Croatian Linden Leaf Decoration

[TobyR]

Hi Everybody,

Please could I ask your opinions on this: it's a Croatian Legion 1941 'Linden Leaf' Decoration given to those members of the 369th Regiment who had survived Stalingrad.

As I understand it there are a lot of fakes of this badge. Also, I am a little unnerved by the reverse of this badge - just looks too clean - but then I could be paranoid.

Thanks for looking.

All the best,
Toby.

[TobyR]

And the reverse:

[TobyR]

Please

[Rene Chavez]

Hi,
Thedre is nothing wrong with the badge.....nice one congratulations!

[Rene Chavez]

Hi,
There is nothing wrong with the badge.....nice one congratulations!
The reverse should have a safety pin held by a small bronze plate. You can also see it posted in my web site:

http://axis101.bizland.com/CroatianLegion3.htm


Rene Chavez
Http://axis101.bizland.com

[erichcraciun]

And here is a foto of that badge....

Erich Craciun

[John T]

HI Toby:



There are actually not a lot of fakes of this badge... most you see are real...they were intended to be awarded to the regiment when it returned home to Croatia, but out of a strength of about 6000 only about 900 made it back--evacuated wounded for the most part...so they actually produced many more badges than were issued....this is one where the story that "they found a whole bunch of these in storage since WW2" is actually true, John

[Richard]

John is correct. There are few of these being faked as of yet. The pin attachment on the rear also has some variation. Here is a picture of one from Ken Jasper's Croation collection that I obtained from him some years ago. These were made in aluminum. Note the crimped in pin on the rear.
Richard V

[Gregory Koepp]

heres one i found.. it's under "WHAT'S NEW"
http://www.thirdreichmedals.com/



greg