Description
Product Description: This Cossack Volunteer Breast Insignia is a very clean example. The Cossack Volunteer Breast Insignia was worn by Cossack volunteers serving in the German Wehrmacht as part of an Auxilary Volunteer Police unit, as the national eagle was usually reserves for ethnic Germans. This insignia is all BeVo style woven in gray and green thread, on a grey-green rayon base. Unissued, being uncut and unsewn to a uniform. A near mint example of a Cossack Volunteer Breast Insignia.
Historical Description: As German military power stretched across Europe, many people in the occupied countries volunteered to fight for the German cause. Some were ideologues, some were opportunists, some probably “volunteered” because they had no other choice. In some areas, the Germans eagerly sought volunteers; in others, the Germans were less trusting, and the formation of volunteer units proceeded slowly. But by the end of the war, approximately one million foreign volunteers and conscripts were among those who had fought under Hitler. To distinguish these from German troops, and as a mark of distinction, the Germans authorized special insignia for wear by these volunteers. The insignia usually took the form of a cloth shield, either woven, embroidered, or printed, that was to be sewn on the uniform sleeve, but other insignia were sometimes used as well. Some of the foreign volunteer shields were used by specific units of the German Army or Waffen-SS. Others were worn by members of a variety of units and even paramilitary organizations. The design of each insignia was chosen to represent the wearer’s nationality. Some were as simple as a national flag or colors, others had more complex designs.
With nearly 30 years of expertise handling, collecting, and studying some of the finest and scarcest military collectibles, Empires Past offers the best prices for your collectibles.
We purchase German, American, and Japanese Military Artifacts.
FROM SINGLE ITEMS TO ENTIRE COLLECTIONS…
WE ARE ALWAYS BUYING!!!
