Soviet The Devaluing of the Hero of Russia

[Riley1965]

But no birthday giftie for poor little Tsedenbal . . .

Ed,

I agree that Tsedenbal should have received one, too!! Brezhnev sure was stingy

Doc

Edited October 21, 2006 by Riley1965

[Ed_Haynes]

4 foreign HSU-recipients, who really deserved their "Gold Star"

Gentlemen,

to get away from the "Honecker-Birthday-HSUs", a great example of recipients, who really deserved their Gold Stars: The fighter aces of the FRENCH "Normandie-Niemen" squadron, who was fighting within the lines of the Red Army:

- Capitaine Marcel Albert

- Capitaine Roland de La Poype

- Lieutenant Jacques Andr? (post.)

- Lieutenant Marcel Lef?vre (post.)

2005 there had been a great book published about the history of the squadron:

John D. Clarke, "French Eagles - Soviet Heroes", Sutton Publishing 2005.

Best regards

Christian Zulus

You're 100% right, Christian. The Normandie-Niemen guys deserved the HSU and more.

[Christophe]

Normandie-Niemen :

5 240 missions, 273 confirmed victories, 36 lively ones. Such is the honours list of the Normandie-Niemen fighters group, created in September 1942 by General de Gaulle to make war on the eastern battle front.

96 pilots wrote this glorious page in the history of the french Air Force, 46 never came back home.

There is a small and nice Museum dedicated to the Normandie-Niemen Regiment in Les Andelys (Normandy). It is also largely dedicated to Marcel Lef?vre - a native of Les Andelys.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christophe,

there is a link to the above mentioned book in french language:

http://www.aerostories.org/~aerobiblio/article1136.html

and in english language (with commentaries):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Eagles-Sovi...n/dp/0750940743

Best regards

Christian

Edited October 22, 2006 by Christian Zulus

[Christophe]

Dear Christophe,

there is a link to the above mentioned book in french language:

http://www.aerostories.org/~aerobiblio/article1136.html

and in english language (with commentaries:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Eagles-Sovi...n/dp/0750940743

Best regards

Christian

Thanks Christian. Did not know this one. I have already 2 or 3 books in french about Normandie Niemen.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christophe,

that english book about the French Eagles is worth every EURO: Perfect and comprehensive documentation about everything, what had to do with the regiment, every member is listed, with detailed informations about awards, etc. and pilot's remarks about flying the fabulous YAK-fighters (the YAK-3 had been - besides the LA-7 - the most superiour piston-engined fighter in WW II).

Best regards

Christian

[Hauptmann]

Wow DOC, I never relised any Germans got the HSU

Order of Victory

Hi Vic,

I couldn't find any for the others so far... but believe I have some in one of my references down in my library. Will have to go down to the bunker a bit later and dig them out. If I do have some more shots I'll post them in a bit.

But here's one of Sigmund Jahn in uniform:

[attachmentid=58068]

And in later years in civies:

[attachmentid=58069]

Have to run for a bit but will check on more when I get back.

Dan

[Riley1965]

Dan,

That would be GREAT!!! I have a file on my computer with pics of HSU recipients.

Doc

[Hauptmann]

Dan,

That would be GREAT!!! I have a file on my computer with pics of HSU recipients.

Doc

Hi Doc & Vic,

Sadly I only have one... at least for now. It's another one of Jahn but again shows quite clearly his award of the Held der DDR and the HSU:

[attachmentid=58083]

I'll keep looking but for now that's all I think I have. Would love to see others post DDR HSU recipients if they have them... and also those from other countries. Perhaps a side thread would be the best way of doing this but either way it would be great to have a pictorial record of those non Soviets who were awarded the HSU over the years.

Dan

[Ed_Haynes]

I think, if we are to make any sense out of this, we need to categorize-out the awards to:

1- cosmonauts, whether domestic or foreign friends

2- political high-flyers, whether domestic or foreign friends

These two are "special cases" and talking too much about them (however interesting it may be) won't get us, I think, too far toward understanding what the HSU was and how it worked.

Likewise, as has been suggested already, just thinking of the HSU in terms only of its role in the GPW may distort our view? It had a life and role before 1941 and after 1945.

And, while I'm walking on thin research ice here, I think the post-Soviet hero is a quite different beast that the Soviet award, filling a very different niche. (Pretty picture below, from Central Museum of Armed Forces, to excite our souls.)

Just some random thoughts . . . .

Edited October 23, 2006 by Ed_Haynes

[Riley1965]

Hi Doc & Vic,

Sadly I only have one... at least for now. It's another one of Jahn but again shows quite clearly his award of the Held der DDR and the HSU:

[attachmentid=58083]

I'll keep looking but for now that's all I think I have. Would love to see others post DDR HSU recipients if they have them... and also those from other countries. Perhaps a side thread would be the best way of doing this but either way it would be great to have a pictorial record of those non Soviets who were awarded the HSU over the years.

Dan

Dan,

Thanks for another picture of Jahn!! Ed, I Love that uniform

Doc

[NavyFCO]

One of my favorites, Czech HSU Tesarzhik. This photo was originally in the collection of an MSU whose photo collection I was able to purchase (at least a part of it!)

[Riley1965]

Dave,

Thanks for this interesting HSU photo!!! I've added it to my file.

Doc

[kimj]

Very nice pic Dave!!!

Here is one with him and his buddies.

From left to right:

Anton?n Sochor (16.7.1914-16.8.1950)

Josef Bur??k (11.9.1911-30.6.2002)

Richard Tesař?k (3.12.1915-27.3.1967)

I posted this pic on the soviet award forum when we put the list of foriegn heroes together.