Members of the Hitler youth were called upon to help maintain the manpower
of anti-aircraft units defending Germany. Early service saw them in the role as
messengers, weather observers and other dutys that freed manpower that was
able to man the guns, but by January 1943 their role changed from helpers to
full anti-aircraft duties.

One story was told of a group of Flakhelfer manning the guns against the US
airforce by day and the RAF at night, and also doing class work in a make shift
class room set up by their anti-aircraft guns.

Both HJ and BDM (female) were used and ages varied from 15 to 18, which was
service age. By the summer of 1943 the Flak Helper Organization had some
100,000 Geman youths serving within its ranks.