GERMAN INDIAN LEGION COLLECTION.

A most fantastic collection put together for the Free Indian Legion of WWII. After the invasion of Russia huge losses endured by the German forces other sources of personnel had to be found, any ethnic or foreign volunteers were welcome within the German forces, even members who ethnicity was totally against the Third Reich values. It was realised that the Germans held in captivity large numbers of Indian prisoners, mainly captured in North Africa and within those prisoners there were a sub group who were fervently opposed to the British governance of the Indian subcontinent. Their leader Subhas Chandra Bose initiated the legion’s formation as part of its efforts to win India’s independence by waging war against Britain. The initial recruits were volunteers from the Indian students resident in Germany at that time and further the Indian prisoners of war who had been captured during the North African campaign. It later drew a larger number of Indian prisoners of war as volunteers. The size of the Legion at its maximum was 4,500 personnel, it was administered by the German Army from 1941 to 44 and by the Waffen SS from 44 to 45 and any items relating to the Indian Legion are excessive rare.The collection contains, The Azad Hind Grand Star plus swords, marked Rudolf Souval on the rear of the award, in its original Rudolf Souval presentation case, slightly faded green to the centre part of the ribbon, enamels to the award totally undamaged, minor staining to the exterior lid which shows the head of a tiger and crossed swords. The Azad Hind Grand Star without swords, uncased, complete with its full length neck ribbon, ‘Rudolf Souval’ marked on the rear of the award. The Azad Hind 1st Class Star and swords in its ‘Rudolf Souval’ marked case, the award mint marked with ‘Rudolf Souval’ on the back of the award and to the upper inner lid of the presentation case, which has the head of the tiger and crossed swords in gilt to the exterior lid. The Azad Hind 2nd class plus swords in its original Rudolf Souval case with its correct ribbon, ‘Rudolf Souval’ marked to the reverse side reverse side of the award with its tiger head and crossed swords in gilt to the exterior box. The Azad Hind 3rd class in bronze medal with ribbon. The Azad Hind 2nd class with swords medal. A second example of the Azad Hind 2nd class medal with swords. The Azad Hind 2nd class medal without swords. Another example of the Azad Hind 2nd class without swords. A packet for the Azad Hind medal with swords 3rd class. A set of Oberleutnant of Infantry insignia as removed from an Indian Legion officers tunic having the regimental numbers of ‘950’ to each shoulder board with their accompanying collar patches and the slightly moth damaged breast eagle with stitches as removed from a tunic. Two Free India Bevo woven volunteer sleeve shields, both with evidence of being fitted to a tunic, one has had paper backing fitted to it, we do not know whether this is contemporary or otherwise, both of the shields are identical in their manufacture. A 1943 A5 size booklet entitled ‘Hindustani-Briefe’ which is in essence a dictionary of German to Hindustani military phrases and words. A hardback 1943 published A5 size book entitled ‘Militarworterbuch ( Military word book ) Fur Den Fuhrer Und Unterfuhrer’. 1st edition Deutsch-Hindustani, this being another expanded version of the German to Hindustani translation book. One postcard size Indian Legion volunteer propaganda card. An A4 poster showing Gandi and Chandra Bose leading the fight against Great Britain. 3 postcard photographs, 2 in studio 1 outdoors of 3 Indian Legion soldiers, all wearing tropical style open collar tunics, all three can be clearly seen wearing the Free India arm patch, 1 is wearing a very bleached German overseas cap, on the reverse side of the seated photograph is the name of Unter Offizier Singh Arbeit Kommando Konigsbruck dated ‘24th April 1943’. 3 loose photographs, 1 showing a line of German possibly instructors with 2 Indian Legion members wearing turbans, 1 of the members with a clear view of the Free Indian arm badge. Another small format Indian Legion member head, hatless, upper shoulders of tunic. Another of a group of all German instructors talking to some higher ranking German officers, annotated on the reverse side ‘General Schwalbe Freies Indian’ dated ‘July 1943’. 16 individual photographs all pasted to display sheets, 7 of the 16 photographs showing possibly German instructors wearing the Free India arm badge to their tunics including some Indian members of the Legion also wearing the arm badge and a turban with their tropical uniform. 23 images in total. A 20cm in height Nataraja Hindustani statuette in brass. Lastly the rarest item of the whole collection and possibly the only one in existence, the zinc two-piece splittable identity disc for soldier number 30 in the Indian Legion, stamped ‘IND.LEG.’.

Code: 91366