Dachau pattern shields in wear

[NickG]

Standard shield for RAD use for Dutch volunteers that were sent to the east.
Yes horizontal striped but of course not related to the Dachau pattern...
Only 1 contingent went to the east under German RAD command in German RAD uniforms as I understand it.
Later Dutch NAD was sent to the east with Dutch command, wearing Dutch labor uniforms...(without any shields!)
Shield example belongs to a Dutch member here if I remember correctly...but cant give credit..I forgot...(Winkelman?) Extremely rare!

[sudhafen]

Thanks for clearing that out!

[NickG]

The Dutch wore many shields, including the NOC (Nederlandsche Oost Compagnie) with the stripes going in the opposite direction
(my avatar), when compared with early Nederlandsch Legioen shields! (2nd image)

It's just so surprising that Dutch shields existed in many patterns and widely worn, except for the final Dachau one...Just puzzling!
Never left the warehouse....???

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

infact this is not so strange with the fact that more than 40000 Dutch enlisted in various police/SS/Waffen-SS units during WWII. Of all the "Germanic" countries, The Netherlands (and Flandern) was the largest so far. Norge and Danemark were far behind.
And they were "true" volunteers for the most part, starting from 1940.

See You

Vince

[NickG]

True! Easy 40,000 in total but because of rotations...released from duty due to injuries + MIA's and KIA's,
probably no more than 20,000-25,000 served at one time (simultaneously at the same time)
of which the majority in the W-SS. (like 23,000) Second highest branch of service = NSKK.
Plenty of Dachau shields made to cover all of those Freiwilligen!!

[Jan Holland]

The Dutch wore many shields, do not forget the police in this.

[Winkelman]

Here's the version worn in the Kriegsmarine . For as long as I can remember its existence was suspected but never proven , until Mario " Coco " found this picture . We'll see if the Dachau shield will turn up one day also .
The RAD shield shown is owned by mr. David Delich , not me ..

[NickG]

Yes the Dutch used many shield styles for all of their volunteer branches...
As we know printed shields are considered a late war thing and not very often documented in period images...

Here 2 examples, one from Tarn...(from Willem's personal collection) more Nederlands Legion shaped ...
and the other printed example was on WAF before...(back in 2006).
It's a printed version of a Dachau shield but nobody commented on it... Real? Sure makes me wonder...?

If late war printed shields existed in addition to the plenty original Dachau pattern embroidered ones,
where are the period images? (so many other variants are documented...) There was a demand for shields, that's for sure!
Plenty of customers! Largest foreign contingent were the Dutch!

[NickG]

While visiting Holland last week I went to an excellent museum in the South.
This mannequin got my attention immediately. No doubt its been built up (restored)
like this, but who knows?
I would love to see this insignia in wear in period images if they actually do exist!

[Askold]

Fake one. Also seen Italian and Danish in this pattern