HJ girls hat w/ RZM marked badge- help!

[capbadge]

I recently picked up this hat with a HJ girls grouping and was wondering if someone could help me identify it. The hat is brown and made of a soft cloth/fabric with a checkered interior. I am not sure if the hat is of issue as there are no RZM markings inside, however the pin is both RZM marked and has ""M1/143" on the back. Can anyone help me on this?

Links to other parts of the girls grouping:


http://www.hj-research.com/forum/f40/hitler-youth-pendant-j-m-bad-wildungen-4160/#post30960

http://www.hj-research.com/forum/f24/rzm-marked-jm-proficiency-badge-4161/#post30961

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[zeller]

Hi, I have never seen a beret like that and I suspect that is not even military or german. Can you post a close up of the badge front/back? Just my opinion

 

[Chris]

I am pretty certain that this is not a BDM beret, although it's certainly possible that it is from the right time period and belonged to a BDM girl. It's even possible that it may have been worn by a BDM girl during her service.

Let me explain. The BDM did have a beret that could be worn with the uniform, although they're not terribly commonly seen. Since members (or their parents) had to pay for their own uniform items, it was not uncommon that girls wore items that were "close enough" of that mothers made items for them from approved patterns and cloth, which could be purchased at stores.

It was pretty common, especially for younger girls, to wear a white blouse they already owned or a blue skirt they already owned, although it was frowned upon. (One former member I have been writing to told me her group made her stand in the center during formations because hers was not a "regulation" skirt.)

It's well possible that this beret may be a civilian beret that had been worn by a BDM member, particularly since it came with the lot of her things. If everything else checks out as being from the same person and authentic, that's what I would place to beret as. But it's definitely not an "issue" BDM beret.