{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-russian-liberation-army-volunteers-roa-poa-and-cossack-insignia-lot-two-shoulder-board-pairs-with-collar-and-sleeve-insignia-11-items-total","title":"Original German WWII Russian Liberation Army Volunteers “ROA\/POA” and Cossack Insignia Lot - Two Shoulder Board Pairs with Collar and Sleeve Insignia - 11 Items Total","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is an interesting assembled lot of \u003cstrong\u003eGerman WWII Russian Liberation Army and Eastern Volunteer insignia\u003c\/strong\u003e, including an ROA sleeve shield, two matched pairs of shoulder boards, one additional shoulder board, and several collar insignia. The grouping contains \u003cstrong\u003e11 individual pieces\u003c\/strong\u003e in total.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eRussian Liberation Army\u003c\/strong\u003e, commonly abbreviated \u003cstrong\u003eROA\u003c\/strong\u003e, was associated with former Soviet General \u003cstrong\u003eAndrey Vlasov\u003c\/strong\u003e. The Cyrillic abbreviation \u003cstrong\u003eРОА\u003c\/strong\u003e visually resembles the Latin letters \u003cstrong\u003ePOA\u003c\/strong\u003e, which accounts for both forms appearing in English-language descriptions and among collectors. The organization is also commonly called the Vlasov Army.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVlasov agreed to collaborate with Third Reich Germany after being captured on the Eastern Front in 1942. Personnel associated with the ROA were primarily former Soviet prisoners of war, although the broader movement also included White Russian émigrés, some of whom had served in anti-Bolshevik forces during the Russian Civil War of 1917-1923.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe term ROA was used broadly for Russian volunteers in German service before a unified army actually existed. On November 14, 1944, the \u003cstrong\u003eCommittee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia\u003c\/strong\u003e, abbreviated \u003cstrong\u003eKONR\u003c\/strong\u003e, was formally proclaimed in Prague. Vlasov became chairman of the committee and commander-in-chief of its armed forces. On January 28, 1945, he was formally recognized as commander-in-chief of the KONR forces, with the first two divisions ceremonially transferred to his command during February.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the closing days of the war, the ROA’s 1st Division, commanded by Sergei Bunyachenko, turned against German forces and participated in the Prague Uprising. The division subsequently attempted to surrender to American forces rather than fall into Soviet hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis lot consists of the following insignia:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRussian Liberation Army “РОА” Sleeve Shield:\u003c\/strong\u003e A woven, BEVO-style sleeve insignia with four small holes, one positioned near each corner. The Cyrillic letters \u003cstrong\u003eРОА\u003c\/strong\u003e have often been transcribed by Western collectors as \u003cstrong\u003ePOA\u003c\/strong\u003e because of their visual appearance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMatched Pair of Cossack Volunteer Shoulder Boards:\u003c\/strong\u003e A button-attached pair with deep red piping, feldgrau undersides, and matching attachment straps. Under commonly used collector identifications, this dark red piping is associated with Cossack volunteers, particularly personnel connected with Don Cossack formations. Comparable volunteer shoulder boards are also encountered with other piping colors, including light blue and green, traditionally associated with different Eastern volunteer groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMatched Pair of Plain Enlisted Shoulder Boards:\u003c\/strong\u003e A gray button-attached pair without applied insignia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Cossack-Style Shoulder Board:\u003c\/strong\u003e A single dark blue-gray button-attached shoulder board.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Corporal Collar Tab:\u003c\/strong\u003e A red collar tab with applied silver tape, identified as representing the rank of Corporal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMatched Pair of Plain Green-Backed Collar Tabs:\u003c\/strong\u003e A pair of green-backed collar tabs without tape or applied insignia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMatched Pair of Green-Backed Collar Tabs with Silver Tape:\u003c\/strong\u003e A pair with darker green central fields and silver tape bordering all four sides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mixture of Russian Liberation Army, Cossack, and other Eastern Volunteer insignia makes this a particularly useful grouping for illustrating the varied insignia worn by former Soviet and émigré personnel serving with German-controlled formations. With two complete shoulder board pairs, an additional single board, an ROA sleeve shield, and five collar tabs, it is a substantial 11-piece collection representing several different patterns and ranks.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44868194304069,"sku":"ONJR25DENV399","price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONJR25DENV399__01.jpg?v=1776093460","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-russian-liberation-army-volunteers-roa-poa-and-cossack-insignia-lot-two-shoulder-board-pairs-with-collar-and-sleeve-insignia-11-items-total","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}