Shovel & Wheat Sheaves: National Labor Service Silver

This silver National Labor Service (R.A.D>) device was used for mere months in 1940 to indicate the 12 years service medal. A bronze device (see that scan) represented the 4 years medal. There were no devices previously to differentiate a plain blue ribbon from any of nien different awards that one might be on a ribbonbar.

Inexplicably, these exceptionally apt and attractive devices were forbidden and were supposed to have been withdrawn from use.

Wearers continued to use thes, but they were never common.


The female National Labor Service ALSO had aa shortlived 1940 long service medals device-- a large swastika angled into wheat sheaves. Those are, naturally, orders of magnitude rarer.