1930s Latvian ? Badge & "In Wear" Photo

[Guest Rick Research]

These are from xeroxes sent to me by the man's daughter, born after the war and she knows nothing about what he did under the Republic or both occupations except that this was the only pre-WW2 badge that he kept and brought out with him. Her father was born in 1902.

It is silver, screwback and hallmarked, but what I do not know, since all I have is this of the lovely front:

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Roughly 47mm high and 39mm wide. The letter "P" is centered and slightly below letters "L" and "D" over the date "1919." I assume this is some sort of regimental badge?

[Guest Rick Research]

And here is Himself in an unfortunately undated but late 1930s photo. Very dark, but there appears to be a small square ?rank indicator very near the forward bottom end of the transverse collar tab bar-- a sergeant?

[attachmentid=50076]

The second medal is, if I am recalling dim memories, something like a 1928 jubilee of Independence. No clue what the first medal on the trifold is, any more than I know what this badge is.

She will be quite surprised to learn that the only other photo she has of her dad in uniform, dated in 1940, shows him in the uniform of a Soviet army command branch Junior Lieutenant!

[JBFloyd]

The first medal appears to be the merit medal of the Order of Three Stars.

[Guest Rick Research]

From his age and rank, probably as some sort of "# years of service" award? Thanks, Rick

[Pete A]

It looks like there is two vertical bars in his rank tab? That would make him a corporal (kapr?lis). No idea about the badge, but it sure is pretty.

Pete

[Guest Rick Research]

Brought back up. This is too to languish in the dark back pages. Does anybody know what the badge is? And would he have gotten the second medal as a "commemorative" or for having been a teenaged combatant?

[iffig]

A booklet titled "Latviesu Karaviru Krusu Nozimes-Regimental Badges of the Latvian Soldiers 1915-1940" (No author, no date, no place of edition on my copy) features a sketch of a very similar badge identified as "Divizjas parvalde (V.D.P.)" translated as: "Badge of the Military Administration Division". The only difference is that the letters LPD on your mysterious badge are reproduced as VPD in the booklet; also as the sketches are black and white, there is no way of telling whether there is a blue background as in the mysterious badge. Could this be a variant ?

[Guest Rick Research]

Now we are getting someplace! Thanks for that information!

[Tiger-pie]

A booklet titled "Latviesu Karaviru Krusu Nozimes-Regimental Badges of the Latvian Soldiers 1915-1940" (No author, no date, no place of edition on my copy) features a sketch of a very similar badge identified as "Divizjas parvalde (V.D.P.)" translated as: "Badge of the Military Administration Division". The only difference is that the letters LPD on your mysterious badge are reproduced as VPD in the booklet; also as the sketches are black and white, there is no way of telling whether there is a blue background as in the mysterious badge. Could this be a variant ?

Could the lettering indicate another branch or section? Could the background colour indicate the arm of service?

Regards;

Johnsy

[pluribus]

Hello,

This is a badge of the Military Administration of Latgale Division (pre-1940).

L P D - Latgales Divizijas Parvalde.

Is it for sale?

pluribus

Edited July 6, 2007 by pluribus