History

Foreign volunteers serving with the Waffen-SS were divided into ethnically based formations, although oftentimes several ethnic groups or nationalities were combined into a single unit. Arm shields were used to identify the nationality of a unit's members and they often incorporated a nation’s flag or a relevant cultural or ethnic symbol.

The shields were worn on the upper or lower left sleeve, although eastern troops often wore the shields on the right sleeve.

Initially, many of the shields were produced locally but the manufacturing process was later standardised by the RZM. All officially produced shields were machine-embroidered and the majority were produced by the firm Tröltsch & Hanselmann, Berlin.

There are often numerous versions or patterns of a sleeve shield.

Croatian members of the Waffen-SS served in the 13. Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS ‘Handschar’ and the 23. Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS ‘Kama’. The men in these divisions wore a red and white chequered arm shield.

The first pattern of the arm shield features a shield with a straight top.

The second pattern features a shield with a scalloped top.

There is a version of the insignia that features a scalloped shield and the Croatian name for Croatia, Hrvatska, along the top. This shield was worn by the members of the Reinforced Croatian 369th Infantry Regiment (Wehrmacht). There is also a rare variant of this insignia that features the German word for Croatia, Kroatien, along the top of the shield.