Following the Nazis policies of recruiting among occupied lands, men of Turkmenistan were given the chance to volunteer for service with the German Army. Many Red Army soldiers from the region took the offer to stay out of the P.O.W. camps, while a number of Turkmen signed on hoping to strike out against the Soviets. Formed into the Turkestan Legion, and later consolidated with other regional units to form the 162nd Turkoman Division, saw combat during the Allied invasion of Italy. Although they fell into the hands of the Western Allies in combat and at the end of the war, the terms of the Yalta Conference resulted in them being repatriated back to the Soviet Union, where many were sentenced to long terms of forced labor. Gray construction overall, with the bow and arrow adorned, pink and blue "TURKISTAN" volunteer shield on the left arm, a swastika ribbon on the right breast, and a set of dark green shoulder boards and collar tabs with single silver stripes. The interior of the tunic is unlined, with faint black ink numbers stamped on the back side of the right breast pocket.

Very good, with some light staining and handling marks overall.