One of the most interesting insignia from the NDH period is certainly the so-called „linden leaf“ or the Croatian Legion (HL) badge, and the great popularity of this unit raises it above all insignia of the NDH military. The badge was officially prescribed in mid-1942 and all members of the Croatian legionary units within the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front had the right to it.
The emblem of the Croatian legionary units is a relatively common insignia from the World War II period, and most specimens circulating in private collections and on the market are unused, in excellent, factory, or popularly called „mint“ condition. For a long time, debates were held regarding this insignia and its authenticity, with some claiming it is a modern copy made „somewhere abroad,“ while the most well-known claim is that the insignia emerged from the „Jadran Film“ warehouses, which in its early days collected original military insignia of both the NDH and the German Wehrmacht, as well as decorations, uniforms, and all other WWII militaria for the purpose of shooting war films. Given the long-standing destruction of Jadran Film, from which many items from the collection were looted, and the fact that a certain quantity of „linden leaves“ in „mint“ condition has been circulating among collectors for many years, there is a high probability that these insignia originate from Jadran Film.
Well, if it weren't for those "mint" ones, the HL marking would certainly fall into the category of rarer insignia from the time of the NDH, because it's a real rarity to see a marking with "soul," i.e., one that originated from a find directly tied to a legionnaire. And as far as I know, it is also very rare in "Slovene finds." In any case, I acquired the HL insignia long ago in "mint" condition and I was, like most collectors, very skeptical of its authenticity the whole time (Fig. 1). However, a find from Požega two years ago put my mind at ease. By chance, I came into possession of a badge that belonged to a Home Guard officer, and with it, I also received a whole series of documents and photographs. And the first comparison of the two insignia yielded excellent and positive results. In fact, through this documentation, it is possible to trace the wartime path of Domobran poručnik Milan Majnarić, a high school student from Požega, born in Medak, in the Gospić region, in 1923. This war story has a sad and abrupt ending, as Milan was killed in 1945, exactly one month before the end of World War II, at the age of 23, somewhere in the area of Levanjska Varoš near Đakovo. He left behind a few photographs and a badge of the Croatian Legion, somewhat worn from use and without its clasp on the back (Fig. 2). From the documents, we see that he belonged to the 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Hunter Regiment, and in a document dated December 31, 1943. from Kalenderovci (near Derventa) and signed by the battalion commander Wagner, he requests an Office Confirmation in order to seek a position in the civil service, as he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and serve the Croatian State Railways. However, this was apparently denied, as he continued his wartime service in the same regiment until his death. On one photograph (Fig. 3), he signed it as a memento, dated it, and also noted where the photo was taken – "In Stockerau, January 10, 1943. Milan Majnarić, Home Guard cadet." The photographer's stamp bears witness to this – "Foto Kunstwerkstatte A. Dunzer, Stockerau, Wienerstr. 4." Milan was apparently assigned to the newly formed hunting detachments, which were established in February 1943, after his training. in the model of the German army, as his documents indicate, from which we see that he belonged to the 4th Hunter Regiment. He could have received the Legionary badge after Stockerau, the military training that took place in this northeastern Austrian town. The insignia is not visible on any of Milan's war photographs, which makes sense as it was not prescribed for the fighter units. It is presumed that he wore it in the early days before he was assigned to the 4th Fighter Regiment, and it was likely kept at home.
Be that as it may, this legion badge has a soul, as we collectors like to emphasize; it was worn on a uniform, it saw war (along with its owner), and the most important thing is that through it we can compare those mint-condition insignia that actually came from some warehouse—most likely „Jadran Film,“ as the stories go, because every single detail, even the smallest ones, match. It is impossible to compare the weight in this case because Milan's lacks the clasp on the back, but it is enough to compare tiny details such as the square dashes on the back, then the veins on the linden leaf, the edge of the insignia, and a few other things, and to agree with an older and more expert colleague that such details are impossible to replicate on new specimens. The insignia that appear on the market and among collectors are obviously originals, left over from the war and, well, through a combination of circumstances preserved to the present day, very likely in our unfortunately defunct film production company.
The badge of the Croatian Legion is made of aluminum, measures 40 x 40 mm, and according to available documentation, it was manufactured in the Zagreb workshops of „Braća Knaus“ and „Me-Ba“. The interesting base design in the shape of a linden leaf is not officially defined, but we can believe that the creator of the badge had in mind the importance of the linden tree among our people. In the center, it is adorned with a rather large Croatian coat of arms with the first white field, and surrounded by the inscription HRVATSKA LEGIJA. The badge was initially prescribed to be worn on the left side of the camp cap, and later to be worn on the left breast pocket, following the example of German breast badges and decorations.
This article was originally published in the Slovenian magazine Zbiralec – the newsletter of the Association of Collectors of Military Insignia of Slovenia (ZZVIS), issue number 26 from 2016. The article was published in Slovenian, and the text on this page is the polished original version of the article in Croatian. All items are from the author's collection.
Author: Vjekoslav Kramberger
Image gallery
The image gallery of the “linden leaf” shown here is not part of Mr. Kramberger's original article, but was added by the portal's editors.
