Lukasz Gaszewski

Exactly Ed, this is it! An interesting thing about the Order of Builders is that it could be conferred exclusively to Polish citizens. Surprisingly, Rokossovsky was no exception here. He was of Polish origin, and although he left Warsaw in 1914 (to join the Russian army) before Poland regained independence, he was granted Polish citizenship when he arrived in Poland in 1949 , to become, from Stalin's appointment, a Minister of Defense and to add the rank of Marshal of Poland to that of Marshal of the Soviet Union. He left the country in 1956, when destalinizing process began, and never visited Poland again. Besides the Order of Builders, he had the Grand Cross of Virtuti Militari and the Grunwald Cross 1st Class which he received already in 1945 as a Soviet Marshal. Lukasz

It is the class of Grand Cross of VM. It should be worn as a sash decoration, but Sovet recipients neglected this manner. The decoration on the left is the Order of Builders of People's Poland - the top award of People's Republic. The tunic is an early post-war model and the decorations on it seem to be attached for display purposes only. There is the Order of the October Revolution, an award established in 1967, when this type of tunic had already fallen into disuse. Lukasz

Surprisingly it is not! It is the star of the Grand Cross of the Peruvian Cross of Military Merit, Kulikov was awarded in 1972. I was not able to find any images of the star itself, but here is a photo of the Knight Cross, courtesy <a href="http://www.medal-medaille.com/" target="_blank">http://www.medal-medaille.com/</a>. And here are some photos from a conferment ceremony: <a href="http://www.ejercito.mil.pe/prensa/2007/jun...ora_agremil.htm" target="_blank">http://www.ejercito.mil.pe/prensa/2007/jun...ora_agremil.htm</a> Lukasz A humble suggestion to the moderator: perhaps a separate forum for South and Central America (possibly including Mexico as well) would be a nice addition to GMIC. PS: the photo depicts Kulikov as a general of the army. He was promoted to a Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1977. It must have been taken in 1974, because he is already wearing the Romanian Order of 23rd of August he was awarded that year and does not have his Motherland 3rd Class he received the following year.

To add a bit to the excellent description by Elmar: until the early 1950s the 1st Class was worn as a neck decoratoin, then it was worn as a breast decoration, like the remaining two classes. The order was also awarded for outstanding merit in organization and commanding the armed forces after the war. It was discontinued in 1992, but the recipients may continue wearing it, albeit after the orders which are currently in the Polish award system. Lukasz

Seems you are right! ARCOM was conferred to two commanders of the "GROM" Special Forces unit of the Polish Armed Forces: BG Slawomir Petelicki and Col. (today an MG) Roman Polko. As far as I know U.S. generals are not eligible for ARCOM. Lukasz

David, Thanks a lot for the information. My assumptions regarding the two unknown ribbons were based (apart from the seller's statement) upon visual similarity to the already existing ASROTC leadership and proficiency ribbons. These are as follows: 1. Region Commander's Leadership Award 2. Camp Commander's Leadership Award 3. Platoon Leadership Award 4. Physical Proficiency Award 5. Military Proficiency Award Unlike most ASROTC ribbons, leadership/proficiency awards seem to fall out of the standard pattern and do not have the usual R-...-... designations. Best, Lukasz

I found these two ribbons on an Internet auction. I have never seen either of them before. The first is supposed to be the ribbon of the Physical Proficiency Award. I know the award, but with an entirely different ribbon: brown with light green side stripes and wider black edges. My personal hypothesis is that the brown ribbon was replaced by this one, as it was identical to another ROTC ribbon, the Platinum Medal Athlete Ribbon (R-2-1). I have not been able to find anthing which would prove this though. The other ribbon was described simply as the Leadership Ribbon without any level designation. I know of three ASROTC leadership ribbons, awarding leadership on the regional, camp or platoon level. They are gray with black edges and three, two or one narrow red stripe in the center respectively. Consequently, this ribbon should reward leadership on some higher level and be superior to the three ones above. I will owe a lot for any information. Lukasz

Hello Jani, Even at the first sight the item is made NEITHER from the original pre-WWII dies, NOR is it Spink's manufacturing. Let me point out some differences: 1. ball finials: all original items have very small finials, these are huge; 2. reverse facture: original reverse is plain, polished, yours is factured, with the same pattern as the obverse albeit without the enamel; 3. reverse cipher: the leg of the "R" is separated and it certainly should not be; 4. enamel: as it seems from the photos, it is laid thinly and unevenly, particularly the white one; note the flaw on the eagle's left wing which appeared apprently during the manufacturing process - this would disqualify the badge from being accepted; 5. sash: color shade can be distorted on the photos, but it certainly has narrow darker pinstripes alongside - the original sash does not. I know the sash is not a decisive part, still it is some hint. This kind of sash was used with the Order of Merit of the Peoples' Republic of Poland. There are some other differences, but these are most apparent. Do you know what metal it is made of? The original items should be made of silver and gilt. Are there any hallmarks? What are the dimensions of the badge? I am not able to provide you with the photos of the original items at the moment, I will try later. Quite surprisingly your cross is very similar to the one depicted in Arnhard Graf Klenau's Catalog (#6632). To me your order looks like a collector copy, quite many of which were made in Poland in 1960s through 1980s. I do hope that what I wrote above will not make me added to the list of your enemies - I really did not mean to disappoint you. I will have my beer I hope? Best regards, Lukasz

