Waffen-SS Foreign Vol Collar Tab, 21st Skanderbeg
Price: $225
BUY / RESERVE THIS ITEMDescription: Black wool construction, 1944 pattern, right hand side, unit designation collar tab featuring a machine embroidered likeness of the 15th century goats head, “Skanderbeg” helmet in silver-gray rayon threads. The collar tab is mounted on a tan buckram backing. Un-issued condition. The vast majority of these Waffen-SS Foreign Volunteer Collars are credited as coming from the Dachau hoard found by GIs and brought back as souvenirs in 1945-46. All made at the SS-BW section of the camp during the war.
Background: The 21ST Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS “Skanderbeg”, was formed in April 1944 primarily of Albanian Muslims with a cadre of German personnel and was intended to serve in an anti-partisan role in the Balkan region. The division proved to be so troublesome to the Germans, with allegedly over 3,500 desertions within its first two months of formation, that it was disbanded after about six months. The reliable personnel of the division were transferred to the 7th SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division “Prinz Eugen”, to form the SS-Gebirgs-Jäger Regiment 14. Due to the racial makeup of the divisional personnel Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler forbade wear of the SS runes on the collar insignia, and a specially designed collar tab was introduced and produced and issued in limited quantities. Note: The stylized, Skanderbeg “goats head” helmet emblem utilized on the collar tab may be traced back to the Albanian national hero George Kastrioti, (1403-1468), also known as Iskander Beg or Skanderbeg. Skanderbeg a son of Prince Emathia, was captured by the Turks when he was seven years old, raised as a Muslim, and became a successful General under Sultan Murat II until 1444 when he renounced the Muslim faith, reverted to his Albanian roots and drove the Turks out of Albania. Skanderbeg was able to repel repeated Turkish campaigns and maintain Albania’s independence until his death in 1468.
