Soviet Bravery and Combat Service Medals

[Guest Darrell]

Here are a few of the Bravery and Combat Medals:

1. Bravery Medal:

Edited May 14, 2005 by Darrell

[Guest Darrell]

2. Medal for Combat Service:

[Guest Rick Research]

Valor # 2,457,726 would have been roughly July 1945

Military Merit Medal * 1,108,861 would have been circa March 1944

* Although commonly translated as "Combat Service Medal," that is incorrect on TWO counts, and one of my personal Soapbox Crusades. "Voyeviye" is excruiciatingly untranslateable, literally. Since most of these over their long, long decades of award had NOTHING to do with "Combat," I prefer the vaguer but more accurate term "Military." And "Zasluga" is absolutely NOT "Service" it is "Merit." the same mistranslation often applies to the exact German parallel, Dienst/Verdienst. Even native Russian speakers who DO know better use the incorrectly translated name, tut tut.

So bear with me while I Change The World to calling those "Military Merit Medals."

Here is an original type suspension version, Military Merit Medal serial number 207,366 from about March 1943. These were soon changed to the five sided suspensions in 1943, and most earlier ones ended up being converted.

[Gerd Becker]

Here is one of my Combat Service....ahem Military Merit Medals

[Guest Darrell]

Once again .. very nice guys ... thnks Rick for the approximate dates :food-smiley-004:

[Guest Rick Research]

682,234 would be roughly November 1943 and just when these started being issued on the new suspensions.

Unlike WW2 Soviet ORDERS, whose serial numbers can not always be matched to a chronological time (apparently sent in numbered batchs to be awarded at individual unit's own rates of bestowals), in almost all cases Valor and Military Merit medals SEEM to have been numbered rationally, and in straightforward time order. maybe they were all STAMPED and shipped afterwards... don't know.

But it is easier to guesstimate bestowal dates for these medals than for Orders.

Most of my MMMS came in groups and were merely "10 years service" awards. I'll do an entire thread on Medals Books, specifically, another time. But here is an example of how I get the date/number information.

This MMM was awarded in 1946 to yet another of my State Security junior technical officers, Afanasy Drutsky. His book bears his photo (in demobilized officer's tunic with no shoulder boards!) with a State Security stamp. This is the "shaved" suspension ring type, filed down from a lump struck in one piece with the medal.