Hello Lilo, Let me be the first to answer your questions. As usual, I am out of reach of my library resources, so I am answering "off the head". I'll consult my books when I am back home. Still, this is what I am certain of: The Order of the White Lion and the Order of the White Lion "for Victory" were actually two separate orders. The former was (and still is) a standard order of merit in usual five classes, reduced to three in 1960 (as far as I remember) and intended mainly for foreign nationals for merit to Czechoslovakia. The latter was intended for commaders of (chiefly allied) armed forces, also in five classes, but these were quite unusual: Star 1st ClassStar 2nd ClassCrossGold MedalSilver Medal Although the ribbon for both orders was the same (red with white side stripes), a miniature replica of the respective badge was worn on the ribbon bar of the order "for Victory", while the "standard" OWL used rosettes and gold/silver laces. Anyway, if the recipient had both types of the order, he could wear the ribbon bars of both at the same time. I hope this will help, Lukasz

It is possible that the wearer was promoted from the ranks in the course of war. In such a case the first ribbon can have been of the Signum Laudis (w. the swords missing - notice the hole), while the remaining three of the Bravery Medals and/or Crosses of Merit. Lukasz

I haven't been popping in for over a month. Yes, I do agree the Cross of Valour is closest to the British Military Cross, with the difference that it could be awarded to any soldier, irrespective of rank or service (including allied soldiers and civilians). As far as US decorations are regarded, the closest one seems to be the Silver Star. I think it is a good idea to contact the Polish Institute, London for identification. Do contact Dr. Suchcitz or Mr. Barbarski, they will probably be the best to assist. My two-bits to Hendrik: your collection of CV is impressive indeed. The 1943 type, if genuine, is a rarity! One small comment: remove the bar from the 1944 type or pass it onto the 1920 type. The 1944 Crosses of Valour were worn separately for each award, the way the Soviet orders were. Bars were not used at all. Best regards to all, Lukasz

Yes, you are absolutely correct! Lukasz

Haven't been posting for a while, so it seems a good opportunity to let the folks on the forum know I am alive and kicking. Yes, the cross is indeed an army chaplain cross, or more precisely a cross of the Military Bishop of the Polish Armed Forces in the West. It was founded, by the Field Bishop of the Armed Forces, Mgr. Gawlina in 1940 in two classes (gold and silver) and awarded not only to chaplains, but also to other military and civilians for merit in organizing priestly service in the armed forces. It is very rare! The badges were made by Spink in London during WWII and privately in Poland after the war. At the first sight the cross seems to be a Spink made item, although some details (like a thick mounting ring) suggest a modern fake. Perhaps it is a good idea to contact Spink and ask if it is their product. The ribbon is similar to the original one, although it is not entirely correct. The original first class ribbon should be violet, that of the second class green, both with narrow (2-3 mm) red stripes, 1-2 mm inset. Hope it will help. Best regards, Lukasz

Been out on holidays, so I couldn't respond earlier. It is the Leader of Socialist Labor Decoration. It was quite popular in people's Poland, hence the price is not too high. I wouldn't kick it for more than 5 euros. More here: http://www.medals.lava.pl/pl/pl3c2.htm#dll. Best regards, Lukasz

Thank you once more for all comments. The work on the rackbuilder continues. Here are some major changes/additions made recently: 1. Added: Turkish Crimea Medal, Egypt's Khedive's Sudan Medal, The Sudan Defence Force General Service Medal. 2. Khedive's Sudan Medal and India General Service Medal 1908-35 can be worn either before or after WWI medals. 3. Naval General Service Medal, 1915-1962 and Army & RAF General Service Medal, 1918-1962 can be worn before or after WWII medals or after the Korea Medal. 4. Campaign Service Medal, 1962-2000 divided into eras: pre-Vietnam, post-Vietnam, post-Falklands, post-Gulf and post-Ex-Yugoslavia. 5. Queen's Commendation for Bravery (QCB), Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the Air (QCBA), Queen's Commendation For Bravery (QCVS)and Mention in Despatches (MID) in silver added. 6. Rosettes added to the Operational Service Medal and Iraq Campaign Medal. 7. It is now possible to build the rack from the bottom up. Just one more switch on the front panel, but several extra integrated circuits inside! You are welcomed to show the results of your work on the forum. I guess everybody will be interested. Best regards, Lukasz

