Christian Zulus

Dear Christophe, congratulations to your victory . Question #117 is now your turn . Best regards Christian

Dear Wild Card, sorry, I hadn't been Drychkin . Due to the fact, that the 4th Guards Army hadn't soooo many Maj.-Generals in CO-position (the guessing would be easy now ), it would say, that Christophe is the winner. Christophe answerd two of three question correctly: 1) "Reichsbr?cke" (Imperial Bridge) in Vienna. 2) Queen Mum. The answer to question #3 should have been: Maj.-Gen. N. I. Biryukov, commander of the XXth Guards Rifle Corps (5th & 7th Guards Airborne Div. and 80th Guards Rifle Div.). After the capture of Vienna Biryukov got one star more on his shoulders and promoted to Lt.-Gen. I regard Biryukov as the most outstanding Soviet General during the liberation of Vienna. The performance of his 3 (elite) divisions had been really breathtaking. Just have a look at the maps & diaries . I can understand, why he had been angry about the fact, that he got no OBE . I have found two photographs in a book about the liberation of Austria showing the meeting of US and Soviet troops at the 8th of may in Austria. It had been the XXth Guards Rifle Corps, which met the US. The two photographs show a Soviet Lt.-Gen. receiving the neck order of the US Legion of Merit Medal from an US-General. I strongly assume, that this (rather young) Soviet Lt.-General, with that great US-Order around his neck, might be N. I. Biryukov. Maybe he got the Legion of Merit (in that high grade) as a compensation for not getting an OBE ? In 1968 Biryukov published his memoirs "Trudnaja nauka probezdat" ("The difficult science of victory") in Moscow. Best regards Christian BTW: I assume, that Vice-Admiral Georgi Nikititch Kholostyakov simply called his OBE the "Trafalgar-Cross". That might be the reason, why a (non existing) "Trafalgar-Cross" - instead of OBE - came into the the Admiral's biography in Steigleder's book .

Dear Sasa, wellcome to the YU-section at GMIC . Many thanks for your expertise - after 1955, as Ivan already mentioned, the National Hero had been ranked #3 behind Grand Star & Freedom. Best regards Christian BTW: I assume, that the "Order of Freedom" had been the most outstanding & prestigious decoration in communist Yugoslavia. Only 7 had been confered + 2 under Milosevic for the 1999-war.

Dear Belaruski, I think, that Lukasz is right: The river & lake border guard wouldn't have an admiral among their ranks . Like Vice Admiral Horthy, who had been "Reichsverweser" ("royal" ruler, because the king is absent) of Hungary till the liberation of Hungary by the Soviets in 1945. Hungary had been - after the loss of Croatia and the harbour of Fiume, as a result of WW I - also landlocked. Horthy got his rank during his service in the K.u.K. Naval Forces of Austria-Hungary. Best regards Christian

Honoured Wood Processing Worker of the Socialist Slovakian Republic Dear Lukasz, many thanks for your expertise & translation . So the nice design shows us timber & woods . That socialist Slovakian medal is similar - in it's "phaleristic-weight" - to the Soviet "Meritorious", "Honoured" or "Excellence" medals & badges, I guess, like the "Honored Coal Miner of the CCCP" I posted recently here: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=17942 . Please could you post your couple of these medals here at GMIC . Best regards Christian

Dear Christophe, congratulations - you avoided a 2nd "Market Garden" at our quiz-thread . Your answers at 1) & 2) are perfect . Marshall Tolbukhin is far too high ranking. It had been a Mj.-Gen. of the famous 4th Guards Army, who had been the CO of the soldiers (airborne-troops !!!!) in the boats of our Admiral. The operation started in the early morning of the 11th of april 1945 and the "Reichsbr?cke" had been finally captured on the 13th of april 1945 ("Vienna-Victory-Day"). The reason, why the general didn't get the OBE is simple: Navy had been much closer to the British King's mind, than infantry . Maybe it's now possible to dedect the angry General . Best regards Christian BTW: Our impressive Soviet War Memorial in the city-center of Vienna is more or less a memorial for the 4th Guards Army, due to the fact, that they did the main part of the job.

Dear Filip, many thanks for your expertise . I thought, that it is Slovenian, because my friend has shares of a company over there . The inscription also didn't sound very srpski to me (also the latin letters). So, when did they start with that "selfgovernment-concept" in YU in the companies officially ? 30 years later, that will be the date of issue of that table-medal. Best regards Christian

Dear Ulster, many thanks for your confirmation, that the medal is Czech . Also the dealer in Bratislava, where Paul bought the medal, had no idea, what the medal might be . Looking at the design of the medal, I assume, that it has to be issued in the 1980s or very late 1970s . Maybe that might be one of the last medals of communist CSSR ... Can anyone translate the Czech inscription at the av. ? Best regards Christian

Unknown CSSR Medal - rv.

Unknown CSSR Medal Gentlemen, yesterday Paul - GMIC-member "pmargulies" - visited me in Vienna and gave me that beautiful medal (cased in a nice box in burgundy-red), he bought recently in Bratislava, as a present: Does anyone know which medal this is ? It might be from the Slovakian part of the CSSR. Many thanks for your expertise . Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, two years ago I got this table medal (diameter is 6 cm) in a nice red case as present from an Austrian friend: As far as I can translate, the inscription says "30 years of workers selfgovernment". Does anyone have further informations about that medal ? Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, yesterday Paul - GMIC-member "pmargulies" - visited me in Vienna and we went strait to Rochowanski's shop http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=163542 . There Paul found that beautiful Taxi-Drivers-Badge for me: I bought it for about USD 45,- (EUR 32,-). The enamel is well preserved and I think it is made from tombac and gilded with silver. The wingspan is 6 cm. Does anyone have further informations about that badge ? Paul told me, that the Taxi-Drivers in communist Yugoslavia had to wear that badge on their cap as a legitimation and that this badge is rather rare in Belgrade now. He has only two of them in his collection. Best regards Christian

