15th SS Cossack Cavalry Corps Pre 1944 Don Cossacks Volunteer Sleeve Shield Field Made

Original field made Don Cossacks volunteer sleeve shield made of wool and sewn on field grey. Made prior to the “2nd Pattern” printed type issued in 1944 this field made patch would have been worn by a Russian Cossack who defected from the Soviet Union after the invasion of 1941. Tens of thousands of Cossacks defected to the Germans during the occupation years and formed their own corps, notably the XVth SS Cossack Cavalry Corps. Involved in several war crimes and heavy combat on the eastern front and when the end of the war came, many Cossacks were forcibly returned to the Soviet Union to face mass executions and imprisonment for treachery. This is a lovely rare patch. Rarely seen, it does not glow under UV light and is a fine example of a rare volunteer shield.

Code: 1596