Eric Schena

Hi Dave: I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but Yuri Yashnev has a couple of pics here: http://www.netdialogue.com/yy/Europe/Vatik...y/StGregory.htm Hope this helps... Cheers, Eric

Well, I think that a lot of folks will link Wilhelm of Wied's awards to Imperial German decorations because they will show up in Imperial groups every now and again, plus there is a German connection with Wilhelm. One of the neatest German medal bar I've seen was one with the Accession of Wilhelm Medal. Here's a little background: It started out as an Ottoman vassal state, then later, was declared a principality on December 21, 1913 after the Balkan Wars gave Albania its independence. On February 6, 1914, Wilhelm of Wied (a nephew of the Romanian royal family) was declared the first prince. Plagued with internal turmoil between rival families from the start, Wilhelm tried to maintain stability, however, the outbreak of WW II prevented him from obtaining the necessary funding to restore order and was obliged to flee Albania on September 5, 1914. Wilhelm never abdicated his claim to the throne and appears he continued to hand out awards (namely the Order of the Black Eagle) afterwards for a time. After Wilhelm?s departure in 1914, Serbia, Austria and Italy seized control and attempted to rule Albania. However, in 1917, Italy declared Albania a protectorate on June 3, 1917, a situation that lasted until January 20, 1920 when Albania once again secured its independence from the allied powers. Civil war erupted and turbulence became de rigueur. However, while Ahmed Bey Zogu became prime minister in 1922 and was forced to flee to Serbia in 1924, he mustered enough support to become president in 1925. After consolidating power, he proclaimed himself as King Zog I and was crowned in September, 1928. While some measure of stability was restored to the new nation, ever increasing reliance on military and monetary support from Fascist Italy brought about enough concern for Zog to attempt to wrest control in 1934 when he expelled all of his Italian advisors. However, this attempt at wresting control from Italian domination was reversed when the Italian fleet entered the harbor at Durazzo. For five years after, Albania was allowed to continue on as an Italian protectorate, however, in 1939, Mussolini annexed Albania, forcing Zog to flee on April 8, 1939, and the crown passed to Vittorio Emmanuele III, a situation that lasted until Fascist Italy?s collapse in WW II.

Hi Rusty: Wow, that's a nice looking cap badge if I ever saw one - at least we have an answer Cheers, Eric

...and for those with deep pockets, if you don't feel like buying a used car, you could always spring for these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 Like I mentioned earlier, it's my understanding that Wilhelm handed these out for a short time after he went into exile, so the numbers awarded may not be accurate (I know of at least 3 silver class medals, including mine, so there are most likely more than a dozen awarded). That said, this is one rare order! At least I can drool over the pics... Cheers, Eric

I'll ask around - though there are not too terribly many Albanian collectors out there to poll If it does turn out to be Albanian, I'd love to get more info on it for my "information collection" Cheers, Eric

Hi Rusty: FWIW, it's nothing I've seen identified as Albanian, though it certainly has the characteristics to suggest it may be (the lack of any kind of inscription is something I have seen a lot with Albanian decorations from all periods). The iconography suggests some sort of partisan award or badge - one of the early Bulgarian partisan badges for the organization that later became the BPFK had a similar design. However, I am sure there's tons of Albanian things out there I've never seen so this could just as easily be Yugoslav. I know, not terribly helpful Cheers, Eric

Hi Rusty: WOW That's the first higher level IKOM Skanderbeg I've seen - I can check that one off in my guidebook as a confirmed observed variety I've mostly seen the Pr?wema screwbacks or the unmarked pinbacks (Gerd's is the only flatback pinback I've ever seen). I do know someone who has a second class IKOM Skanderbeg, but I've not actually seen it. I personally have four Skanderbegs: a large screwplate Pr?wema 1st class, a dished pinback 2nd class, a small screwplate Pr?wema 3rd class and a dished pinback 3rd class. I'll try to post some detail scans for you of mine. Great stuff! Eric

