29 waffen-grenadier division der ss

[koivari3]

Hi Guys!Any opinions about this badge?

[koivari3]

If its real,any idea its value?

[RDK]

[bwanek1]

Is that supposed to be an eagle or a Cardinal?

[Barzini]

fantasy item

Cheers

[lemalouin]

Poor lettering
a fantasy

[NickG]

This scan is from an RSI medal reference book...which was published in Italy.
It shows an example of a similar medal for the Italian "B.Mussolini SS Bersaglieri volunteer Battalion"
(another Italian SS unit like the 29th Div) It does not prove that the 29th Div medal is real...
I don't like the lettering or SS flashes on it... but it DOES tell me that the design is definately NOT a fantasy piece!
(Unless of course the author got it wrong...??? which I highly doubt!)
It's a service commemorative medal. The Finns issued similar service commemorative medals, which all lack the German quality,
but still real!

[Dennis S]

Nick, The one in the book is a good one as you say it is a service medal.
A member here owns one. I think they were for the first Volunteers of the Milizia Armata which was the core of the Legione . The Volunteers came from the Bersagliere. I believe only 50 were coined.


The one started in the thread is not.
It's was made to somewhat mimic the real one. I am not sure but may been made for the veteran or neo fascist market in the 80's

[bwanek1]

This scan is from an RSI medal reference book...which was published in Italy.
It shows an example of a similar medal for the Italian "B.Mussolini SS Bersaglieri volunteer Battalion"
(anther Italian SS unit like the 29th Div) It does not prove that the 29th Div medal is real...
I don't like the lettering or SS flashes on it... but it DOES tell me that the design in definately NOT a fantasy piece!
(Unless of course the author got it wrong...??? which I highly doubt!)
It's a service commemorative medal. The Finns issued similar service commemorative medals, which all lack the German quality,
but still real!

If it is in a book, it must be real; books are never wrong and never contain fakes.

[Dennis S]

In 1944 to my knowledge the Italiane SS Legione was not known as the 29th at that point.

[Basil]

Interesting that they both have the same spelling mistake in 'Freiwilligen' (i.e., 'Freiwillingen'). I don't speak Italian but that is a common mistake with English speakers trying to write the German word.

Having said that, the 'Benito Mussolini battalion' medal does appear in Littlejohn's 'Foreign Legions of the Third Reich' vol 2.

[Dennis S]

If it is in a book, it must be real; books are never wrong and never contain fakes.

The medal in the book is real .

[Dennis S]

Interesting that they both have the same spelling mistake in 'Freiwilligen' (i.e., 'Freiwillingen'). I don't speak Italian but that is a common mistake with English speakers trying to write the German word.

Having said that, the 'Benito Mussolini battalion' medal does appear in Littlejohn's 'Foreign Legions of the Third Reich' vol 2.

It was not really an integral of the Italian SS Legione just commemorative
for volunteers who were first an autonomous unit that volunteered to
continue to fight on the side of the Germans.
It's not an official award

LittleJohns book is kind of weak on the Italian SS anyway. You need to get the book by Sergio Corbatt & Marco Nava's Sentire - Pensare - Volere, Italian language but photos galore.

[Barzini]

Listen to Dennis, he is right!

The medal published in post #7 is absolutely original and it was an unofficial unit award for the officers and NCOs that gave life to the “1st Battaglione Bersaglieri Benito Mussolini”. Since this unit was formed before the birth of the RSI, in the very beginning it was identified as “volunteer battalion of the waffen ss”; in those days, its members were wearing the italian bersaglieri helmet having the white runes painted on a black shield.

After the birth of the RSI, the unit became part of that national army. The underlined text in post #7 means that this unit was not related at all with the italian ss legion which came later – hence the 2 units have not to be confused.

In conclusion:
The medal in post #7 is original and one of the RSI Holy Grails.
The medal in posts #1 and #2 is a post war invention inspired by the medal of post #7.

Cheers

[PBR]

Hello,

If I remember right the medal in post 1 is captioned by Rosignoli on is book about RSI as postwar 29th veteran members medal.

Best Regards