Aero-Club Belgrade Gentlemen, I got this tiny (wingspan not longer than 4cm) badge from a friend from Belgrade: He told me, that it is from pre-communist - royal - time. What is your opinion ? Many thanks for your expertise . Best regards Christian

Aero-Club Belgrade Gentlemen, I got this tiny (wingspan not longer than 4cm) badge from a friend from Belgrade: He told me, that it is from pre-communist - royal - time. What is your opinion ? Many thanks for your expertise . Best regards Christian

Dear Paddy, I hope, that my feelings will result in great citations . A RB in the 90 xxx range garants two things: - it's an authentic GPW-award - it's NOT a long service award If you look at the statutes and regulations in the Red PMD-bible of these 3 orders, which you are going to get researched, then you will see, that the receipients have to have fullfilled in each case great deeds . Glory 2cl: Either an NCO, or (rarer case) a private. Or - extremly rare - a junior-officer of the airforce (fighter or ground-attack). RB: I guess, a lower ranking officer, or (rarer case) a NCO. Nevsky: Has to be a CO of an unit. Usually a platoon leader, but can go up (rarer cases) to regimental or even divisional level. My rank-guessings for the time, they got their orders confered: - Glory 2cl: Sergeant - RB: Captain - Nevsky: Lieutenant Many thanks for researching these interesting items and for showing the citations to us . Best regards Christian

One more hint to Question #116 Gentlemen, the target of the operation in question had been a famous bridge across the river Danube. Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, it's an rather interesting aspect, that specially states (Hungary & Estonia) with a Finno-Ugric population http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finno-Ugric_peoples are not so fond of Soviet War Memorials . What might be the reasons ? Both countries - Hungary & Estonia - showed through the history a tendency to more or less authoritarian regimes. Even in the old k & k. Empire the Austrian part of the Empire had been much more liberal towards the different ethnic populations, than the Hungarian part, where a policy of "Magyarization" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magyarization had been enforced. Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, many thanks for the great photographs . Please can you put more detailed English explainations to the scans . I could help you with the memorials located in Austria - I have a comprehensive guide of them in my bookshelf . Specially in Austria the Soviet War Memorials and graveyards are rather well kept, due to an obligation of the Austrian State towards Russia as the legal successor of the Soviet Union. Best regards Christian BTW: It's really a shame and disgrace to the soldiers, who gave their life for the liberation of Europe, what happened (and still happens ) to some Soviet Memorials in Ex-Soviet-States and Ex-Socialist-States .

Dear Belaruski, my daughter Milica http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=175801 helped me with building together the KV-1 . Best regards Christian

Dear Filip, if you can check, wheater these specific medals had been numbered or not at that specific period of issue, you can take in the (historic) case of medals without s/n. any medal and put it to the document . Earlier issued YU orders & medals (not the Partisan Stars!) are often unnumbered. Best regards Christian

Dear Gordon, at least the building is clearly visible where it is . When you arrive at Tesla-Airport, then you have to put your luggage somewhere and walk over to the museum. Best regards Christian

Dear Carol, many thanks for the expertise . It's Bulgarian and it's not an anchor . Best regards Christian

Dear Bob, great photograph - you are also the shadow of the diploma . The diploma is highly interesting, because it notes "2nd class" on it . I always thougt, that all the titles "Meritorious XXXX of the CCCP" had only ONE class ? Does anyone know more about that? Best regards Christian

Question #116 (new version) Gentlemen, let's stay in the biography of the heroic Vice-Admiral Georgi Nikititch Kholostyakov. In 1945 he had been the commander of the Danube-Flottillia. He got famous for a certain operation during the capture of Vienna. For that operation he got an OBE from the British King George. Please read the past postings dealing with question #116, there are some hints. 1) What was that famous operation in april 1945 in Vienna? 2) Who had been that Lady with a very wild animal in her name, who suggested to the King to confer an OBE to him? 3) A Soviet General got crazy about the fact, that only the Admiral got an OBE from the King and not he himself, because his soldiers had been on board of the boats. Who was that - also rather famous & rather low-ranking - Soviet General? Question #3 is the most important one . Best regards Christian BTW: Sorry for the mess with the "Trafalgar-Cross", but I am not an expert in British awards and believed what I have read .

Dear Jim, I think, it's an OBE and not a CBE, because a CBE should have a larger decoration, enameld cross, etc. But what's this decoration ? It seems to be a naval decoration (anchor!) and the crown could be British. Might this be the mysterious "Trafalgar-Cross" ? I checked Steigleder's book again and he writes, that our Admiral got as the first foreigner in history that British Navy decoration. Steigleder doesen't write, that the "Trafalgar-Cross" is an official order of the British Empire. So it might be, that he got that Navy-Cross + (as an official decoration) an OBE . But I couldn't find anything in GOOGLE about the "Trafalgar-Cross" ... Coming back to my question. I was asking for the specific opertion in Vienna. Zhukov is far too high ranking. It's a much lower ranking General. Some more hints: A very well known English Lady (she got over 100 years old) lived for some time in Vienna and had been very fond of that building/construction, which had been saved by the Red Navy & Red Army in april 1945. She suggested to King George to confer that decoration to the CO of the Red Navy acting in Vienna. Extra question: Who had been that Lady with a very wild animal in her name? Two links about the "Danube Flottilla" of the Red Navy: http://victory.mil.ru/rkka/units/07/09.html http://www.battlefield.ru/cgi-bin/ikonboar...t=341;&#top Best regards Christian