Bob

Not yet being discussed here I think. Yowsers the catalogue is filled to the rim with beautiful, extremely rare and very important items. The Transcaucasian awards just make me look at the screen in awe - you could fill a museum with what's in this catalogue! And enjoy the fact that it can be downloaded as PDF - nice as a reference for future Sad that a Suvorov 3rd+2nd group are split up though...

Photocopy only contained the inside spread shown here on this thread. It's a sad story.

Update: Alex has confirmed that he acquired the items from Mark (Mark Signa on Soviet-Awards) and Alex will refund me. Future observers of this "group": beware!

Thank you very much Rick. This confirms two additional things to me: 1) this is a great forum 2) I should stick more to "what I know" (i.e. Mongolian/Albanian) And indeed, caveat emptor is something I should take more at heart if/when I branch out of my comfort zone of collecting. I believe there's a Russian saying: "trust, but verify". Some simple questions to be shot off to some people. Will keep the board informed.

You're right Dave. Let's just wait and see how this unravels. PS - I also found it to be expensive but sometimes looking at awards for sale makes you "just want it" (sort of like going to the supermarket when you're hungry... bad idea) and I've been looking around for a researched Homeland "group" for quite some time now. Besides, as many of us who are enthusiasts but not experts, I'll pay a bit extra for a money back guarantee.

That is correct... both regarding the nice Motherland and the smell surrounding it. I've contacted Alex + the original person buying it from Dave. Could have exchanged many times in between those two people so let's wait and see if this can be explained.

Dave - only just read your reply (presumably you just received my PM on soviet-awards.com). I am concerned obviously. Understand that somewhere between you and Alex some things were added to this group. Let's hope for the best.

Uhoh - cause for concern? I acquired this group from www.russian-awards.com: "post-WWII group with Order for Service to the Homeland in the Soviet Armed Forces 3 cl to Pilot Researched with copy of order book Order for Service to the Homeland in the Soviet Armed Forces (118861), Order of Red Star(3595471) All items in very good condition" As you can see, homeland order erronously specified as the actual number is 18861 (as is also clear from the picture on Alex' site). After receiving it, I did some freshen up reading on the order of homeland order and by coincidence I saw that the order was once in the hands of Dave who sold it on the Soviet Awards forum... but when he sold it there was no copy of order book yet nor was there a red star. http://www.soviet-awards.com/forum/soviet-...d-research.html "This is a very nice Homeland 3rd Class number 18816 awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Mikhailovich Obodzchnskii. He was the Squadron Commander of Electronic Attack in the 226th Separate Guards Aviation Regiment. The order is in beautiful shape with a nice dark patina and no damage. The order comes with his award card and service history (his citation is still classified). A very neat award to an interesting fellow!" Note Dave also misquoted the actual award number of the order as it's 18861. Date of Dave's post: 07-17-2006, 10:20 PM Playing Sherlock Holmes I subsequently found the following post by the buyer of Dave's order... http://www.soviet-awards.com/forum/soviet-....html#post56350 "I have small researched group with Red Star awarded in 1970, serial number 3595741. Then, I found Red Star in same serial number range ( 36XX XXX) in Dave's "for valor" web. - same year 1970. According to AVERS No. 6, the lowest Red star for 1968-1991 period is # 3754168. I don't have the award book with my Red Star ( only Xerox copy ), but Dave posted image of his award book with 1970 Red Star. Looks like it was couple left over Red Stars with low serial numbers in 1970..." date of post - 11-20-2006, 03:08 AM Now... 3595741 is awfully close to the 3595471 order of red star that was in the group that I acquired from www.russian-awards.com... Emails have been sent out - I'm not sure what to think, hoping it's a "lucky" reunification somewhere in the "supply chain" of this "group" Will put research on hold until I get this clarified.

And this must be what he was flying: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-16 Nice rearside machine gun

Excellent This narrows things down a bit... Tu22 was perhaps not at all far off. Hopefully something more specific in the doc's somewhere and we've found his base edit - zoom in a bit Pacific Fleet (TOF) 570 MRAP Tu-16K-10-26* Sovetskaya Gavan * Badger C-mod judging from the doc... bingo!

Quite a lot of data on Soviet airforce on the net, hopefully a place/base name or aircraft name can help to provide further direction. From my quick first searches, there are aircraft types used both by airforce and naval aviation so switching between the two in career may be an option? Example, link here to Tupolev 22 "During the Cold War, the Tu-22M was operated by the VVS (Soviet Air Force) in a strategic bombing role, and by the AVMF (Aviatsiya Voyenno-Morskogo Flota, Soviet Naval Aviation) in a long-range maritime anti-shipping role." - http://www.answers.com/topic/tupolev-tu-22m anyway, this is speculation - hopefully further details will come up which provide links for further research

Perhaps: Morskoy Razvedivatel'nyi Aviatsion'nyi Polk (Naval Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment)?

Research request sent out. Liked the 2-6 weeks indication on Alexei's site Sounds like this one will be an interesting puzzle to sort all out.

Only one way to find out Just hope it doesn't take >1 year as it's taking for some of my other open research requests Writing my mail to Alexei as we speak.

Nope - this is all I have. I received the research with the purchase though so will go off to request - as far as possible - the rest from researcher. Will try Nota Bene this time around.

All that I have is posted, but I'll send the red star off for research as well (presumably long service though I assume). May take some time of course...

Thanks Rick - owe you a Will do a rescan in 2 seperate (larger) pieces of the last scan. Hopefully makes reading easier. Nothing beats the excitement of researched awards!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Air_Army sounds like a part of the Special Purpose Command around Moscow... but possibly based in East Germany during 70's? Would make sense given the description Rick just gave.

Thanks - that sounds interesting On to google now to try to find out where this squadron was based

20 to 30 USD on eBay

sold to me as awarded to a pilot... now keeping my fingers crossed that he wasn't just flying airmail