Original WWII German WAFFEN-SS DUTCH VOLUNTEER SLEEVE SHIELD. (Landeschilde) Certified

Original WWII German WAFFEN-SS Dutch VOLUNTEER SLEEVE SHIELD. (Landeschilde) Certified. 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 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 22ND 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. \sect fs20On May 25TH 1940 the first Dutch volunteers were assigned to the newly formed “Westland” regiment. In November 1941 the Dutch volunteers were issued a distinctive national sleeve shield to be worn on the upper right sleeve of the uniform. The identifying Dutch sleeve shield underwent four minor variations through-out the war. This example was worn by Dutch personnel serving in 11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Nordland”, the 23.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division “Nederland” (niederlandische Nr.1) and the 34.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division “Landstorm Nederland”. German manufactured, officially sanctioned, fourth and final pattern sleeve shield for Dutch volunteers serving in the Waffen-SS as introduced in November 1941. The roughly, 65mm tall, 55mm wide, black wool construction flat topped, rounded bottom, shield shape base features three machine embroidered horizontal bars in the Dutch national colors of orange, white and royal blue, on a black wool, shield shaped, base.  The shield is in overall  In very good condition. Nice used example showing the expected   but mild storage age and wear . 100% Guaranteed to be authentic Brought home by a U.S. solider as a trophy of war.   Complete museum documentation (COA) Provided. Certified by The Gettysburg Museum of History. The Gettysburg Museum of History does not support or condone Adolf Hitler or the Nazi Party and is only offering this as a historic relic. Please see our other items.    Also note when browsing our web site there are several pages of items, at the bottom of the list look for other page numbers. SS Insignia is very Scarce and Desirable to Collectors and Historians!  Don’t Miss It!