Original German WWII Croatian 13th Waffen SS Mountain Division “Handschar” Collar Tab with Croatian Vol. Sleeve Shield – Unissued Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have an excellent set of unissued insignia for a member of the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS “Handschar” (1st Croatian). This consists of the right side Collar Tab, as well as the Croatian Volunteer sleeve shield, worn by several different units during WWII.

Known as Kragenpatte in German, the collar tab measures approximately 2 1/2″ x 1 5/8″, and in the SS the Right side would indicate the particular unit of the wearer. The German runic symbols were reserved for ethnic German / Aryan units, so the foreign volunteer units would have insignia related to their home country. This example shows a Swas (hook cross), next to a hand holding a sword (Handschar), and is made of black fabric with silver thread and an internal lacquered buckram fabric stiffener.

The Kroatische Freiwillige Waffen SS Ärmelabzeichen (Croatian Volunteer Waffen SS sleeve insignia) is the classic embroidered Croatian SS red and white checkerboard shield (Landeschilde). This is the coat of arms of Croatia, and was worn by members of both the 13th Waffen SS Mountain Division “Handschar” (1st Croatian) and 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian). The insignia measures approximately 2 1/2″ x 2 1/4″, and is embroidered onto black “Badge cloth. These were usually sewn to the sleeve of the uniform.

Both insignia are in excellent unissued condition, and show no signs of ever having been attached to a uniform. We have heard that many of these SS insignia were made at the Dachau camp, and many unissued examples were recovered at the end of the war when the camp was liberated. There is however no concrete evidence regarding this.

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Notable history of the 13th Waffen SS Mountain Division “Handschar” (1st Croatian Division) include:

– Approved to form as an SS unit February 13, 1943, as the first non-Germanic SS foreign volunteer division. These men were not authorized wear of the SS runic emblem, and they wore this distinctive collar insignia instead.

– Prior to the formation of the division, approval also had to be granted by the Croatian government

– 26,000 men were recruited by mid-1943.

– In February 1944, the division served in Bosnia, Serbia, and Sirmium completing anti-Partisan operations.

– Late 1944, the Division served in southern Hungary in front-line fighting against the advancing Russians.

– May 8th 1945 the division surrendered to British troops.