{"product_id":"original-spanish-civil-war-wwii-era-blue-division-espana-volunteer-sleeve-shield-group-with-falange-insignia-nationalist-air-force-badge-1939-victory-medal","title":"Original Spanish Civil War \u0026 WWII Era Blue Division “ESPAÑA” Volunteer Sleeve Shield Group with Falange Insignia, Nationalist Air Force Badge \u0026 1939 Victory Medal","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Group Available.This is a fascinating assortment of Spanish militaria spanning the Spanish Civil War, the early Franco period, and Spain's best-known connection with the German military during the Second World War. The centerpiece is a distinctive “ESPAÑA” Spanish Volunteer sleeve shield associated with the División Azul, or Blue Division, accompanied by four additional Spanish Nationalist and Falangist pieces: an \u003ci\u003eAlzamiento y Victoria\u003c\/i\u003e commemorative medal, an early Nationalist aviation badge, a Falange yoke-and-arrows breast emblem, and a Falange militia rank insignia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe large shield-shaped insignia displays the Spanish national colors of red-yellow-red beneath the prominent inscription ESPAÑA, all outlined in dark trim and mounted to a black felt backing. Spanish volunteers serving in German uniform were permitted a national arm shield identifying their country of origin, and photographs and surviving uniforms show the España shield worn on the upper right sleeve. Spain's own military archives identify the \u003ci\u003eDivisión Española de Voluntarios\u003c\/i\u003e, better known as the División Azul, as the Spanish volunteer formation created in June 1941 to serve alongside the German Army during the campaign against the Soviet Union. In German service it became the 250th Infantry Division, fighting primarily on the northern Eastern Front and around Leningrad until the division's withdrawal in 1943.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf particular interest, this shield is not the familiar German BeVo-woven field-gray pattern most often encountered on German-issued examples. Instead, it is assembled from colored cloth with applied edging and lettering on a substantial black felt backing. Spanish-made versions patterned after the German insignia are documented among returning Blue Division veterans after 1943, and such pieces can differ considerably in construction from German production. For that reason, we would conservatively describe this example as a Spanish-made Blue Division \/ Spanish Volunteer shield of wartime-to-early veteran character, rather than representing it as a textbook German-manufactured BeVo shield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso included is a Spanish 1939 “Alzamiento y Victoria” commemorative medal retaining its original-style red-yellow-red ribbon in a rectangular brass suspension bar with pinback. One face depicts a dramatic winged allegory of Victory above the Falangist yoke-and-arrows device and bears the inscription:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e18 JULIO 1936\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e ALZAMIENTO\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eor “\u003ci\u003e18 July 1936 – Uprising\u003c\/i\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse depicts three marching figures traditionally representing the Nationalist soldier, Falangist, and Carlist \u003ci\u003eRequeté\u003c\/i\u003e, above:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e1 ABRIL 1939\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e VICTORIA\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eor “\u003ci\u003e1 April 1939 – Victory\u003c\/i\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe identify this particular commemorative medal as a 1939 design produced in bronze and silver, with the winged Victory side designed by Julio Vicent and the marching figures by sculptor Inocencio Soriano Montagut. It is worth distinguishing this piece from the official \u003ci\u003eMedalla de la Campaña 1936–1939\u003c\/i\u003e, which was a separate blackened-and-gilt military decoration instituted in 1937 for qualifying wartime service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother especially interesting piece is the Spanish Nationalist aviation breast badge. Its basic form consists of horizontally spread silver-colored wings surrounding a red central disk and surmounted by an open crown. This design belongs to the long-lived Spanish military aviation emblem later popularly called the “Rokiski.” The Spanish Air and Space Force records that the basic winged-disk emblem originated in 1913 and underwent several political changes; during the Civil War, Nationalist aviation adopted an open imperial-style crown and the Eagle of St. John on the red central disk. The badge in this group corresponds closely to this Nationalist pattern. Much of the original surface finish has worn away, particularly from the central eagle and crown, but areas of the red center remain plainly visible. The reverse retains its long pinback assembly. Its substantial age and finish loss give it an appealing, genuinely used appearance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grouping also contains a large Falange Española yoke-and-arrows cloth emblem, machine embroidered in bright red thread on dark blue fabric. The yoke and bundle of five arrows was the defining emblem of the Falange and was prominently displayed on the left breast of the organization's distinctive blue shirt. Contemporary uniform descriptions specifically record a blue shirt bearing the red yoke-and-arrows emblem on the left breast, and the insignia continued to appear on Falangist uniforms during the Civil War and Franco period. This particular example remains on a generously sized piece of dark blue material with unfinished and frayed edges, suggesting it may have been removed from a larger textile or never completely finished for application.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompleting the group is a particularly interesting Falange militia rank insignia consisting of two horizontally embroidered arrows on black cloth. Early Falangist militia organizations maintained their own system of ranks before the widespread adoption of conventional Army rank insignia. Regulations specified two silver arrows for a \u003ci\u003eJefe de Falange\u003c\/i\u003e, while the equivalent deputy position used two red arrows. Contemporary Spanish newspaper regulations from September 1936 specifically record this system, making the surviving cloth insignia an excellent representative example of the Falange's early paramilitary organization. The originally light or silver-colored embroidery has mellowed considerably with age, and the black backing exhibits fraying and small areas of fabric loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition throughout is nicely representative of genuine period Spanish militaria. The España shield retains strong red and yellow coloration with age toning, minor staining, and handling wear, while its black felt backing remains substantially complete. The commemorative medal displays an attractive bronze patina with good relief detail, and its ribbon exhibits age and fraying particularly on the reverse. The Nationalist aviation badge shows considerable wear to its plated finish and central decoration, but its immediately recognizable form remains intact. Both Falange cloth insignia display expected fraying, loose threads, fading, and wear from age.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45666425012293,"sku":"ONSV26EMC102","price":495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONSV26EMC102__01.jpg?v=1788203543","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-spanish-civil-war-wwii-era-blue-division-espana-volunteer-sleeve-shield-group-with-falange-insignia-nationalist-air-force-badge-1939-victory-medal","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}