GRA

Hello Drew! Yes, I have the book, see posts 13-20 in this thread. It apparently exist in a couple of editions, but the contents as to VPU and VPA badges ought to be the same as they aren?t among the newer badges. Greetings/GRA

Hello Drew! There are a few Political Academy badges in the book. The letters VPU (Vojenskopoliticke uciliste) and VPA (Vojenska politicka akademie) is what you would look for on the badge itself. Greetings/GRA

Hello Garth! I unfortunately don?t have any suggestions for reference books, but a couple of websites: Union Nationale de l?Arme Blind?e Cavalerie Chars http://unabcc.free.fr/planregiment.html (cavalry and armour unit badges) Symboles & Traditions http://www.symboles-et-traditions.com/form/nouvelindex.htm Maybe you can find suggestions for reference books on the S&T website, I?m not a French reader myself, but I wouldn?t be surprised if there are books for sale too. On the UNABCC website you?ll find badges even down to squadron level for some regiments. And I almost forgot the website on Troupes de Marine, there you?ll find TdM unit badges: http://www.troupesdemarine.org/index2.htm I hope these will do as a makeshift online solution until you find solid printed matter! Greetings/ GRA

Hello Garth! Upper right corner 11e Regiment de Chasseurs, see link: http://unabcc.free.fr/rgtdissous/11chasseurs.html Greetings/ GRA

Well, I guess it?s about Czechoslovakia, Bohemian (Czech) lion and Slovak shield, but I?m not sure. Greetings/ GRA

PU = Pechotni Uciliste That would be a badge from the Infantry School, in use 1955-1962 Other abbreviations: AU = Automobilni Uciliste - Transport School DTU = Delostrelecke Technicke U - Artillery Technical DU = Delostrelecke U - Artillery IU = Intendancni U - Intendance LTU = Letecke Technicke U - Air Force Technical LU = Letecke U - Air Force SU = Spojovaci U - Signals TU = Tankove U K Gottwalda - Tank School of Klement Gottwald UCO = U Civilni Obrany - Civil Defence U PSL = U Pozemnich Specialistu Letectva - Air Ground Specialists U PVO = U Protivzdusne Obrany - Anti-aircraft VPU = Vojenskopoliticke U J Hakena - Military Political School of J Haken VU = Vojenske U Hrdiny SSSR Kapitana O Jarose - Military School of Hero of Soviet Union Captain O Jaros (1958-) VU PVS = Vojenske U Pohranicni a Vnitrni Straze J Fucika - Military School for Border and Interior Guards of J Fucik ZU = Zdravotnicke U - Medical Orderlies ZTU = Zenijni Technicke U i Pro Odbornost Chemik - Engineer Technical and Chemical ZEL U = Zeleznicni U - Railway Greetings/GRA

Para badge: Soviet Air Force parachute instructor with 100+ descents. /GRA

Hello jon! Here?s a translation, made by someone ignorant of arms (the Czech connection) and checked by someone else (me) who feels more at home with explosives, but I hope it makes sense anyway. It would be nice to see a picture of the flare, preferrably attached to the rifle. Greetings/GRA 22 pcs flares 40-R-Os Instructions for the use of the flares 1. An automatic rifle without added bayonet is supposed to be used as a support for shooting of flares. 2. For shooting of flares standing or marching the sling of the automatic rifle has to be on the right shoulder. The barrel points straight forward and the gun stock is under the right elbow of the shooter. The chamber points upwards. For the shooting on knees, lying, sitting or from the trench is the sling not on the shoulder, but the gun stock rests on the ground. 3.You take the cartridge into your left hand and hold it at chest level, so that the upper lid points upwards and forward from you. The right hand unscrews and throws away the lid. 4. You put the flare to the barrel and rest it with its bottom end at the front swivel and the left hand?s palm holds the barrel together with the flare. 5. The right hand releases carefully the drawcord together with the ring, which you take into the right hand. 6. Give the automatic rifle together with the flare the direction needed and hold it at an angle of 30 to 35 degrees above the horizon. 7. Pull the cord forcefully and shortly Without changing the position and the angle of the gun with the flare. 8. Throw the tube, which was left in the hand after the release of the flare. IT IS PROHIBITED: a) To unscrew the lid before the preparation of the flaire for shooting. b) To aim the flare towards people, animals and other objects. It is necessary to keep in mind, that the flare is live ammunition and it is needed to be handled as a live gun. NOTE: In case of necessity is it possible to use as a support an other gun, and parts of kit (like carbines, entrenching tools etc.) If the flare has a rubber ring at the end, you do not need to take it off before using the flare.

Hello jon! It seems like when you put the flare on to the barrel you?re supposed to elevate the rifle to an angle of 30 to 35 degrees (number 6). That I could make out myself, my Czech connection then did a rough translation of the rest. Give me a day or two, and I?ll try to post a decent translation. /GRA

The only bad thing with this book is that the translations into English and German is not even near the mass of info that is written in Czech, but one would at least know more after reading this book than before. There?s also appearing books on Czech cloth patches, same thing there, lots of Czech and less English/German. /GRA

One just has to follow a strict discipline! 1: Business - beer 2: Pleasure - books And, when in the loop, why get off? /GRA

These badges in silver (800, 900, 925, 1000 parts) seem to have been replaced by lighter badges in base metal for service dress wear, and they seem to have been awarded until 1954, when a considerably smaller and simpler badge (post #6?) replaced it. Earlier badges (pre-WW2) had different devices for different years on the scrolls, with a slightly different design, and less "political" of course. Currently issued are modern versions (with minor design changes) of the pre-WW2 version. /GRA

Hello Ed, Rick and evrybody else in this thread! There is one good reference book on Czechoslovak/Czech badges, written in a known human language (Czech, with English and German translations too ). "Ceskoslovenske & Ceske Vojenske Odznaky" by Zdenek Krubl, ISBN 80-206-0737-4 This book contains virtually every Czech badge that has been in use until today, and ought to be available at least in Czech Rep (I picked mine up in a "normal" book shop in Plzen the other year). Greetings, GRA

Hello Ulsterman and Pmargulies! This is a Lidov? Milice (Peoples Militia) badge from Czechoslovakia, "vzorny strelec" is roughly translated into "exemplary shooter", thus somebody who has reached a high level of marksmanship though not necessarily a sniper. /GRA

Hello Kev! My Czech connection whispers in my ear that this is a commemorative pin of the Battle of Zborov, July 2nd, 1917. Big to the Czech, but not really in the same league as the Western Front battles. Try the link below! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Zborov_(1917) Greetings /GRA