BACKGROUND: Shortly after the Germans invaded Russia, in June 1941, the Danish DNSAP, Danmarks National-Socialistiske Arbejder Parti, (Denmark’s National Socialist Worker’s Party), offered to raise a volunteer corps to fight against the communists, and on June 28^TH 1941 the "Frikorps Danmark", (Danish Free Corps), was formed. In 1942 the Frikorps fought in Russia attached to the 3^RD SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf" and suffered heavy casualties, including its commander, SS-Obersturmbannführer Christian Frederick von Schalburg who fell in battle on June 2^ND 1942. After a short leave to Denmark in September 1942 the Frikorps returned to the Russian front in October, again suffering heavy casualties and was withdrawn from the field and disbanded in the early spring of 1943. In April 1943 a new Danish "Germansk Korps" , (Germanic Corps), was raised, by the Danish, pro-Nazi, final Frikorps commander, SS-Obersturmbannführer Knud B rge Martinsen with German co-operation. The Germansk Korps personnel were drawn mainly from ex-Frikorps members and Danes of Germanic or Nordic origins and shortly after its establishment it was renamed the, "Schalburg Korps", in honor of the fallen Frikorps commander. The Schalburg Korps were basically the Danish version of the Allgemeine-SS and its personnel were outfitted in black walking out uniforms with Allgemeine-SS rank insignia and khaki service uniforms with Waffen-SS rank insignia. Both uniforms differed from their German counterparts with the usage of specific Danish Schalburg national emblems. Of Note: The Schalburg Korps was fully incorporated into the SS in July 1944 as "SS. Ausbildungs-Bataltion Schalburg", (SS Training Battalion Schalburg). In January 1945 the unit was redesignated, SS Vagt-Bataltion Sjaelland, (SS Guard Battalion Zealand), and on February 28^TH 1945 it was officially disbanded. Also Of Note: SS-Obersturmbannführer Schalburg, a Danish aristocrat, and ex-leader of the Danish DNSAP youth, had been serving as a volunteer with the 5^TH SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking", from September 1940, until he was appointed as commander of the Frikorps Danmark in late February/early March 1942. Killed in June 1942 Schalburg only commanded the Frikorps for roughly three months. SS-Obersturmbannführer Martinsen was relived of command of the Korps in October 1944 and was found guilty of war crimes, sentenced to death and executed in 1949. Also Of Note: Photographic examples of this type of cufftitle can be viewed in Ulric of England’s book, Collecting Third Reich SS & Political Cuffbands, volume 2 on pages 74 and 75.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 1 1/8" tall, 20 5/8" long, machine woven, black rayon, construction cufftitle with BeVo-like, machine woven, Gothic style script, "Schalburg", in white rayon threads. The cufftitle is bordered at both top and bottom edges in horizontally woven, seven strand, white rayon threads. The cufftitle is in overall excellent, unissued condition with minimal age toning and minor fraying to the unfinished ends. Scarce cufftitle.

GRADE ****1/4                             PRICE $2,695.00