WWII – Croatia NDH stamps year 1943 Croatian Legion in Russia MNH set
Absolutely, I can provide information about the 1943 stamp series from the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) related to the Croatian Legion (Hrvatska Legija) in Russia.
🇭🇷 NDH 1943 Croatian Legion in Russia Stamp Series
The Independent State of Croatia (NDH) issued a semi-postal series of stamps in 1943 to commemorate the Croatian volunteers serving with the Axis forces on the Eastern Front, primarily those who fought in the Croatian Legion (specifically the 369th Croatian Reinforced Infantry Regiment of the Wehrmacht).
- Issue Date: The series was issued on July 1, 1943.
- Purpose: Being a semi-postal issue, the stamps had a postal value plus a surcharge (e.g., 1 + 0.50 Kn). The extra revenue (surtax) was intended to benefit the families of the Legionnaires.
- Design: The stamps, designed by R. Valić, depict the heads of different types of Croatian Legionnaires with backgrounds referencing key locations or services on the Eastern Front.
| Denomination (Postal + Surtax) | Color | Image Depicted | Background/Location |
| 1 + 0.50 Kn | Green | Head of a Sailor | Sea of Azov |
| 2 + 1 Kn | Red | Head of a Pilot | Sevastopol |
| 3.50 + 1.50 Kn | Blue | Head of a Legionnaire (German helmet) | Stalingrad |
| 9 + 4.50 Kn | Brown | Head of a Soldier (Italian helmet) | Don region |
- Context: The stamp featuring the Legionnaire at Stalingrad is particularly notable, as the 369th Regiment was famously involved in the brutal Battle of Stalingrad and was largely destroyed or surrendered there in early February 1943. The issue date of the stamps (July 1943) followed the major surrender at Stalingrad.
In addition to the individual stamps, the NDH also issued souvenir sheets (blocks) in 1943 featuring these designs, often with different colors, in both perforated and imperforate varieties.
