Chuck In Oregon

* * * * * Regarding the medal box, this group did come with a red medal box, too. I just didn't mention it. The three badges are mounted to the inside of the box and the RBL and ID book were inside. No Valiant Labor, though. Chuck

You know, I have a couple dozen of the WW II excellence badges and I have seen a hundred or more offered for sale "in the wild" and countless others on retail sites. This is the only document for a military excellence badge that I have ever come across. I guess they're out there. They must be, here's the proof. But darn if I ever see them. Anyone else? Chuck

Hi Danny Yes, that surprised me, too, but we know that they were involved in some way in nearly everything. I can only speculate that the nature and extent of the highway system was a state secret and somehow the MVD was involved from that angle. Purely a guess, of course. There is a bridge prominent in all three badges, but the badges are for roadbuilding, not just for bridges. I was very pleased to find these two Soviet badges, with documents, both from the same recipient. I never found any other examples of either one and only the one Georgian variant. Chuck

... and the Georgian variant, an orphan. I have never found another example of any of these "in the wild", but I have seen one or two on retail sites. Never the documents and never the Georgian variant, however. Does anyone know of other variants? Chuck

... and the interior of the MVD document.

...and the document for the civilian version which, you will note, is an MVD document.

Well, I guess I got the reverses in the first post. Here is the document for the military badge.

These are the military and civil equivalents of each other, I believe. Documents and reverses will follow. Chuck

<quote>Ahhhhhhh! Welcome! What's the number and date on that Red Banner of Labor? That would seem to fall under the regulations of 28 July 1949 for decorations to railways workers for long service--making the Red Banner of Labor for 20 years. So that gives you an approximate working life/age for the recipient, there. I love those silver badges!!!! Who is stating that the Udarnik badges were NOT exclusibvely railways? they were issued by the Peoples' Commissariat/Ministry of Railways and I've never seen one that wasn't and was not to a railways employee. If I am reading those right, your first one, awarded 10 June 1941, is number 55,089 but the later one (thrifty fellow used same photo 1943 and 1946) #45,886 was bestowed on 15 September 1943! THAT throws trying to date undocumented badges out the window!

And, of course, another late-era version. This one is an orphan, no document. Chuck

... and the interiors of the documents. Enjoy. Chuck

... and the reverses.

Here is another small railway group. Reverses and interiors of documents will follow.

... and here are the reverses -- yes, one is held on with a small nut -- and the interiors of the documents. Regards, Chuck

Here is another small railway set, with documents. Reverses and interiors to follow. We are occasionally reminded that the Udarnik badge isn't a railway-specific badge at all. Granted, but many railwaymen did receive them. Chuck

... and the two documents. Regards to all, Chuck

Here are the reverses. Chuck

Good Evening I'm new here, so let me say hello. This small group all came together. The recipient was from Tbilisi, Georgia. The reverses and the inside of the two documents will follow. Chuck