Soviet The Tin Man's Plastic Medal Bar

[Guest Rick Research]

Just got this in today (yet another BOTTOM row with the top row missing, ohhhhh well) and I really like it!

The "ribbons" are that bizarre Soviet thin, brittle (at least after 50 years-- notice the crackling on the Warsaw) painted "nail polish" plastic sheet sometimes found on ribbon bars:

but what makes this unusual is the BACK. It is made out of "recycled garden watering can" finished zink, with an exceptionally sturdy pin (the reinforced lower hinge is notworthy) and note that this 4 bar was custom made FOR the Polish medal:

[Guest Rick Research]

The award paper for the Polish Oder, Neisse, Baltic Medal, only with his name and rank (Captain Georgy Ivanovich Kuz'min), authorized by the Polish Ministry of Defense

contrast this flimsy cheap paper generic "fill in the award" with the nice colored heavy paper O,N,B Medal document awarded to a Lieutenant General:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...ost&p=17043

[Stogieman]

This piece was pretty neat as Soviet Bars go. I dropped these off at Rick's today and I was impressed with exactly how cheesy this style of bar was!

[Guest Rick Research]

True. Risked his life and limbs coming out on all the ice and did the "March of the Penguins" shuffle on my front walk. Such dedication!

Here is Captain Kuz'min's Liberation of Warsaw Medal-- from the 68th (Heavy?) Tank Brigade

I have nothing on armor brigade Orders of Battle for campaign service information, alas.

Missing his 1948 document, but by 1958 Kuz'min was a Lieutenant Colonel, in the unhelpfully Feldpost number coded "Unit 70412"

BUT! The unit commander was a Major General of "b/V." What on earth branch of who huh what service is a "b/V?" That's not one I've ever encountered before!!! The "V" I assume is "Voisk," = "troops" or "forces" but "b/" troops? "b" forces? Were they still using the old-fashioned pre-war "battletank" name for "armor" in 1958???

[Gerd Becker]

Indeed a nice little group with that medal bar. Its interesting, how they custom-converted the attachment for the Oder-Neisse Medal.

Gerd

[Dudeman]

The unit commander was a Major General of "b/V." What on earth branch of who huh what service is a "b/V?" That's not one I've ever encountered before!!! The "V" I assume is "Voisk," = "troops" or "forces" but "b/" troops? "b" forces? Were they still using the old-fashioned pre-war "battletank" name for "armor" in 1958???

It's "V/Ch" short for "voiskovaya chast'" or Troop Unit. It was used as a unit identification number meant to ensure operational security adopted in the late 40's and used through the present.

[Guest Rick Research]

No, I am not referring to the "Feldpost" stamp, I am referring to the suffix after the General's rank, which is "b/V." I've seen "a/s" for "administrative services," "i/s" for "intendance branch," "ITS" for "Engineer Technical Services," "sv/s" for "signals branch," "ATS" for "Artillery Technical Services," and so on. Never a "b/V" on the rank.

Given Kuz'min's wartime service, I'm guessing they were still using the pre-WW2 "bronyetankovy/voisk" = "battletank/troops" though that was certainly antique by 1958?

[Dudeman]

No, I am not referring to the "Feldpost" stamp, I am referring to the suffix after the General's rank, which is "b/V." I've seen "a/s" for "administrative services," "i/s" for "intendance branch," "ITS" for "Engineer Technical Services," "sv/s" for "signals branch," "ATS" for "Artillery Technical Services," and so on. Never a "b/V" on the rank.

Given Kuz'min's wartime service, I'm guessing they were still using the pre-WW2 "bronyetankovy/voisk" = "battletank/troops" though that was certainly antique by 1958?

You are correct - "bronetankovykh voisk", especially since Kuzmin served in an heavy armor unit based on his campaign medal document. The title was also used through the war and I'm guessing post-war in this case to distinguish a general serving in a troop command position as opposed to sitting on a staff somewhere.

[Paul R]

I have never seen... or for that matter... even heard of this style of medal bar! Are these ultra rare or have I just been unlucky not to have seen these?

[NavyFCO]

I have never seen... or for that matter... even heard of this style of medal bar! Are these ultra rare or have I just been unlucky not to have seen these?

They aren't all THAT rare, but you do have to look for them. I think in 14 years of collecting Soviet awards, I've seen maybe a dozen groups with this type of bar.

What's really neat about this bar though is the Polish medal with the custom mount. Never seen that before! Sweeeeeet!!!

Dave

[Dudeman]

I'll add that the condition of the paint is pretty good with only minor chipping. Most of these are more beat up.

[Guest Rick Research]

And that's why we don't see more of them-- they just flake away to nothing.

It amazes me, because like the solid ? Lucite clear "D" in profile ones with "ribbons" painted underneath, these painted plastic sheets pre-date PLASTIC here by years and years.

I am old enough to remember the transition from tin toys to plastic-- mid 1960s, and never saw a Lucite equivalent until early 1970s!

[Steen Ammentorp]

contrast this flimsy cheap paper generic "fill in the award" with the nice colored heavy paper O,N,B Medal document awarded to a Lieutenant General:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=2...indpost&p=17043

However it is nice to see that a Polish marshal took his time to sign his paper too!

Kind Regards

Steen Ammentorp

The Generals of World War II

[Guest Rick Research]

You know it's such a cheapo generic paper that I just assumed it was only a stamp, like his position and titles-- but I looked again and it does indeed appear to be handwritten red ink.

I can't find him on your website! How have you got him spelled, Steen? The stamp says "Rola-Zymierski" but he's signed with just "Zymierski" and I didn't find him under either, looking in your Polish section.

[Steen Ammentorp]

At first I thought it was a stamp too but then I noticed, looking closer at the paper for your Lieutenant-General, that the signature was in a different position and colour, and the colour of the signature above is also different than the rest.

Regarding his name then to be frank I am unsure about his name. However several Poles have told me and polish sources indicated that it should be Zymierski-Rola as Rola was only his nomme de guerre. You find him here http://www.generals.dk/general/Zymierski-R...hal/Poland.html Not that he had good fortunes under the regime he chose to serve.

Kind Regards

Steen Ammentorp

The Generals of World War II

[Guest Rick Research]

I never even HEARD of him before!