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 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. Among the foreign personnel utilized by the Waffen-SS were the young Flak-Helfer, (Anti-Aircraft Helpers), who manned anti-aircraft artillery pieces. In November 1944 the foreign Flak-Helfer’s were issued a distinctive identifying national armband and a sleeve badge featuring the SS runes. Of Note: It is alleged that only "Ostvolk", (Eastern Peoples), Flak-Helfer’s were issued with the national armband and SS sleeve badge.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: White cotton construction sleeve badge with a black printed base is in the form of a isosceles triangle. The black printed base features central white SS runes and a fine white outer edge border stripe. Scarce foreign Flak-Helfer’s sleeve badge.