Hrvatska pomorska legija: Croatian Naval Legion badge, mint boxed.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, my final piece of eye candy from the British Veteran's lot. As ever, mint, boxed and unissued. He had impeccable taste.

This badge was awarded to members of the Croatian Naval Legion of the KM for two months service on the Eastern Front.

The Hrvatska Pomorska Legija served under the Kreigsmarine in the Black Sea. They fought in KM uniform with an arm-shield, in several patterns, in Croatian national colours. They crewed a flotilla of minesweepers operating in Crimea and the Sea of Azov in 1941-43, and later a submarine-chaser flotilla (23. U-Bootsjagdflottille) in the Black Sea during 1943-44. In 1943, a Coastal Artillery Battery was added. Almost 1000 men served with the Legion under Commander Andro Vrkljan and Captain Stjepan Rumenovic. The Legion was disbanded in 1944 and the crews returned home to Trieste to serve in the Croatian Navy. They were allowed to wear the badge on their new uniforms. In Dec '44 an attempted munity was put down by the Germans as some of the crews tried to defect to the Allies. They surrendered to the Partizans at the end of the war.

I hope to add this one to my collection.

Cheers, Ade.