Free French Patch?

[Timberwolf]

Hey all,

 

I was given this patch today from a good WWII vet friend. I've purchased a lot of stuff from him that I'll have to post here one day. He was in the 226th AAA battalion. He said this guy was a Frenchman, he forgot how he met him, but that he was given this patch by him. Any idea on what unit this is from?

 

 

 

Thanks!-Ben

[Timberwolf]

Any ideas on unit this guy was from?

[plick27]

The symbol on the shield resembles the cross of Lorraine combined with an L.

WAG = Legionnaire patch??

[Timberwolf]

That's a good lead! I was just searching and the colors of the foreign legion are red and green.

[nicolas75]

Hello

 

I'm French but nothing i am aware of for an insigna

 

Red and white witha cross of Lorraine is also Slovakian, maybe WH volonteers ?

[Timberwolf]

Hello

 

I'm French but nothing i am aware of for an insigna

 

Red and white witha cross of Lorraine is also Slovakian, maybe WH volonteers ?

 

Thanks Nicolas, I tried googling it but nothing came up with a Slovak lead. I don't think the guy was a Whermacht volunteer as he's wearing a Brit BD in the photo.-Ben

[patches]

It might be for a FFI battalion? Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur

[vostoktrading]

It doesn't look French to me.

Perhaps it has something to do with Lithuania (Lietuva)?

Lithuanian symbolism has a Lorraine style cross. Also the patch has an "L" in it.

As Nicolas says, could be some kind of ally with the Germans from WW2? Or maybe Lithuanian emigrees in the West?

Or maybe post WW2, for a few years there was quite a vibrant anti Soviet movement inside Lithuania with partisans in the woods, etc. (they were not happy at all to have the Russians back).

The British & American secret services were sending in agents and the Russians were mostly catching them.

I doubt that there would be a patch for a clandestine movement though.

Just some ideas.

Jon

 

[Timberwolf]

It doesn't look French to me.

Perhaps it has something to do with Lithuania (Lietuva)?

Lithuanian symbolism has a Lorraine style cross. Also the patch has an "L" in it.

As Nicolas says, could be some kind of ally with the Germans from WW2? Or maybe Lithuanian emigrees in the West?

Or maybe post WW2, for a few years there was quite a vibrant anti Soviet movement inside Lithuania with partisans in the woods, etc. (they were not happy at all to have the Russians back).

The British & American secret services were sending in agents and the Russians were mostly catching them.

I doubt that there would be a patch for a clandestine movement though.

Just some ideas.

Jon

 

My guess is the latest possible the patch was late 45. The photo of the man who gave the patch to the vet has 7 Mai (May?) 1945 (which is VE day) on the back. Lithuanian could be another lead, in my opinion I don't think the guy fought for the Germans. Thanks for lead!-Ben

[vostoktrading]

My guess is the latest possible the patch was late 45. The photo of the man who gave the patch to the vet has 7 Mai (May?) 1945 (which is VE day) on the back. Lithuanian could be another lead, in my opinion I don't think the guy fought for the Germans. Thanks for lead!-Ben

Also keep in mind just because he had the patch, it doesn't mean it was his unit. Somebody else may have given it to him along the way.

Jon.

[Patriot]

I have two original French resistance armbands, and I am not aware of the Free French using any kind of patch.

[Timberwolf]

I have two original French resistance armbands, and I am not aware of the Free French using any kind of patch.

I always though the Free French Army (Govt. in exile US + British supplied, had patches since they were a professional rmy) while the FFI (French Forces of the Interior) had armbands like yours. I know the Free French 1st Army had a patch, how often it was worn I'm unsure of. (http://gramt22kro-10rgtgenie.skyrock.com/2688156038-insigne-tissu-RHIN-et-DANUBE-FFA.html)

[Patriot]

Timberwolf - FFI is what I was thinking.