Ranks and insignia of the German Forest Service (Nazi Germany)

The ranks and insignia of the German Forest Service were the paramilitary rank system used by the forest services in Nazi Germany. The collar tabs and shoulder boards underlay identified the service. Green for State Forest Service, gray for Municipal Forest Service, black for Luftwaffe and Heer Forest Service and brown for Private Forest Service.

Rank Insignia

Ranks (1934–1938)

Military style shoulderboard on a uniform tunic for a forest director of the German State Forest Service 1936 – 1937 (Dienstrock eines Forstdirektors des Deutschen Staatsforstdienstes).
Photo from the exhibitions in Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin

Shoulder insignia	Name	Translation
	Generalforstmeister	General Forest Master
	Oberlandforstmeister	Senior country forest master
	Landforstmeister	Country forest master
	Oberforstmeister	Senior forest master
	Forstmeister	Forest master
	Forstassessor	Forest Assessor
	Forstreferendar	District forester
	Forstamtmann	Forestry Office man
	Oberförster	Senior Ranger
	Revierförster	Area Ranger
	Förster	Ranger
	Hilfsförster	Auxiliary Ranger
	Unterförster	Under Ranger
	Forstaufseher	Forester
No insignia	Forstanwärter	Forester Candidate
Source:[1]

Ranks (1938–1942)

Collar insignia	Shoulder insignia[2]	Name	Translation
		Reichsforstmeister	Reichs Forest Master
		Generalforstmeister	General Forest Master
		Ministerialdirigent	Secretary
		Oberlandforstmeister	Senior Country Forest Master
		Landforstmeister	Country Forest Master
		Oberforstmeister	Senior Forest Master
		Forstmeister	Forest Master
		Forstamtmann	Forestry Office man
		Oberförster	Senior Ranger
		Revierförster	Area Ranger
		Förster	Ranger
		Unterförster	Under Ranger
		Hilfsförster	Auxiliary Ranger
		Forstaufseher	Forester
		Forstanwärter	Forester Candidate
Source:[1]

Ranks (1942–1945)

Collar insignia	Shoulder insignia[2]	Name	Translation
		Reichsforstmeister	Reichs Forest Master
		Generalforstmeister	General Forest Master
		Ministerialdirektor	Director of the Ministry
		Ministerialdirigent	Secretary
		Oberlandforstmeister	Senior country forest master
		Landforstmeister	Country forest master
		Oberforstmeister	Senior forest master
		Forstmeister	Forest master
		Forstassessor	Forest Assessor
		Forstreferendar	District forester
	No insignia	Anwärter für den höheren Forstdienst	Candidate for the higher forestry service
		Forstamtmann	Forestry Office man
		Oberförster	Senior Ranger
		Revierförster	Area Ranger
		Außerplanmäßiger Revierförster	Supernumerary Area Ranger
		Revierförsteranwärter	Area Ranger Candidate
	No insignia	Forstlehrling	Forestry apprentice
		Oberforstwart	Senior Forester Ranger
		Forstwart	Forest Ranger
		Außerplanmäßiger Forstwart	Supernumerary Forest Ranger
		Forstwartanwärter	Forest Ranger Candidate
		Forstaufseher	Forester
Source:[1]