Article about: Hello Gent's. I have been interested in this emblem ever since I won it on one of the sites raffles. It was also one of our members who have since pasted away. So it does hold a special plac
Thank you KMMorris for referencing me, always glad to help!
Phil
The cockade you have is based on WWI Ukrainian Republic cockade. A stockpile of them was found in Wienna in late 30's. When Germans formed the Roland battalion in 1941, these cockades were sent to the legion. However, as other mentioned, this type has been worn extensively by Ukrainian police in General Gouvernment and by Schuma units.
As for the hat - I am not a hat specialist, but I do like the wear on the cockade, it is definitely in worn condition. Such locally made M-43 caps were worn by Ukrainian Self-Defense Legion (ULS), they were made in black, as the legion was outfitted with black Allgemeine SS uniforms. Saying that, it is very easy to make such hats and slap on original cockade, so I would be very careful. If you can - test the hat under UV and do a burn test, to make sure it was not made from new materials. Also it depends who is selling the hat. If its coming out of Eastern Europe - dismiss it right away. There is a tiny chance a cap like this potentially could have survived in the West, as members of USL did escape to the West. So if the seller is from USA and he is providing you with money back guaranty - you could give it a try. It wouldn't hurt to get second opinions from hat experts - what they can say on the stamp, the wear (is the wear consistent or not? Does the hat show consistent period wear or is it artificially aged? ect ).
1. The BW photo of soldier posted by Gunny is all wrong. First of all, the soldier is a former member of Galicia division and he is wearing UNA cockade, made in 1945. The cockade that is set for comparions is for BBH - Ukraine legion formed in 1939. As you can see, the trident in it has a sword - that is a very early Ukrainian volunteer cockade, worn only by a few early units. The person who did this collage is not very knowledgeable and made a mistake.
2. The second hat posted by Kekel is a complete joke - it is one of those "patriotica" hats made in early 90's. It has Ukrainian army cockade from the 90's . The seller is obviously trying to scam the customers, stay away from that garbage.
Askold wonderful to have you posting here, looking forward to your knowledge sharing, your help and collection on the WAF over the last years has been indispensable.
Thank you Askold for chiming in.
As far as this coming from a seller who offers a money back/inspection period guarantee., That is not an option.
This is on the block at an auction site. And I cut a pasted there policy on their payment/policy statement.
"Any description is given as a courtesy and is only an opinion and can not be treated as a statement of facts .The absence of a statement does not imply that the item is in perfect condition or free from wear and tear , imperfection or age .
ALL SALES ARE FINAL , NO RETURNS , REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES ."
So since this is the policy. I will once again thank you for taking the time to read this thread and expressing you thoughts on this one.
I have absolutely no experience with this subject and have never handled anything concerning this matter other than the insignia I got in the site raffle that is posted in my opening post. I thought if good and at a good price I would add it, But currently it sits a $425 with 2 bids and the auction has not started yet.
Possibly someone knows their stuff and see's what they need to see to confirm this as original and period. I do understand that this is a small niche in a specialized field of collecting and I'm not there. I will sit back and watch and I'll chime in with the final bid when the hammer falls
Phil you did the right thing. Anyone who states: "ALL SALES ARE FINAL , NO RETURNS , REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES ."" - that is a huge red flag, which in my books translates to "WALK AWAY".
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