Spain, Spanish State. A Lot of Awards, Documents, & Photographs to a Blue Division Combatant

A rare and superb lot of items belonging to distinguished Blue Division combatant Alferez de Caballeria, Don Anselmo de la Iglesia Somavilla, consisting of:

1. A Medal of the Russian Campaign, constructed of silvered bronze with enamels, on loop for suspension from its period original ribbon with classic Spanish-style clasp and horizontal pinback, the obverse consisting of a Spanish national eagle, overlaid by a central 1939 Iron Cross, overlaying a circular laurel leaf wreath topped by a crown, the reverse consisting of a circular chain link wreath, surrounding a depiction of the Novgorod Kremlin above an inscription of “RUSIA 1941”, unmarked but demonstrating the characteristics of manufacture by Diez y Compañia, Madrid, measuring 36.64 mm (w) x 51.38 mm (h), weighing 19.0 grams (inclusive of ribbon), in extremely fine condition.

2. An Order of Military Merit, I Class Cross with Crown, constructed of gilded bronze with multi-coloured enamels, consisting of a Geneva Cross, the obverse with red enameled arms, bearing a central multi-coloured enameled medallion overlaid by the coats of arms of Castile, León, Aragon, and Navarre, the reverse bearing a central white enameled medallion overlaid by gilt initials “MM”, topped by a crown culminating in a suspension loop with a period original ribbon, clasp, and horizontal pinback, unmarked, measuring 38.68 mm (w) x 50.85 mm (h), weighing 22.3 grams (inclusive of ribbon and fixtures), demonstrating some surface scratching and chipping to the enamels, in very fine condition. 

3. A Spanish Civil War Military Medal, cloth version, constructed of an olive-drab cotton base with a card stock core, the obverse bearing machine-embroidered gold bullion wire and multi-coloured threading with a gilded insignia, unmarked, measuring 54 mm in diameter, in extremely fine condition.

4. A lot of documents pertaining to the recipient’s Order of Military Merit, including a primary award document, with the recipient’s name and title mis-spelled as “ALFEREZ DE CABALLERIA, D. ANSELMO DE LA IGLESIA SOMORILLA”, certified by the handwritten signature of General Agustín Muñoz Grandes (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, 12 March 1942; with Oak Leaves, 12 December 1942), Blue Division commander 1941-1942, measuring 16.5 cm (w) x 23 cm (h), in extremely fine condition, and; three handwritten/typewritten documents confirming the recipient’s service with both the Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War (with a Falange militia) and subsequent Eastern Front service with the Blue Division during the Second World War, in overall extremely fine condition.

5. A group of paper items, including a small photo album, constructed of a card stock binding with card stock interior pages pasted with 15 black-and-white photos depicting a large Falange rally, unmarked, measuring 12 cm (w) x 8 cm (h), demonstrating minor material fatigue and the removal of several photos, a fascinating collection in better than very fine condition; a mixed lot of 38 private photographs, in overall extremely fine condition; a Blue Division-issue (Spanish language) pocket calendar for the year 1943, constructed of a card stock binding with 160 paginated interior pages, measuring 8 cm (w) x 10.5 cm (h), demonstrating minor material fatigue, in near extremely fine condition, and; a period-reproduced photo of General Agustín Muñoz Grandes, measuring 9 cm (w) x 12.5 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.