Retro of the Cross.
The reverse shows the medallion with the inscription: “CROIX DE GUERRE LEGIONNAIRE.” The medallion has a concave shape on both sides and the cross has a golden bronze color. The ribbon color was totally different from the official 1939 French sanction ribbons but similar in color to the Vichy Cross ribbons. The LVF cross is held by a green ribbon showing on each side a wide vertical black edges with seven vertical black stripes. Supposedly about 300 LVF crosses were distributed between 1942 and 1944.
Spain
When the news of the German invasion of Russia reached Spain on 22 June 1941, the Spanish Foreign Minister Ramon Serrano Suñer offered the German Ambassador Eberhard von Stohrer military assistance from the “Falange” (Spanish Fascist Party) and the Army. This offer was provided in return for Germany’s military contribution and of Russia’s involvement in the Spanish civil war. The General Staff issued a directive on 28 June 1941, to the commanders of the various military regions in Spain and Spanish Morocco, which laid down the terms for recruitment. The volunteers were used to form the “Division Española de Voluntarios” (Spanish Division of Volunteers).
Spanish volunteer, 1941.
The volunteers were to be enlisted for the duration of the campaign. All officers above the rank of second lieutenant were to be army regulars. The division was structured according to the traditional Spanish model with four infantry regiments, each bearing the name of their commanding officer. However since the German infantry division had only three regiments, the Spaniards had to reorganize and place the excess personnel on reserve. Each regiment was composed of units from different military regions. In early July, a Spanish Military Commission was sent to the Reserve Headquarters in Berlin to discuss the structure and organization of the German Division. The Spaniards advised the Germans that they were recruiting a division of 640 officers, 2272 NCOs and 15,780 troops. The Spaniards discovered that the Germans required at least 580 NCOs more and about 100 fewer officers. In addition the Germans demanded their own transportation of 300 trucks and 400 motorcycles. On July 7, after much negotiating between the Spanish Commission and both the German and Spanish Embassies, the commander-in-chief of the reserve army, General Fritz Fromm informed the Spaniards that the Reich would bear all costs of the Spanish Division. The troops would receive combat pay, dependents allowance, hospitalization and free franking privileges. The logistic support required to support the Blue Division was provided by the German Wehrmacht. By August 21, 18,000 troops 5610 horses and 765 vehicles were assembled and loaded into freight cars to a camp at Grafenwöhr in Bavaria under the leadership of General Agustin Muñoz Grandes.
General Agustin Muñoz Grandes.
These troops were immediately outfitted in German uniforms (with the German made Spanish national arm shield inscribed “ESPAÑA” placed on their right shoulder). It was officially named the 250th Infantry Division but commonly known as the Spanish Blue Division. The division was broken up into three regiments the remainder of personnel was distributed among the regiments. This division was composed of Army and Falangist personnel who were accustomed to wearing blue shirts. By October 1941, the division was assigned to Ist Corps, which was deployed along the front line between Novgorod and Lake Ilmen. The divisional staff had its headquarters at Grigorovo, thereafter it was based in the outskirts of Leningrad.
By August 1943, the Blue Division withdrew from the front line prior to repatriation of the bulk of the troops. On October 17, the Blue Division withdrew from the Leningrad front to a reserve position behind Oranienbaum. The return of veterans to Spain was done with a minimum of ceremony and by November 163,347 men they were quietly repatriated.
Spanish Volunteer Legion Arm-Shield.
Spanish Volunteers in march, december 1941.
