Deutscher Volkssturm Area Leaders

Oberste Führung des Deutschen Volksturms
- Leiter der Parteikanzlei (Bormann) with Arbeitstab Deutscher Volksturm (Stabsführer : Friedrichs)
- Befehslhaber des Ersatzheeres (Himmler) with Führungsstab Deutscher Volksturm (Stabsführer : Berger)
Chef des Stabes Führungsstab : Oberst (later Gen Major) Hans Kissel
Inspekteur für die Schiessausbildung (Schepmann)
Inspekteur für die motor techn. Ausbildung (Kraus)

At the level of each Gau : Gaustab des Deutsch. Volksturms under the Gaustabsführer
Baden : Kreisleiter (Oblt) Maier
Bayreuth : Gauhauptstellenleiter (Major) Josef Stigler
Berlin : SA-Ogruf (Major) Günther Graentz
Danzig : ?
Düsseldorf : SA-Gruf (Oblt) Franz Bock
Essen : SA-Staf (Lt d.R.) Franz Engels
Franken : SA-Gruf (Hptm) Dechant
Halle-Merseburg : Generalleutnant Schwub
Hamburg : NSKK-Ogruf (Major) Proehl
Hessen-Nassau : SA-Staf Schädlich
Kärnten : SA-Brif Glosow
köln-Aachen : SA-Oberf Schulte
Kurhessen : Abschnittsleiter Christofzik
Magdeburg-Anhalt : SA-Gruf Heinz
Mainfranken : SA-Oberf. (Lt) Hans Olpp
Mark Brandenburg : Gauorganisateur (Oblt) Martin Koch
Mecklenburg : Forstmeister (Major) von Arnswaldt
Moselland : kom. Gauorganisationsleiter (Oblt) michael Broesl
München Oberbayern : SA-Gruf Hofmann
Niederdonau : Gaupersonalamtsleiter Willi Fahrion
Niederschlesien : Kreisleiter Paul Kupisch
Oberdonau : SA-Staf Faller
Oberschlesien : NSKK-Brif (Hptm) Luschert
Ost-Hannover : Gauorganisationsleiter Rudolf Ruchle (Btl.-kdr.)
Ostpreussen : Oberbereichsleiter Knuth
Pommern : SS-Brif Paul Eckardt
Sachsen : SA-Brif (Lt) Paul Artur Rabe
Salzburg : Gebietsführer (Hptm) Adolf Neutatz
Schleswig-Holstein : SA-Brif (Major d. R.) Köhler
Schwaben : Ortsgruppenleiter Hans Geiser
Steiermark : SA-Gruf (Hptm) Nibbe
Sudetenland : SA-Gruf (Oblt) Mayr
Sud-Hannover-Braunschweig : Gauorganisationsleiter Kaiser
Thüringen : SA-Führer Georg Feig
Tirol-Voralberg : ?
Wartheland : SS-Gruf u Genlt der Pol Reinefarth
Weser-Ems : Kreisleiter (Oblt) Helmut Seidel
Westfalen-Nord : SA-Gruf Fassbach
Westfalen-Süd : Hauptgefolgschaftführer (Hptm) Setzer
Westmark : SA-Gruf (Lt) Caspary
Wien : Major Hans Magoi
Württemberg-Hohenzollern : SA-Staf (Hptm) Dr Heinz Spies

 

The Volkssturm had a very simple, basic rank system and system of rank insignia:

Rank was displayed on the uniform collar in the form of black collar patches with aluminum rank pips; although due to supply shortages, the patches were sometimes omitted, with the pips directly affixed to the collar. Collar patches were worn in pairs, except for the Standschützenbataillone, where rank was worn only on the left side, while the right collar patch was a unit insignia. The two highest Volkssturm ranks (= officer equivalent) sometimes had collar patches with aluminum cord piping.

Ranks and insignia were as follows:

Volkssturmmann (= Volkssturm-man) (no rank pips)
Gruppenführer (= squad leader) (1 rank pip)
Zugführer (= platoon commander) (2 rank pip)
Kompanieführer (= company commander) (3 rank pips)
Bataillionsführer (= battalion commander) (4 rank pips)
Kreisstabsführer (= Kreis-Staff commander) (4 rank pips, same as Bataillonsführer)
Gaustabsführer (= Gau-Staff commander) (no special insignia except for the Volkssturm-brassard worn with appropriate Party uniform)

There were also two special rank designations for medical personnel:

Sanitätsdienstgrad (= medical NCO) (1 rank pip)
Bataillonsarzt (= battalion physician) (3 rank pips + an aesculapius rod behind the collar patch)

On duty, medical personnel also wore the usual Red Cross-brassard.
"Furthermore, as Bormann realized, neither armbands nor fiery fanaticism would keep Volkssturm men warm in the rapidly approaching winter. Therefore, Volkssturm officials decided to attempt to clothe its members in field gray uniforms. For similar legal reasons, these officials balked at issuing shotguns or other unorthodox weapons, preferring military firearms instead, even though this curtailed available weapon stocks."
—Hitler's Volkssturm: The Nazi Militia and the Fall of Germany, 1944-1945 by David K. Yelton