Hitler Youth Uniforms: Garments--Shirt

Figure 1.--The most recognizable feature of the Hitler Youth uniform was the brown shirt based on the brown shirts worn by the SA. Notice the small tab on the boy's shoulder by his collar. I am not sure what that was.

The most obvious uniform item was a brown shirt. The Hitler Youth began as a unit of the SA or Storm Troopers. The shirts were acquired by the NAZIs after World War I. The German Army had a substantial surplus stock of brown shirts. The Germany Army had grey uniforms, but these uniforms were purchased for anticipated desert warfare. Only small numbers of German advisers were deployed with the Turks in the Middle East during World War I. Thus the Army had a large stock of uneeded brown shorts on their hands. The SA after purchasing the army stocks at minimal cost became known as the Brown Shirts because of these destincrive shirts. The Hitler Youth was founded as a youth auxilery of the SA and thus the same brown shirt was used by the HJ uniform. he shirts were made over several years by several manufacturers. Thus there are some differences. Many of the shirts we have noted had epauletes and button pockets with flap covers. Some shirts were made without the epaulettes and we notice differences in the flap pockets. We are not sure to what extent the differences were variations in the HJ levels as opposed to unplanned random variations among manufacturers. A reader writes, "It is interesting to see some DJ boys with epauilettes on both sides. I know most DJs didn't hasve shirts with epaulettes. The DJ shirt I own only has an epaulette on the left." There were also differemces in the flap pockets. Note the flaps the boy here are scalloped (figure 1). Otthers were not. We also note that some of these pockets had vericle vents. The boys wore the shirts both buttoned and with open collars. Most if not all of the shirts had long sleeves. During the Summer the boys often rolled up their sleeves. Notice the triangular patch on the boys sleeve. This identified where he was from. We notice quite a number of impages in which the boys had no badges on their shirts. We are not yet sure what the conventions were for wearing the patches.

The SA Brown Shirts

The most obvious uniform item was a brown shirt. The NAZI SA was known as the "Brown Shirts". The Hitler Youth in fact began as a unit of the SA or Storm Troopers. The shirts were acquired by the NAZIs after World War I. The German Army had a substantial surplus stock of brown shirts. The Germany Army had grey uniforms, but these uniforms were purchased for anticipated desert warfare. Only small numbers of German advisers were deployed with the Turks in the Middle East during World War I. Thus the Army had a large stock of uneeded brown shorts on their hands. The SA after purchasing the army stocks at minimal cost became known as the Brown Shirts because of these destincrive shirts. The Hitler Youth was founded as a youth auxilery of the SA and thus the same brown shirt was used by the HJ uniform.

Manufacturers

The shirts were made over several years by several manufacturers. Thus there are some differences. As far as we know these variations were random vagaries as a result of unplanned random variations among manufactureres rather than modifications ordered by the HJ.

Shirt Features

TYhe shirts were all brown long sleve shirts. They had flap pockrts that buttoned. Many of the shirts we have noted had epauletes, but not all. The epaulettets are the feature of the shirt that we are most conused with. We do not fully understand these differences at this time. A reader writes, "It is interesting to see some DJ boys with epauilettes on both sides. I know most DJs didn't hasve shirts with epaulettes. The DJ shirt I own only has an epaulette on the left." We notice some shoirts with epaulettes only on the right. There were also differences in the flap pockets. Note the flaps the boy here are scalloped (figure 1). Others were not. We also note that some of these pockets had vericle vents.

Wearing Conventions

The boys wore the shirts both buttoned and with open collars. Most if not all of the shirts had long sleeves. During the Summer the boys often rolled up their sleeves.

Neckerchief

The shirt was meant to be worn with a black neckerchief, an adaptation from Scouting. Most formal portraits like this one show the boys wearing the neckerchief. We note that in more informal portraits the boys are not always wearing the neckerchiefs. We note that sometimes the boys did not button their collars when wearing the neckerchief.

Insignia and Accessories

Notice the triangular patch on the boys sleeve. This identified where he was from. We notice quite a number of impages in which the boys had no badges on their shirts. We are not yet sure what the conventions were for wearing the patches.