Rotekreuz Helferin

by Erin Warfield      fotos by Pete Laughlin

The German Red Cross helferin (helper nurse) was a vital part of the war effort in World War Two. Due to the German ideal of the three Ks "Kirche, Kindern, und Kuche" (Church, Children, and Kitchen), women in the armed forces were unthinkable. With it’s entire population mobilizing for war, Germany had to enlist all the help it could get on the home front; this meant that everyone was put into some branch of service to benefit the war effort, women included. There were a few choices for women in the Third Reich if they weren’t mothers, which exempted them from service. They were able to become farm workers and laborers, nurses, or one of a few other positions vital to the Reich such as Signalhilferin (signal helper) and administrator for the armed forces. Nursing was often seen as the most glamorous option, so it attracted many women. To keep women out of harm’s reach, field hospitals that employed female nurses were required to be at least fifteen kilometers from the front lines. Wounded soldiers knew they would be all right when they found themselves in a field hospital surrounded by nurses. As one combat veteran told me, "I was wounded five times and the pretty nurses made me heal much faster!" It was not unheard of for these field hospitals to be overrun in a fast-moving advance, so nurses were sometimes taken as prisoners, although they were generally treated with a great deal of respect for their position by the Allies.

The impression discussed here is the German helferin, or helper nurse. These women assisted nurses by doing such things as clean up, feeding the wounded, and assisting in minor ways in the operating room. They were also morale boosters. They would do things to help the soldier recover mentally by keeping them company as well as meeting them at train stations and running the equivalent of the American Red Cross canteen. To reenact the German helferin nurse, the minimum necessary equipment is as follows:

Dress-A blue and white striped dress ending anywhere from the knees to the ankles (depending on what material shortages there were at the time) was the main uniform piece worn. The dress had narrow stripes, ¼ centimeter in width, running vertically up the dress with a button on white collar (see photos). These dresses were made by numerous manufacturers so the design differentiated, but they were one piece with buttons up the front from the waist up. Some had waist ties, such as the example in the photo, where others were cinched by the apron. The easiest way to get a reproduction dress is to find a seamstress in your area and have him/her make it up to fit you. You may be able to find simple, one piece, dress patterns at a sewing shop that will be close. You may also be able to find accurate fabric at a warehouse, although it may take a while to make. The photographed example is a late war or post war dress.

Collar-A separate, white, collar piece was buttoned into the dress for wear (see photo). If you have a seamstress make your dress, he/she should also be able to make the collar for you.

Cap-A white cap with a silk screened or otherwise painted red cross on the front center was worn to keep the hair up and back. Ties were used to cinch it around the hair while bobby pins were used to keep it in place. This should also be reproducible by your seamstress.

Brooch-A German Red Cross (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz) brooch was worn at the throat of the dress. Different ranks had slightly different pins. Two examples are shown in the photographs. These can be found through militaria shows and dealers as well as on e-bay.

Apron-A white apron was worn over the dress. This apron had a narrow top piece and a wider bottom piece with a hidden pocket on the right hand side. It had long ties that went over the shoulders, criss-crossed over the back, slid through loops on the sides of the dress, and came back around the front to tie. Again, your seamstress should be able to make this item

Armband-A German Red Cross armband was worn on the upper left arm. There were many different variations of this armband including ones with just a red cross, one with the words Deutsches Rotes Kreuz in Faktur font and ones in Latin font with the name of the city at the bottom.

Sleeve Triangle-A black sleeve triangle with white stitching was worn on the upper right shoulder. These triangles depicted an eagle holding a swastika in it’s talons and had the name of the field hospital along the bottom.

Shoes-Women purchased their shoes privately, so anything clunky and black will do. If you can find shoes that look like men’s oxfords with a slight heel, those are ideal, but men’s oxfords without a heel work as well. Both heeled and flat shoes were worn by nurses. For an added touch of authenticity, lace your shoes in the European ladder style as shown in the picture.

Stockings-If you would like to wear stockings, nude, tan, or brown seamed stockings were in fashion in Germany throughout WWII, if you could find them. If you do choose to wear seemed stockings, they can be purchased as either pantyhose or thigh highs through Fredericks of Hollywood.

Reference material can be found through a number of sources. As in most things to do with re enacting, I have found that interviews and conversations with veterans are the most valuable. Usually, if a German veteran is willing to talk about his experiences in the war, his time in hospitals that would have had women on staff is one of his favorite topics. Some books that have proven valuable to me for reference are, In the Service of the Reich by John Angolia, The German Army Medical Corps in World War II by Alex Buchner, and German Uniforms of the Third Reich 1933-1945 by Brian L. Davis. For first person accounts by German nurses, I would recommend Berlin Diaries by Marie Vassiltchikov a white Russian princess living in Berlin throughout the war. She became a nurse at the end of the war and recalls her time in the hospital. I would also recommend Under Hitler’s Banner by Edmund Blandford, a collection of recollections from men and women in many branches of service in Germany during World War two. This is also a good read if you are interested in what was happening, from the German perspective, throughout the war both in the country and on the front. One other book that had been worthwhile is The World Within War by Gerald Linderman. It gives accounts of medics in the chapter entitled Fighting the Germans: The War of Rules as well as the "rules and regulations" governing medical personnel and how these rules were upheld and broken. All of these books are currently in print and can be purchased, by special order, from most chain bookstores.

Good luck developing your impression. Of all my impressions (Axis and Allied) this is my favorite. Re enacting the German nurse opens up many interesting conversations with visitors at public displays, giving you the opportunity to explain a wide variety of topics such as women’s roles in the war (Germany was the only country that never officially enlisted women), the Geneva Convention, and the meaning of the Red Cross. My greatest moment while re enacting the German nurse was when I was at a public battle. I came out after the site was open to the public and, as I walked up the path, I had a German veteran come running up to me saying, "Yes! That’s exactly what the nurses looked like! I was wounded five times and the pretty nurses made me heal much faster!"

Erin Warfield
612-822-9234
stahlhelm@juno.com