German Azerbaijani Volunteer Legion Arm-shield Patch

Aserbaidschanische Legion Ärmelschild printed patch in very good condition. Printed area measures 67mm tall.

The Azerbaijani Legion (German: Aserbaidschanische Legion) was one of the foreign units of the Wehrmacht. It was formed in December 1941 on the Eastern Front as the Kaukasische-Mohammedanische Legion (Muslim Caucasus Legion) and was re-designated 1942 into two separate legions, the North Caucasian legion and the Azerbaijani legion. It was made up mainly of former Azerbaijani POW volunteers but also volunteers from other peoples in the area. It was part of the Ostlegionen. It was used to form the 162nd (Turkistan) Infanterie-Division of the Wehrmacht in 1943. similar to other Ostlegionen, it was organized to replenish the dwindling German manpower on the Eastern front and to “save the German blood at the front.”