Spanish Blue Division Arm Shield for Review

[TabsTabs1964]

On the other hand, for many years after the WWII many veterans ordered patches for their Army uniforms, “Guardia Civil” uniforms or “Policía Armada” (Armed Police) uniforms. I remember myself being a child (I'm 53 years old) in 1976 or 1977, a policeman (Policía Armada) in his sixties wearing the patch on his uniform, at the police station in my neighborhood. Obviously that patch was not the one he had used in Russia 35 years earlier. And like him many other thousands of patches made during the 50s, 60s and early 70s.

All the foreigners who fought in the Wehrmacht, wore a badge of their nationality that was regulated by order OKH No.62 / 41 g.Kdos.AWA / W Allg. of August 13, 1941.

In the case of the Spanish, this regulation was earlier, according to the order OKH / ChefHRüst u.BdE./AHA No. 3385/41 g.K of July 9, 1941.

To the Spaniards of the Blue Division, the Wehrmacht gave them a badge consisting of a shield with the colors of the Spanish flag and the legend "ESPAÑA”. The divisional Intendency Service, which received them in rolls of 50 units, was in charge of distributing the units that were cut to separate them and the soldiers were in charge of sewing them.

This badge was of the type that is known as BEVO. Initially there were two versions.

One of them consisted of a shield of 7.1 x 6.6 cm machine-woven on a green fabric Feldgrau of 7 cm wide.

The other version was a 7 x 6.5 cm shield woven on a 6.8 cm gray background. The latter was made in the Bertran factory, very close to the French town of Mezt.

[TabsTabs1964]

There were other very original models called "Parches de Madrina" "Patches of Godmother" that were sent from Spain, in their majority of the cases by the godmothers of war to the volunteers with whom they had postal correspondence. Its confection was purely handmade, having different variants. These were inspired by the official shields made by the Germans and that had been given to them along with the rest of the uniformity, but normally something more was added to the embroidery to give it a more personal touch, as it used to be an Iron Cross with the Yoke and Falangist arrows. The soldiers looked proud on the uniform, replacing the ones they should officially wear, in these cases the Germans turned a blind eye as in other things, and accepted as a normal practice this irregularity in the uniforms worn by the Spaniards.

Two well-known and typical examples of "Patches of Godmother"

[TabsTabs1964]

The real problem of the so-called "Patches of Godmother" is that they are all absolutely handmade and therefore, no two are the same. The thousands of them that were made are all unique.
So unless there is one of your grandfather or an uncle in your family, you will never know for sure that it is original. We should be able to see it very closely to see that the fabric is not synthetic and that the threads of the embroidery are old. I personally do not think I could distinguish a "Madrina Patch" well falsified from an authentic one.



An autentic post war “Parche de Madrina”

Of course it would be an exceptional collector's item, but I believe that the risk of buying an imitation is very high.

[TabsTabs1964]

Leutnant Antonio Vallejo Zaldo


Soldier Vicente Cabo Romero


Tourists in Paris

The medals of Juan Serrano Mannara, one of the last.
YouTube


As always, apologize for my English.

[Aldo]

Thank you so much for the informative response. I did not know there was a Term for these homemade patches. I agree that it could be authentic but without provenance there is no way to know for sure.

Regards, Al

[TabsTabs1964]

A pilot



a M.P.



María Cristina Orive Alonso from Madrid (1919 - 2012) The last Nurse from the Blue Division

[TabsTabs1964]

A card of a veteran provincial Brotherhood



Enlist to fight against communism.
Russia is guilty!

As you can see there are many shields of the Division with Iron Cross and Falange Arrows.
Best regards.

[Aldo]

I have several buttonhole pins but no patches. I assume as worn by veterans for many years after the war.

[Aldo]

Just a few of my related Blue Division medals and pins to enhance the thread

Click the link for my full collection: Spanish Civil War / Blue Division Volunteer Collection

[TabsTabs1964]

This is indeed Aldo, the buttonhole pins, have been for decades the distinctive civilian dress of the veterans of the Blue Division. I have seen them several times.
But today they are collectibles and they are not exactly cheap items. Today in the network, all these that I upload to the thread are on sale and whose prices range between 30 and 80 euros (35 - 90 US dollars) and all are originals from years 60 to 80.