WWII German Latvian Volunteer's Sleeve Shield
Item #: WR50
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This is a World War II German Waffen SS Latvian Volunteer's sleeve insignia. This is the German manufactured, officially sanctioned fifth and final pattern sleeve shield. It is black wool construction, flat topped, rounded, pointed tipped bottom shield shaped base with machine embroidered red shield. The red shield has a pointed bottom tip with w central white diagonal bar and white lettering, "LATVIJA" at the top. In 1938 Heinrich Himmler and the General SS began recruiting volunteer Germanic personnel who were considered suitably Nordic to serve in the SS-VT and SS Special Purpose Troops. Originally these Germanic personnel were drawn from Dutch, Belgian, Danes and Norwegians but with minor success. In March of 1940 the Waffen SS was formed and recruitment of the Germanic personnel began to increase slightly. With the outbreak of World War II 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 personnel available for voluntary enlistment in the Waffen SS. In February of 1943 the Germans began the formation of a new division to be made up of Latvian volunteers and conscripts. The division was originally designated 15th Latvian SS Volunteer Division. Eventually it would evolve into the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of SS. Personnel serving in this division were authorized to wear this sleeve insignia, based on the Latvian National flag dating back to 1279. There were five slightly different variants of this sleeve insignia. This is the fifth and final variant.
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