The Légion des Volontaires Français contre le Bolchevisme (LVF) and Its Field Post
The Légion des Volontaires Français contre le Bolchevisme (LVF), or French Volunteer Legion Against Bolshevism, represents one of the most controversial chapters in French collaboration history during World War II. Field post letters from this unit, such as the example described here dated October 20, 1942, are rare historical documents today that bear witness to the complex reality of collaboration in occupied France.
Origins and Political Background
The LVF was founded in July 1941, immediately following the German invasion of the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa. The initiative came from leaders of collaborationist parties in occupied France, including Jacques Doriot of the Parti Populaire Français (PPF), Marcel Déat of the Rassemblement National Populaire, and Eugène Deloncle of the Mouvement Social Révolutionnaire. These politicians saw the establishment of a French volunteer unit as an opportunity to position France alongside Germany in the fight against Communism.
The attitude of the Vichy regime under Marshal Philippe Pétain toward the LVF was ambivalent. Initially, Pétain publicly supported the formation, declaring in November 1941 that the fighters represented “une part de notre honneur militaire” (a part of our military honor). The LVF was officially recognized as a public service organization. However, as the war progressed and German demands increased, Pétain cautiously distanced himself from the Legion to preserve the Vichy regime's maneuvering room.
Military Organization
The LVF was incorporated into the Wehrmacht as Infantry Regiment 638 and placed under the command of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. The volunteers wore German uniforms with French national colors on the right sleeve and took a personal oath to Adolf Hitler. Military training initially took place in Poland, and later the unit fought on the Eastern Front, mainly in the central sector near Moscow and subsequently in Belarus.
The strength of the LVF fluctuated considerably. While initial propaganda goals spoke of 15,000 to 20,000 volunteers, actual numbers were significantly lower. In autumn 1942, when the field post letter described here was sent, the LVF comprised approximately 2,000 to 3,000 men. Volunteers' motivations varied: ideological anti-communism, adventurism, economic hardship, or opportunism.
The Field Post System
The present field post letter bears the special stamp “Bloc de Franchise du Corps Expéditionnaire de la Légion des Volontaires Français contre le Bolchevisme” marked F 100. These special stamps were issued exclusively for the LVF and are extremely rare today. The field post system allowed legionnaires free correspondence with home, an important element for maintaining morale.
The field post number 035648 B served military secrecy by concealing the unit's exact location. The postmark dated October 20, 1942, falls during a phase when the LVF, after the heavy fighting of winter 1941/42 near Moscow, was being reorganized and deployed in the Smolensk-Vitebsk area.
Historical Significance
Field post letters like this one are important historical sources. They document not only the existence and organization of the LVF but also provide insight into the daily reality of the legionnaires and their connection to home. The fact that this letter survives without its contents does not diminish its documentary value, as the external features alone – stamps, postmarks, addressing – provide valuable historical information.
Later Development
In July 1943, Heinrich Himmler approved the formation of a French Waffen-SS unit, the SS-Sturmbrigade Frankreich, later expanded into the 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS “Charlemagne”. Many LVF members were transferred to this new formation. Remnants of this unit fought among the last defenders of Berlin in 1945.
Collector Value and Historical Classification
LVF field post letters are among the rarer objects in military-historical philately. Their rarity is explained by the unit's small size, high losses on the Eastern Front, and the fact that many documents were destroyed after the Liberation of France. For historians and collectors, they are important testimonies of a dark period in French history that requires objective examination and contextual classification.
These artifacts serve as sobering reminders of the complexities of occupation, ideology, and collaboration during World War II, offering valuable lessons for understanding this troubled period.