The Spanish Eastern Front Medal
The “Erinnerungsmedaille fur die Spanischen Freiwilligen im Kampf gegen den Bolschewismus” (Commemorative Medal for Spanish Volunteers in the Struggle against Bolshevism) is also referred as the Spanish Blue Division Eastern Front medal. It was instituted on 3rd January 1944, to recognize the 250th Infantry Division. The medal was die struck in zinc alloy with a bronze wash. It shows on the bottom obverse a swastika with a spray of laurel leafs emanating from each side. The leaves are arranged differently on both ends. A sword crosses the center with two shields superimposed on it. The shield on the left shows the Wehrmacht eagle while the other featured the Falangists crushed arrows. Directly above the shields is an M-43 German helmet facing left, with the faint outline of the Wehrmacht Eagle on it. The reverse bottom has an Iron Cross, with the ribbon spread above it intertwined with a spread of leaves on both sides. On the left it shows laurels while on the right oak leaves. In the center, the medal bore the inscription “DIVISION ESPAÑOLA DE VOLUNTARIOS EN RUSSIA” (Division of Spanish Volunteers in Russia). On top of the medal, the ribbon ring normally is stamped with the number “1,” which indicates that it was produced by the German firm “Deschler und Sohn.”
The medal measures 32mm in diameter and 1mm in width. The ribbon is 30mm wide, in the center is a 3mm yellow stripe followed by two wide red stripes then two white stripes and two black edges. The Spanish medal above shows the German Eastern Front ribbon instead of the Spanish. The medal was presented in a maroon box with paper hinge or in an envelope in which the entire name of the award was written in gothic script. In both cases the award was wrapped in tissue paper. A German award Certificate was issued with the award.
Spanish Volunteers.
This concludes this article relating to insignia and military awards rendered to European volunteers from western occupied European countries of Norway, Denmark, Belgium (Flanders & Wallonia), The Netherlands, and France as well as the neutral country of Spain.
Bibliography
John R. Angolia, “Cloth insignia of the SS”, 2nd Edition, Bender Press, 1983.
John R. Angolia, “For Führer and Fatherland, military awards of the Third Reich”, 3rd Edition, Bender Press, 1976.
John R. Angolia & Adolph Schlicht, “Uniforms and traditions of the German Army 1933-45”, (Vol. I & II), Bender Press, 1984 & 1986.
David Littlejohn, “Foreign Legions of The Third Reich”, (VOL. I-IV), Bender Publishing, 1979, 1981, 1985 & 1987.
W. & Deeter, R. Odegard, “Foreign Volunteers of Hitler’s Germany”, DO Enterprises.
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Title: AF-002 - THE AXIS FORCES 2
Sinossi: In this issue: The Flemish Legion, Felix Steiner and the European Volunteers, The Wiking and the battles in the Izyum area, July 1943, SS-Unterscharführer Max Rudolf Pesarra, The Italian SS Legion and the Foreign Volunteer Legion Military Award & Insignia.
di Massimilano Afiero. Serie a cura di Massimilano Afiero. Cover & Art Design: Luca S. Cristini e Anna Cristini.
e-book ISBN: 9788893272414
AUTORE - AUTHOR
Massimiliano Afiero nasce ad Afragola (Napoli) nel 1964. Insegnante di informatica, programmatore, ma soprattutto appassionato studioso del secondo conflitto mondiale, ha pubblicato numerosi articoli sulle principali riviste di Storia a diffusione nazionale, come Storia del XX Secolo, Storia e Battaglie, Storia del Novecento, Raids, Volontari, Milites, Thule Italia, Storia in Rete e Storia Verità e collabora attivamente con numerosi siti web a carattere storico-militare. Uno dei pochi ricercatori storici italiani ad aver intervistato personalmente numerosi reduci e veterani delle formazioni dell'Asse, in particolare della Waffen-SS, pubblicando le loro storie inedite. Ha al suo attivo numerose conferenze tenute in tutto il territorio nazionale sul fenomeno della presenza di volontari stranieri nelle forze armate tedesche durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Dal novembre 2004 al dicembre 2008 è stato Consulente storico e Direttore Tecnico della rivista "Volontari". Dal maggio 2008 Caporedattore della rivista bimestrale SGM (SECONDA GUERRA MONDIALE) pubblicata dall'Editoriale Lupo. Dal gennaio 2009 è iniziata la pubblicazione della nuova rivista Ritterkreuz, dedicata alla storia militare delle formazioni dell'Asse durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale e dal 2013 la pubblicazione della collana FRONTI di GUERRA.
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The Axis forces 2 Page 7