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WWII Nazi Latvian Waffen SS Officer's Tunic

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:250.00 USD Estimated At:700.00 - 1,000.00 USD
WWII Nazi Latvian Waffen SS Officer's Tunic
Latvian Waffen SS Officer's Tunic. The Waffen SS was the armed military branch of the Nazi Party. Over the course of the war, the Waffen SS was expanded to include conscripts and volunteers from occupied territories. Latvian Waffen SS personnel were forced to choose between fighting for the Soviet Union or for Nazi Germany. Many saw the Germans as the lesser of two evils and as a better source of training to use in planning a Latvian revolution and joined the SS for these reasons. This tunic is made of heavy "feldgrau" wool, with a green cloth liner and a suspension piece for a dagger on the inside. The Waffen SS variant of the party eagle and Latvian volunteer's shield is present on the left sleeve. The collar and shoulder tabs have the matching rank of a SS-Obersturmfuhrer and indicate service in the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, also known as the 1st Latvian Division. Formed in 1943, the division saw heavy combat solely on the Eastern Front and were among the last fighters in Berlin before the war ended. A ribbon for the Second Class Iron Cross is tucked through a button hole. A Eastern Front Medal is included but not attached on the left breast pocket and signifies service during the winter of 1941 and spring of 1942, a period where many Axis soldiers froze to death amidst the Soviet counterattack during the Russian Winter. This item was not acquired from a veteran and authenticity cannot be guaranteed. Absolutely excellent condition and a great representative piece of a lesser known Waffen SS division. From the Michael Clifton collection.