Gentlemen, I have prepared a rackbuilder for the ribbons of British Commonwealth countries. You are welcome to have a look at http://ww.medals.lava.pl/bc/bcframe.htm I am now working on adding pilot's wings and other emblems worn above the ribbons. This will include both currently used and historical emblems. For this reason I will need the emblems used in Australia, Canada, NZ and UK. If you can provde me with the images of the wings and other insignia, I will owe you a lot, all credits given on the website of course. Thank you in advance, Lukasz

Thank you a lot for huge response and for many words of appreciation of the rackbuilder. I hope all errors pointed out by you have been fixed. I do my best to remove all bugs, but if you have to deal with hundreds of ribbons, you may omit something. This rackbuilder has been my idea for quite a long time, although completing it took more time than I expected. A question that has been put forward is how to save your racks. Unfortunately, at the moment my ISP does not provide the possibility to create ready graphics files with php. If I change my ISP or manage to convince my current one to enable this service I will redo the script. For now you must copy the rack to a graphics software (Paint Shop Pro, GIMP etc.) using ctrl-c or print-screen and ctrl-v keys, and then save it as a graphic file. A hint: save the graphics as a gif or png file, avoid jpg files as they are likely to distort colours. I am glad you enjoy the rackbuilder. I am open to your suggestions and error reports. You can contact me either here or directly to my e-mail address: lgaszewski@lava.pl Best regards, Lukasz

I am pleased to announce a rackbuilder showing the ribbons of British Commonwealth countries, including the orders and medals of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. While there are several rackbuilders for US medals (mostly military medals), I have never met on the Net any rackbuilder for the British Commonwealth. So far only a rackbuilder for Canada and a very old ribbon checker for the United Kingdom have been available on my website, but Autralians and New Zealanders have not had a chance to build their racks. I hope you will enjoy the new rackbuilder. It may still have some errors or omissions, but please bear in mind that the work on the rackbuilder is always in progress. As usual, your comments are most welcomed. British Commonwealth Decorations Ribbon Rackbuilder: http://www.medals.lava.pl/bc/bcframe.htm Here are a few racks of some notable recipients, most of which based on the photos from the Australian War Memorial and other museums: Best regards, Lukasz

As the "Bulgarian medals and ribbon bars" thread is dedicated entirely to the pre-WWII era, I have decided to open up a new one. I hesitated whether I should put it here or in the "Central & Eastern European States: Non Communist Era" section, but Bulgaria is a Balkan country anyway, isn't it? OK, here is my latest acquisition: a fairly new Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in World War II", established 2005. Hope you will like it.

Thanks Ed, it is interesting that the enamel on Sgt. Azzaya's medal is much darker. And I wonder what his other medal can be. Best, Lukasz

Sgt. Azzaya's medals.

Here is a photo of Sgt-Maj. Gambold Azzaya from the Mongolian contingent of the Multinational Division Centre-South in Iraq. On 18th February, 2004 Gambold Azzaya was standing sentry in Charlie Camp. At about 7 a.m. the camp was attacked by insurgents in two booby-trap cars filled with explosives. Azzaya shot the driver of the first one, and injured the second one. The driver jumped out of the vehicle which hit the camp wall and exploded releasing about 700 kilograms of TNT. In the attack 6 Iraqis were killed and 44 injured. The glass splinters also injured 12 Polish soldiers. As soldiers serving in the second rotation recall, but for the quick reaction of a sentry officer, the death toll could have come in hundreds. The explosion left a moon-crater hole in the camp and parts of the pick-up were later found in the 250m distance. The injured were provided with help and dressed by Polish and Slovakian doctors. Fortunately, Gambold Azzaya was not hurt. For his brave conduct Sgt. Azzaya was awarded the Polish Army Medal in silver, which seems a fairly low decoration for what he did. In 2006 Azzaya served in the peace mission in Sierra Leone, for which was awarded with ?Medal for Peace? and medal of the UN. I have found the photo of Sgt. Azzaya in a Polish military magazine. He is wearing the Polish Army Medal in silver, Commemorative Medal of the Multinational Division Centre-South, UN Medal and two unknown Mongolian medals. The first of them may be the "Medal for Peace". Above them there is the Order of Military Valour. The photo was of even better resolution but due to server's limitations it had to be resized. Perhaps someone will have further information about the two Mongolian medals of Sgt. Azzaya. Regards, Lukasz

Does anybody have information about the Department of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, or perhaps could share a photo? I have read of its having been awarded several times but have never seen what it looks like. Do you know if DoHS has issued any other medals? Lukasz

Thanks Megan! Nice one. I think it will become popular soon, just like its Army and Navy counterparts, the Combat Infantryman Badge and Combat Action Ribbon are. Lukasz