Hendrik

Welcome to the forum ! Very nice Savoia order you have there ! Any chance of a close up picture of that one ? It's not an award one sees very often !

Indeed an excellent and very useful comparison ! Can we have a similar post on the Siam Victory Medal, that other rare and much copied one ? Having neither an original nor a copy, I for one, would like to see the differences.

No, not quite : the badge is actually an official Italian decoration (albeit with a few changes - see below). The badge was first manufactured on behalf of the Italian 8th Army Command by the Lorioli firm in 1943 for distribution among its units as a commemorative of their presence in Russia. Later that year it seems that Mussolini acknowledged its existence and broadened its scope to all units that had served or were still serving on the Eastern Front. Finally, the Italian Defence Ministry authorized the badge for wearing in 1967 but only as a 15.5 mm reduction and with the top knot removed (the latter indicating the Savoia Royal House). The Lorioli made badges are the only genuine WW2 ones. They can be recognized by the "Fronte Russo" on the obverse being in a blueish varnish and having the firm's name and address as well as the "Modello Desposito No 38" on the reverse. Also noteworthy is the presence of 'slots" for a vertical pin which was never used as a diagonal suspension pin was put in place instead. Postwar types do exist but these don't have the blue varnsih on the obverse nor the manufacturer's markings on the reverse.

Hello Pete, As this cross is not an official Italian government award, there aren't - to my knowledge - any fixed rules or regulations as to its manufacture or indeed its distribution. The first types to see the light of day came from the Lorioli firm in 1942. These all had the manufacturer's name (Lorioli Milano-Roma / A. Picozzi Milano) in two lines on the reverse bottom cross arm. When in silver they have an '800' mark to the left of that but they also exist in silvered bronze and silvered zinc. The obverse was either enamelled or painted/varnished white. A second type, to one unit only, also marked as the above ones, was manufactured in 1943 and bears the added text '1a COMPAGNIA / MOTOCICLISTA / BERSAGLIERI / E. DI SAVOIA' on the reverse, surrounding the C.S.I.R. centre. These are the only types to have been made during WW2, all others are post-war (at the very least 5 different variations but quite probably more exist) and at least one of those even has other Russian locations on it e.g. 'CARPAZI', 'PRUT', etc. Obviously the silver and enameled ones would have been more expensive in manufacturing (and purchasing) but I see no reason why a non-officer would not be able to acquire one as with non-official medals, there would hardly be any rules governing their issue. Unofficial as they were, these crosses were nevertheless proudly worn on the uniform at the time and were considered a distinction for bravery not unlike the German Iron Cross 2nd class. Below : pictures of a Lorioli silvered zinc reverse (no '800' mark) and a postwar reverse. [attachmentid=22789] [attachmentid=22790]

Great ! Many thanks for another little puzzle solved

Yes please ! Thanks Stijn

Also by Messrs. Lorioli of Milano, the 'Croce Commemorativa del Corpo di Spedizione Italiano di Russia' (Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia Commemorative Cross). [attachmentid=22422]

Italian Badge for the WW2 Campaign in Russia ... but it sounds better in Italian : Distintivo Commemorativo della Campagna di Russia Made by Lorioli of Milano. [attachmentid=22421]

Further on the subject of hallmarks etc. : The Wounded Medal in a previous post has WA impressed in the rim as well as 918. I take it the latter is an imperfect impression of the medal's institution year 1918 but what does WA stand for ? On the obverse I seem to be able to make out the designer's name of R PLACHT ... would that be correct ? Gorgeous miniature, Haynau !!!

Thanks Gents ! Very useful information and much appreciated !

Many thanks for your interesting remarks !!! I went and checked those bars for hallmarks but there were any, so they would have been NCO's medals. And I'm happy to know the meaning of those hallmarks now I was under the impression that bars with the crossed swords fixed on the bar were only used for the Military Merit Cross (as in your picture) and plain bars for the other awards with a possible swords device on the ribbon. From your input I gather that is incorrect. Thanks for setting me straight on that ! Do I understand it correctly then that the Bravery Medal was never awarded with crossed swords (as they were awarded for bravery in action, there would have been no real need for them) ?

and finally, not Austria-Hungary but Austrian Republic : the Tirol Commemorative War Medal. [attachmentid=22320] [attachmentid=22321]

Medal for the Wounded on the ribbon for twice nothing getting out of the adversary's way quickly enough ... [attachmentid=22318] [attachmentid=22319]

The familiar Karl's Troop Cross ... [attachmentid=22316] [attachmentid=22317]

Always nice, a Franz-Joseph Order ... [attachmentid=22314] [attachmentid=22315]

And a couple of Red Cross ones as used in WWI ... [attachmentid=22312] [attachmentid=22313]

Iron Cross of Merit ... [attachmentid=22310] [attachmentid=22311]

Bravery Medal, Karl I type ... [attachmentid=22308] [attachmentid=22309]

Bravery Medal, Franz-Joseph type ... [attachmentid=22305] [attachmentid=22306]

Military Merit Medal (Signum Laudis), Franz-Joseph type, with just the one bar for a subsequent 2nd award. [attachmentid=22303] [attachmentid=22304]

Military Merit Medal (Signum Laudis), Karl I type, with bars for subsequent 2nd and 3rd awards. [attachmentid=22301] [attachmentid=22302]

... and adding a few more. Starting off with the War Cross for Civil Merit, 3rd class. Some nice but tiny hallmarks on both the needle and the reverse. Can't identify them all but there seems to be a couple of "FR" and "A" marks. I have no idea what those stand for. [attachmentid=22298] [attachmentid=22299] [attachmentid=22300]

Gents, A friend of mine is delving into the subject of a 'Czechoslovakian Partisan Medal' which supposedly was awarded to a Belgian unit for their participation in the liberation of Pilsen in 1945. The unit, 17th Fuseliers Battalion, helped liberate the town in 1945 and received the Czechoslovakian War Cross in May 1946. In October 1965 a 'Czechoslovakian Partisan Medal' was awarded but the only such decoration I know of is the Partisan Badge as in the picture below. Does anyone have any information on other awards by this country that would suit the description ? Information on the Partisan Badge is also very welcome as I only know that it seems to have been instituted in 1946. [attachmentid=21480]

Hello Kim, As Christophe mentioned, there seem to be no sites dealing in depth with those abolished awards. Here's a list of nearly all those that were discontinued in 1953 and which the Italian government prohibits from wearing : http://www.cnicg.net/falsiordini.asp

Would it be correct to say this group was to an army doctor who saw quite some service in his day ? I seem to recognize most of these awards but am still lacking a good reference work on the subject of Romanian pre-ww2 awards ... any suggestions as to what would come in handy in that respect (in English, French, German, ... but not in Romanian) ?