Hitler Youth Uniforms: Deutche Jungvolk Summer Uniform

Figure 1.--This DJ boy wears the full summer uniform, except for the winter cap. He looks to be about 10-11 years old. The long shorts suggest that it is a fairly early image, perhaps about 1935. He seems to have some kind of pin on his left pocket. I am not sure what that was. Note the lighying bolt patch on his left sleeve. Notice how he is holding his belt and the single lighting bolt symbol on the belt buckle. Image courtesy of the MD collection.

The Deutche Jungvolk (DJ) for summer wear left off the tunic and wore just the basic light brown shirt and black shorts. The brown shirt had two breast pockets with military-styled button flaps. The black shorts were often made in hard-wearing corduroy. This is the classic uniform in which the Hitler Youth were normally depicted. It was normally worn with a black scarfe and woggle. The shirts were usally not buttined and the scarfe worn under the collar. The DJ boys had few insignias or patches on thier uniform shirt. New boys inducted into the DJ at age 10 had no insignia at all. The uniform was normally worn with grey kneesocks and shoes or boot-like shoes. Here there was often no great uniformity, especially during the summer. For dress occassions the boys might wear white kneesocks. Usually there is a variety of ankle and kneesocks. Long stockings were descouraged. Sometines especially at camp the boys did not wear socks or would role down their kneesocks. There was also a variety of footwear, especially with the DJ boys. There was no regulation foorwear. Some times the boys instead of shoes wore sandals or less commonly sneakers of various design. This was especially common at camp.

Basic Uniform Garments

There were two different styles of caps. The most common one was the campaign cap. Here the was a brown one for summer wear (figure 1). The Deutche Jungvolk (DJ) for summer wear left off the tunic and wore just the basic light brown shirt and black shorts. The brown shirt had two breast pockets with military-styled button flaps. They were all long-sleeve shirts, but the boys often rilled up the sleeves. The black shorts were often made in hard-wearing corduroy. This is the classic uniform in which the Hitler Youth were normally depicted.

Accessories

The accessories were no seasonal. The uniform was normally worn with a black scarfe and woggle. The shirts were usally not buttoned and the scarfe worn under the collar. The boys had leather belts and shoulder straps. The belts had destinctive buckles. Note the single lighting boldt on this boy's belt buckle (figure 1).

Insignia

The insignia also were not seasonal. For that reason they were worbn ion the briown shirt rather than the balck winter jacket. The DJ boys had few insignias or patches on thier uniform shirt. New boys inducted into the DJ at age 10 had no insignia at all.

Hosiery

The uniform was normally worn with grey kneesocks. Here there was often no great uniformity, especially during the summer. For dress occassions the boys might wear white kneesocks. Usually there is a variety of ankle and kneesocks. Long stockings were descouraged. Sometines especially at camp the boys did not wear socks or would role down their kneesocks in the warm weather.

Foorwear

There was also a variety of footwear, especially with the DJ boys. There was no regulation foorwear. The boys mostly wore shoes or boot-like shoes. Some times the boys instead of shoes wore sandals or less commonly sneakers of various design. This was especially common at camp. Shoes became nore common as the boysgot older as the HJ ethos generally disapproved of sandals whivh the mlothers had purchased for the younger boys.

Camp Uniforms

There were no special camp uniforns. DJ boys wore their basic uniforms to camp. The DJ boys at summer camp or once the War began at KLV camps were sometimes not as smartly uniformed as they were at home. At hme of course mother was there to make sure their uniforms were clean and that the boys were smartly turned out for the weejly meetings and events. This was especailly true for the younger DJ boys. Of curse by the time they were 13 years old, the boys were better able to maintain their uniform smartly on their own. This was especially true as the DJ priogram placed great emphasis on correctly wearing the uniform and there were constant inspections.