Description

Background: In 1938 Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler began recruiting volunteer Volks-Deutsche (Ethnic Germans) into the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-Special Purpose Troops). Originally these Germanic men were drawn from Dutch, Belgian, Danes and Norwegians but with only minor success. 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 Volksdeutsche volunteers into 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, man-power shortages became severe and most restrictions were dropped. By the end of the war more then half of the men serving in the Waffen-SS were non-Germans. With the arrest and imprisonment of Benito Mussolini in July of 1943, there was a virtual civil war between the pro and anti-fascist elements inside Italy. On September 12th 1943 Mussolini was rescued by the Germans and the puppet Italian Social Republic was set up in northern Italy. In Oct-Nov of 1943 the Germans enlisted about 15,000 pro-fascist Italians into the 1st Italian Volunteer Assault Brigade of the Armed Militia in Münsingen in southern Germany. In Italian it was known as "Prima Brigata d’Assalto della Legione SS Italiana," and in German as the 1st Sturmbrigade Italienische Freiwilligen-Legion. In the Spring of 1944 the Brigade returned to Italy and participated in the battle of the Anzio beachhead. In September 1944 the Brigade was upgraded to divisional status and named the 29th Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (Italienische Nr.1). The men wore a variety of uniforms including Italian continental and tropical uniforms as well as German uniforms. In January 1944 a new stylized sleeve eagle was introduced for the Brigade personnel that incorporated the Italian Fasces in its design. Original the eagle was worked on a red background until June 15th 1944 when Himmler decreed the base color of the insignia was to be changed to black in recognition of the Brigades bravery at the Anzio beachhead. WSS Italian Sleeve Eagle: Machine embroidered, first pattern, stylized Italian SS style eagle clutching a horizontal fasces in its talons, in off-white threads on a cut-out red wool base. The eagle features out-stretched wings with a roughly, 80 mm wingspan.

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