Soviet Quadruple Red Star Group - Georgian Pilot

[Chuck In Oregon]

This is a group of awards and a couple of other items of Georgian WW II pilot Mikhail Bibiluridze. It is the only quadruple Red Star group I have ever come across. Bibiluridze once was a pretty famous Georgian war hero, but little-known and unremembered today. Fame and glory are fleeting, indeed, despite their price.

More images to come.

Chuck

Edited January 4, 2006 by Chuck In Oregon

[Chuck In Oregon]

... And this is what he looked like before the war, and his order book.

[Chuck In Oregon]

... And his shoulder boards.

[Guest Rick Research]

Now THOSE would be interesting citations! Usually air force awards were bestowed on a points basis, so I'd have expected him to advance up beyond Red Star to OPW2 (last noted in the Book), then OPW1, ORB etc. That's a May 1943 first Red Star, then the next two fairly close together in the flood of 1945 awards, and the fourth one probably for 15 years long service, some time in the Great Vagueness (well, in my serial numbers list ) of 1946-48.

Very odd air force devices on his shoulder boards too! Not at all the standard pattern:

[attachmentid=21642]

More! More!

[Chuck In Oregon]

Thanks for the insight, Rick. Yes, those are unusual insignia. I can never account for the apparent discrepancies in groups, except that there is still a lot to be learned.

Chuck

[Danny]

Is that a GTO badge he is wearing?

[cosinus]

Hi, Chuck!

Do you have after-war photos of Bibiluidze with 4 stars? It would be nice to see!

Dima

[HuliganRS]

Chuck,

A very nice group!

Congrats,

Rusty.

[Paul R]

I bet all of those Red Stars looked impressive on the tunic!

Nice Grouping!

[Chuck In Oregon]

This is everything that I have from this gentleman. This group did not come from his family. It has an interesting provenance, though.

Yes, that looks like an early GTO badge, and one of the better ones at that. I have a silver example of that variant, the only one I have ever come across.

Chuck