Rare armshield of the Latvian Legion & Auxiliary Police, being the locally made M1943 Schutzmannschaft "Latvija" patch; size: 5cm x 6.9cm. Appears to be a 2 or 3-piece stitched construction (see reverse). Seen frequently in period photographs but rarely encountered; more frequent is the often unused SS-issue with the thick black borders around the Latvian shield. Differs in construction to the example in Littlejohn vol. 4 pg. 189. The armshield was worn by Schutzmannschaft ("Schuma") defence battalions, these often being "Police battalions"/"Auxiliary Police Battalions" heavily involved in the perpetration of the Holocaust domestically and also at sites outside Latvia, as well as in combat with partisans; those members who subsequently joined the SS's "Latvian Legion" (2 waffen-ss divisions; created in 1943) retained this emblem on their sleeve. Tests negative under ultraviolet UV light.
--- Most of our merchandise ships out from Israel | orders are combined | additional items are charged 75c:
DOMESTIC services available are Registered mail (default) and courier mail. Please contact us if you desire courier mail. BUYERS IN ISRAEL: eBay does not recognize Israel as being a "domestic" mailing destination - please contact us to be invoiced and charged $6 for registered mail. --- OVERSEAS services available are Priority ECO Post registered airmail (default - $17 flat fee) and express EMS mail (3-day / 5-day to-door delivery - $40 flat fee). These options can be selected on check-out. We recognize that the shipping overseas is expensive - only ECO Post shows tracking up to delivery; for less expensive purchases on the understanding of the customer that tracking is not available we can user $8 standard registered mail overseas - please contact us so we can invoice you at this rate. --- Prospective buyers in countries without postal relations with Israel can receive orders via a third country. Please contact us for this option. --- To see higher end specialized philatelic items + materials from countries which cannot be displayed on ebay, add d o t com to our our handle name