If it's pre 1955 or so, the green one could be the Albanian Medal of Labor - the ribbon for that medal is that approximate shade of green. There were quite a few advisor exchanges between Albania and the USSR (many Albanian officers received their training in Odessa during the late 40's). Hoxha didn't break with the USSR until the early 60's, so there is a possibility that Hoxha awarded a few decorations to their Soviet counterparts and since in the late 40's and 50's, most of the awards were for combat service in WW II or labor decorations, they might have gotten the Order of Labor or the Medal of Labor depending on criteria. Unfortunately, I've never seen a pic of a Soviet officer wearing any Albanian decorations and I half wonder if they were removed from wear after the split. Cheers, Eric

Hi all: How's this one for y'all - a Champagne Cross... Cheers, Eric

Hi Stogie: Did the Arbeit version of the Hessian medal have a different ribbon? I seem to recall being told that they shared the same ribbon, but of course, I could have been mistold something. Cheers, Eric

Hi Steen: Thanks for the comments - you have quite a valuable resource in your website Hi Gerd: "OF" is my shorthand for the Bulgarian name of the Fatherland Front: Otechestven Front Cheers, Eric

...and finally, his Medal of Military Merit. Note the old style brass backing and pin. I hope y'all liked seeing these. Full out Bulgarian groups with solid documentation are somewhat hard to find and researching can be a bear. I lucked out here, having both his royal and communist service books. Cheers, Eric

...and the ukaz and date of award entry in the book...

Here's Yanakiev on 10 May 1957 when he received his Medal for Military Merit. Interestingly, his time as a political prisoner during the War would have earned him the Order of People's Liberty 1941-1944 2nd class, however, if he won it, it was not with this group. If it's out there, I'd love to put it back in context (so to speak)...

...and he must have had unblemished service in the OF: here's his gold class OF honored badge and case:

...and here's the interior of the membership card...

When he got out, he later joined the Fatherland Front, because here's his membership card issued to him on 27 January 1949.

...and that's because in the entry for military service during the war, instead of fighting, he was moldering away in Sofia as a political prisoner from June 1942 to February 1944. The first word on the entry is the giveaway. I suppose he must have been caught reading the collected works of Marx and Lenin when off duty...

Well, sometime after the war, Yanakiev continued his military career, but under the banner of communism. Here he is when he sat down for his photo for his Military Service Book which was issued on 18 April 1955. The last last entry is dated 26 April 1969 and is not nearly as huge as the royal one, only 32 pages long. This book, however, has a clue as to why he was so nonplussed to be in the Tsarist uniform back in '39-'40...

The tsarist military service book was issued on 15 March 1939, last entry dated 19 October 1940. Here is Yanakiev in his uniform along with some of the basic details of his service. The book itself is huge: it's around 90 pages long full of entries for his duty stations, rules and regulations, and even has pictures of the royal family (Tsar Boris III, Tsarina Ioanna, Princess Maria, and Crown Prince Simeon - who was later Tsar and weirdly enough prime minister after the fall of communism). Yanakiev doesn't look all that thrilled to be in uniform does he?

Hi all: This is without a doubt the neatest little group I've found for any of my communist decorations and thought I'd share it since it has a rather interesting story to tell. Ivan Giurov Yanakiev was born in 1918 and served in the 2nd Battery of the 1st Army Artillery under Tsar Boris III. Here are the covers to his two military service record booklets. The haggard one on the left is the tsarist book, the one on the right is from the PRB:

...and here's the interior of the document. The inside cover does not have a pic of the recipient, as is normal for these late awards.

Here's my later documented Lenin. This is a McDaniel-Schmitt type 6 var. 2, No. 435120 awarded on 19 March 1974 to Anatolii Ivanovich Nikiforov. Rick Research has indicated that sometime in the 60's, this ceased to be a long service award and the numbers handed out dropped rather rapidly. If that's the case, I'd love to know for what this was awarded.

...and here's the back. It's nothing too special, but like it anyway since it appears to be pre WW I.

Hi all: I hope y'all don't mind me posting this bar here (one of only two that I have). It has the combattants 1870/71 medal...