BACKGROUND: The Volkssturm, (People’s Militia), was raised by decree on September 25TH 1944 to act as a local defensive militia and consisted of all "able-bodied" men between the ages of sixteen and sixty years old, who were not in the military. The Volkssturm personnel generally consisted of those too young, too old or unfit for military service. These Volkssturm units were intended to be utilized in the local district where they were raised but many were thrown into battles in a piecemeal fashion in attempts to halt the Red Army’s advance into Germany near the end of the war. The formation, administration, training and operational utilization of the Volkssturm was a haphazard affair with NSDAP political leaders responsible for appointing all leaders, the Waffen-SS in charge of training and the Wehrmacht in control of actual operations. In November 1944 static defense units were raised in south west Austria and northern Italian from personnel who were members of local shooting leagues and associations. This raising of Volkssturm type units was happening all over Greater Germany, but it had a particular history in this region going back centuries. The Volkssturm type units raised in the Tyrolia and Vorarlberg areas were assigned the traditional name "Standschützen Bataillonen", (Local Defense Battalions), and were issued a distinctive identifying badge to be worn on the upper left sleeve. The Standschützen Bataillons were utilized in the local district where they were raised and the sleeve badges contained the name of the wearer’s particular garrison town.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The insignia consists of a roughly, 10.5cm tall, 7cm wide, dark green wool construction, vertical, diamond base with a machine embroidered, stylized, Tyrolian style eagle in red cotton threads with yellow accents threads and an opened, green laurel leaf wreath flanking its head. The eagle is clutching a black and white bordered, white circle with a central, canted, black swastika. The eagle is positioned above the light green, machine embroidered script, "Standschützen Bataillon Meran". The diamond base has a machine embroidered, fine yellow cotton thread, outer edge border stripe. The reverse of the insignia has a protective white rayon backing panel. Scarce late war, Standschützen Bataillon sleeve insignia.