Female Flak-Helper’s Arm Badge

By 1943 a lack of manpower led the Luftwaffe to turn to auxiliary forces for personnel to operate their flak and searchlight defences. These included female auxiliaries, schoolchildren aged 16 and Russian prisoners of war willing to help in exchange for better conditions.

'Luftwaffenhelfer' (literally, 'air force assistants') were established on January 22, 1943, following implementation of the decree Kriegshilfseinsatz der Jugend bei der Luftwaffe ('Youth War Assistance Service in the Air Force'). While the official term was Luftwaffenhelfer (HJ), the term more commonly used is "Flakhelfer" (female: Flakhelferin) (Flak-helper).'