{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-foreign-volunteers-ostlegionen-sleeve-insignia-lot-featuring-georgian-azerbaijan-armenian-patches-and-more-5-items","title":"Original German WWII Foreign Volunteers Ostlegionen Sleeve Insignia Lot featuring Georgian, Azerbaijan, Armenian Patches and More - 5 Items","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Items: Only One Lot of 4 Available. Ostlegionen (\"eastern legions\"), Ost-Bataillone (\"eastern battalions\"), Osttruppen (\"eastern troops\"), and Osteinheiten (\"eastern units\") were units in the Army of NSDAP Germany during World War II made up of personnel from the Soviet Union. They were a large part of the Wehrmacht foreign volunteers and conscripts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOst-Bataillone wore German uniforms and equipment and were integrated into larger German formations. They began as the private initiatives of individual military commanders. Most were utilized on the Eastern Front and in the Balkans. As time went on more subdivisions were needed to avoid conflicts between the various groups, and a large number of insignia were developed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1944, a number of Ost-Bataillone were stationed in northern France, in anticipation of an Allied invasion of Western Europe. Units that fought in Normandy against Allied Operation Overlord were part of the German 243rd and 709th Static Infantry Divisions, positioned in the vicinity of the Utah, Juno and Sword invasion beaches. Ost-Bataillone were also present in southern France, during the Allied landings codenamed Operation Dragoon (August 1944).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe items in this lot:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- Georgian Legion Sleeve Patch:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a lovely uncut original example that features the insignia of the Georgian Legion, a shield with the colors of the flag of the First Georgian Republic (Democratic Republic of Georgia), printed on a white background with \u003cstrong\u003eGEORGIEN \u003c\/strong\u003eat the top, the German spelling of Georgia. The Georgian Legion (\u003cem\u003eGeorgische Legion\u003c\/em\u003e) was a military formation of NSDAP Germany during World War II, composed of ethnic Georgians. It was formed by Georgian émigrés and prisoners of war, and its declared aim was the eventual restoration of Georgia's independence from the Soviet Union under NSDAP Party's doctrine and supervision. Some components of the Georgian Legion fell under the operational control of Waffen SS. Patch Measures 3\"W x 3 1\/8\"H.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- 1st Pattern Azerbaijani Legion Sleeve Patch:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is the 1st pattern worn which was utilized from 1942 to 1943. This is an uncut and unissued example, printed on red fabric measuring approximately 3 1\/4\"W x 3\". The design shows a shield with the blue, red, and green colors of the Azerbaijan, under \u003cstrong\u003eASERBAIDSCHAN\u003c\/strong\u003e, the name of the country in German. The later 2nd pattern design would add a white star and crescent moon to the red stripe on the shield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Azerbaijani (Aserbaidschanische) Legion was one of the foreign units of the Wehrmacht. It was formed in December 1941 on the Eastern Front as the Kaukasische-Mohammedanische Legion and was redesignated 1942 into two separate legions, the North Caucasian legion and the Azerbaijani legion. It was made up mainly of former Azerbaijani POW volunteers but also volunteers from other peoples in the area. It was part of the Ostlegionen. It was used to form the 162nd (Turkistan) Infanterie-Division of the Wehrmacht in 1943. Many Azerbaijanis joined here in hopes of liberating their homeland from Soviet rule.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- Armenian Legion Sleeve Patch:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a lovely uncut original example that features the insignia of the Armenian Legion, a shield with the colors of the flag of the First Republic of Armenia, printed on a yellow background with \u003cstrong\u003eARMENIEN \u003c\/strong\u003eat the top, the German spelling of Armenia. Armenian Legion (\u003cem\u003eArmenische Legion\u003c\/em\u003e) was a military formation of NSDAP Germany during World War II, composed of ethnic Armenians. Most of these were Soviet Armenians, who wanted to fight the Soviets for an independent Armenia and were commanded by General Drastamat Kanayan. Patch Measures 3 1\/8\"W x 3 1\/4\"H.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMountain-Caucasian Legion Sleeve Patch: \u003c\/strong\u003eThis is a lovely uncut original example that features the insignia of the Mountain-Caucasian Legion, a blue shield with a mythological \"Horse Parking\" symbol, which looks like a circle with three horse heads going around it. This is printed on a yellow background, with BERGKAUKASIAN at the top, the German word for \"Mountain-Caucasian\". Along with the North Caucasian Legion, this group was part of the Caucasian-Mohammedan Legion, with various ethnic groups from the Caucasian Mountain region. Patch Measures 3 1\/8\"W x 2 7\/8\"H.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIdel-Ural Legion Sleeve Patch:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a lovely uncut original example that features the insignia of the Idel-Ural Legion, very often referred to instead as the Volga-Tatar Legion. It was recruited among Muslim Volga Tatars in the Soviet Union, but also included other Idel-Ural peoples, including Bashkirs, Chuvashes, Maris, Udmurts, Erzyas, and Mokshas. Germany promoted the Idel-Ural Legion as evidence that Muslim and Christian peoples of Volga Bulgarian descent were opposed to Russia and Bolshevism, but they also wanted to spare German blood. Patch Measures 2 7\/8\"W x 2 7\/8\"H.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll examples come more than ready for further research and display. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45232499851333,"sku":"ONAC25SD1327","price":250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONAC25SD1327__01.jpg?v=1782745761","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-foreign-volunteers-ostlegionen-sleeve-insignia-lot-featuring-georgian-azerbaijan-armenian-patches-and-more-5-items","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}