Flemish made 'Langemarck' shield

[sam1chlt]

I wanted to check to see how rare these are and the history? I have just purchased the one on the right ( i couldn't afford the other )

Thoughts??

Thank you in advance for your input!!

Regards,

Sam

[sam1chlt]

Anyone???

[Totenhead]

Belgium has always been internally divided into two diverse groups of peoples and regions, the Dutch speaking Flemish from Flanders and the French speaking Walloon’s from Wallonie. During Belgium’s occupation the Germans kept the two groups separate and allowed each of them to retain pro-nazi fascist political organizations, the Flemish, VNV, Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond (Flemish National Union), and the Wallonie, CR, Christus Rex, (Rexist Party). Both organizations had para-military, labor, and youth sections similar to the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party). As early as 1938 Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler and the Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), began recruiting volunteer "Germanische", (Germanic), personnel who were considered to be suitably "Nordic", to serve in the SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops). Originally these Germanic personnel were drawn from Dutch, Belgian, Danes and Norwegians but with only minor success. In March 1940 with the formation of the Waffen-SS recruitment of the Germanic personnel began to increase slightly and 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 suitable Volksdeutsche, (Ethnic Germans), personnel available for voluntary enlistment in 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 and man-power shortages became severe the standard criteria for acceptance into the Waffen-SS was decreased dramatically and numerous personnel who would have been unacceptable in 1939 were readily conscripted into service with the Waffen-SS. By the end of the war more then half of all the personnel serving in the Waffen-SS were non-Germans. The Freiwilligen Legion Flandern, (Volunteer Legion Flanders), was formed in July 1941 mostly from Flemish volunteers who had been serving in the German "Nordwest" regiment. In November 1941 the Legion saw action on the Russian front near Leningrad where it remained until pulled from the line in June 1942. In August 1942 it returned to Russia and in May 1943 the Legion was upgraded and re-designated, SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade Langemarck, (SS Volunteer Assault Brigade Langemarck), which would evolve into the 27.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division "Langemarck" (Flamische Nr.1) in September 1944. Flemish personnel serving in these units were outfitted with SS uniforms and were permitted wear of an identifying national sleeve shield on the left sleeve of the field blouse. The sleeve shield came in no fewer then five slightly different patterns.

[skippp]

nice shield! It's a Flemish late war produced item, I like it!

[Luc]

both are nice originals...

[Kurt Meyer]

Nice ones!

[Rene Chavez]

Hi to answer your question IMO both Flemish shields are somewhat rare. The German made BeVo type sleeve shields seem to be more valuable with collectors while the other type that were locally made not so much.


Rene Chavez
www.foreignvolunteerlegion.com

[sans probleme]

Nskk

NSKK FLANDERN bevo nice one and mint
best regards
TEDDY

[Askold]

Am I right in assuming that the shield on the right hand side was predominatly used by Flemish Youth?

[skippp]

Am I right in assuming that the shield on the right hand side was predominatly used by Flemish Youth?

No... just a late war Flemish production

[Askold]

But who mostly wore such shield? Are there any photos of it in wear?

[skippp]

IMHO these came into production too late to actually be worn,

never seen actual period pictures of this in wear....
they were intended for all branches I guess

[P.Wasteels.]

Nice,,Originals shields !
Salutations,
P.W.

[Pieter Verbruggen]

...the beauty is the reason why the Flemish have a lion and the Walloon are set up with a chicken
Pieter.

[sam1chlt]

Thanks gents! It is one of my favorite items!! A real gem!!

Regards,

Sam