer. NH