Theodor

Then Excellent in the combat and political training. Quite large, too.

Speaking of military excellence, here are mine. First, Excellence in the Railway Troops. A massive piece, see how big it is compared to a big GTO badge.

I have 3 of them and checked them now - all 3 are numbered, seems it is not unusual. I have not searched specially for numbers, these 3 are just random badges I have picked.

here is mine. I doubt these can be 60's. Not even late 50's. On 25 February 1956 Nikita Hrushchov spoke at the XX Congress of the KPSS against Stalin and soon the cult to the dead leader was broken. I think such badge could not be made after later in 1956 or 57, not with the image of Stalin.

other side

Here are mine - I guess the right one is ugly late version. BTW the 2nd grade has blue color, no mater it looks white here.

and a later one - talk about quality!

here is my badge

Had never seen this stupidity before YUONG STOCKBREEDER

If you take photo of the other page I'd translate the reasons for awarding, listed there.

Gorubso - Gornorudnoe Bolgaro-Sovetskoe Obshtestvo. This is a mining company for lead-zinc ores. Established in May 1950, at first the headquarter were in Kardjali, then in Madan /other town/. Of course this was a state's mining company. Interesting that the DS /the Secret Services/ had role in its creation - the idea was to develop mining industry in the southern regions, which would be used both for improving the conditions in the region and for keeping a closer eye on the local muslim population.

Otlichnik means Excellent. But I mean excellent person - someone who makes something in an excellent way.

last

some more

There are a couple of books for years already on the market - one for the 1885 war and the Balkan war. Both are quite useful, though the second one deals mostly with the war and very little with the uniforms. A new book on the Bulgarian uniforms is expected very soon. Should have been published before Christmas, but different problems still delay it. I hope it will be available soon!

Yesterday I scanned some photos for a thread in the WAF, but I think they will fit here, too. Here:

What's this?

IMO a WW2 NCO visor of cavalry or motorized/armored unit?

Thanks Theo, that's more than I could find. Odd how he could go from major to General just because he was involve in the coup of 44.

This was the way the commie system started and worked. At least, he was a real trained military officer and skipped "only" the colonel levels. There are much worse cases - uneducated commies, who reached with similar rocket speed the highest levels of the military and state command, with Zero culture and education. And they were no exceptions - they were the rule.

But tell us how you REALLY feel!

From pure historical point of view he is an interesting figure. But my view is neither historical, nor pure I know I have seen somewhere his picture Will add it here, when remember where have seen it

I can guess the country

And:

Stoyan Konstantinov trendafilov

Born: 02.11.1899 in Peshtera, Bulgaria. Died 1982

Education: Military School (1922). Military Academy (1930).

Ranks:

01.04.1922 - 2nd Lt.;

06.05.1925 - 1st Lt.;

31.10.1930 - Captain;

03.10.1937 - Major;

1944 - Major-General

05.05.1945 - Lt.-General.

Military Service:

1924 - Sofia Fortified position ;

1928 - 4th Artillery Regiment;

1928 - Pleven shooting detachment;

1933 - School for company, battery and squadron commanders

1933 - School for reserve Officers;

1934 - HQ of the Army;

1934 - Chief of a Department in the Main Commissariat /Glavno Intendantstvo/

1935 - HQ of the 2nd Inspection District;

1935 - Deputy-chief of a Section in the HQ of the Army

1935 - To the Reserve;

1944 - Commander of 1st Armored Brigade

1945 - Commander of the Armored Troops

Participated in the final stage of WW2, the war against Germany.

He is a direct participant in the communist coup of 9 September 1944. As a retired major, he was a member of the political group "Zveno" and he was the one to convince some officers from the tank forces to participate in the coup

/but not as much as represented by the commies later - of 200 tanks, 14 were involved in the coup. The Regency could easily send the bastards to hell, the biggest part of the army was loyal, unfortunately the red army was already advancing through Danube - that is why the coup was left to be successful. It was not successful because of forces or planning, it was simply allowed to be.../

So, this is the story of the HQs rat, the traitor, snot, b*stard and a**hole, who participated actively in the commie coup and from a 10 years ago retired Major jumped to the /undeserved/ rank of a General and tank commander.

Both photos are of uniforms, used in the later 1920's and in the1930's.

I think these are also called Kingston Valves.

Bulgarian M1936 infantry Captain uniform, very nice These were used from 1936 till 1947.

Our friend Barry at E-Medals in Canada has a lot of Bulgarian badges.

Check out his web site!

http://www.emedals.ca/catalog.asp?country=BG

Happy Hunting!

Vince

Hi Vince, as this is a forum and we can say what we think... well, left aside the prices , I think some of the badges are at least questionable.

As for the badges, during the WW1 there was Pilot badge and Observer badge. After the WW1 the same badges continued to be issued, until in 1936 /if not wrong for the year/ started to be introduced the color enamel badges - though the old style big silver badges were used by their owners till the end of WW2. There was no marineflieger or balloon badge. On paper, a balloon badge was planned /from the series of color enamel badges/, but it remained only as an artist idea, never made.

Here is an more interesting award, a Romanian medal for 30 yeaqr since the socialist revolution

issued 1975 to an Bulgarian Colonel Lovkov Lovko Hristov

Christer

Hi, just one thing - it is not Lovko Lovkov, but iovko iovkov

He also unbelievably scored nine aerial victories as a STUKA pilot !!!!

...as a Stuka pilot, flying a "long nosed" FW-190 ground attack aircraft. Thge final flight was with a Stuka, but at the end of the war he made many flights with the FW-190. At least most of the victories were with the FW