BACKGROUND: As early as 1938 Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler and the Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), began recruiting volunteer "Germanische", (Germanic), personnel who were considered to be suitably "Nordic", to serve in the SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops). Originally these Germanic personnel were drawn from Dutch, Belgian, Danes and Norwegians but with only minor success. In March 1940 with the formation of the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), recruitment of the Germanic personnel began to increase slightly and with the outbreak of WWII additional Germanic volunteers came forward to join the ranks of the Waffen-SS. The invasion of the Balkans in 1941 brought forward another pool of suitable Volksdeutsche, (Ethnic Germans), personnel available for voluntary enlistment in the Waffen-SS. The invasion of Russia on June 22ND 1941 and the war against Bolshevism resulted in the Waffen-SS experiencing another surge in recruits willing to serve with the Germans. As the war continued and man-power shortages became severe the standard criteria for acceptance into the Waffen-SS was decreased dramatically and numerous personnel who would have been unacceptable in 1939 were readily conscripted into service with the Waffen-SS. By the end of the war more then half of all the personnel serving in the Waffen-SS were non-Germans. On Hitler’s birthday on April 20TH 1940 the SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) "Nordland" was originally formed utilizing Norwegian and Danish volunteers. In December 1940 the Nordland regiment was one of the cadre units utilized in the formation of the SS-Division (mot.) Germania which eventually evolved into the 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking". In March 1943 the Nordland regiment left the Wiking Division to help form a new division made up completely of Germanic foreign volunteers which would eventually evolve into the 11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Nordland". As with most other Germanic foreign volunteers serving with the Waffen-SS the Danes were allotted an identifying sleeve shield to be worn on the lower left sleeve of the tunic and field blouse.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: German manufactured, officially sanctioned, sleeve shield for Danish volunteers serving in the Waffen-SS. The roughly, 2 1/2" tall, 2" wide, black wool construction, flat topped, rounded bottom, shield shape base features a machine embroidered likeness of the Danish flag with a red shield shaped base field with a central white Latin style cross. The insignia is in very good condition with light age toning. Scarce Danish volunteer insignia.