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 22^ND 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. After the signing of an armistice between defeated France and victorious Germany on June 22^ND 1940, assorted collaborationist political and para-military groups sprang up in France. Shortly after the Germans invaded Russia, anti-Bolshevik collaboration increased in France and the first, organized, military volunteers were formed as the Légion des Volontaires Français. (LVF), (French Volunteer Legion). Since France had not declared war on Russia itself, the volunteers wore German army uniforms when outside of France and the first army pattern French sleeve shield was introduced. In July 1943 the Waffen-SS officially began accepting French volunteers and a new unit, the, "Französische SS-Freiwillingen Sturmbrigade" was formed. In late 1944 the LVF and the Sturmbrigade were amalgamated into a single unit which was to become the basis of the 33.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS "Charlemagne" (französische Nr.1). At this time the first Waffen-SS version of the French sleeve shield was introduced. The French volunteer sleeve shield was manufactured in three slightly different variations and this example is the German manufactured, second pattern.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 2 1/2" tall, 2 1/4" wide, machine woven (BeVo), rayon, French volunteer identifying sleeve shield consists of a flat topped, scalloped tipped, shield shaped base with scalloped side panels and a pointed tip bottom, with three, vertical, bars in the French national colors of red, white and blue with a narrow, black outer edge stripe. The top edge of the shield has a horizontal black bar with white, machine woven script, "France". The shield has small sections of it’s original grey rayon factory roll folded to the reverse. The shield is in overall good condition with light age and usage toning and stitch holes to the outer edges. Scarce French volunteer for either Heer or Waffen-SS insignia.

GRADE ***1/2                             PRICE $