Foreign Volunteers

[Ed_Haynes]

Page 2.

[Ed_Haynes]

Page 3.

[Ed_Haynes]

And a final related certificate (but no medal, alas).

I am sorry to say that I am unfamiliar with this award -- help?!

[Ed_Haynes]

The interior. This has been translated for me as:

CERTIFICATION

Given to comrade MUNSHK EVAL'D that by resolution of the presidium of the Soviet Committee of War Veterans he (she) is awarded with the "Mark of Honor of the SCWV."

Chair

of the Soviet Committee of War Veterans

Responsble secretary

of the Committee

7 November 1967

[Bryan]

USSR - Badge for International Brigade Participants, 1967

This is cased, if anyone wants to see it (actually, there are two, both cased, so scanning obverse and reverse is easy!).

Very nice. I have never seen this badge before!

[Ed_Haynes]

CUBA -- Medal of the Internationalist Fighter, 2nd class

While more frequently associated with later Cuban deployments in places like Angola, this medal was apparently also retroactively awarded to Cuban veterans of the international brigades. Many of these Cubans served in the Abrahanm Lincoln Brigade.

Reliable information on Cuban awards is scarce.

Edited November 10, 2005 by Ed_Haynes

[Guest Rick Research]

I've never seen the Soviet 1936-39 "Udarnik" badge either-- there are too MANY of these non-official/semi-official veterans group awards to ever keep track of.

As far as the Soviet badge document in posts #s 28-30, that was probably for WW2 service. The ones I have seen in Soviet groups have been for WW2 veterans-- their version of our V.F.W. type pins. There are many "jubilee" versions and so on, at this private veterans group level, below official state sanction.

[Ed_Haynes]

I've never seen the Soviet 1936-39 "Udarnik" badge either-- there are too MANY of these non-official/semi-official veterans group awards to ever keep track of.

As far as the Soviet badge document in posts #s 28-30, that was probably for WW2 service. The ones I have seen in Soviet groups have been for WW2 veterans-- their version of our V.F.W. type pins. There are many "jubilee" versions and so on, at this private veterans group level, below official state sanction.

But I'd assume this would have been for his SCW service, as Munschke spent WWII doing underground work in the Netherlands. (I was underbidder on his Medaille f?r K?mpfer gegen Faschismus 1933-45, also mounted on a pentagonal mount and also with certificate).

Edited November 10, 2005 by Ed_Haynes

[Guest Rick Research]

No, generic "Soviet VFW Merit Badge." Here's their 35th Jubilee of WW2 Victory-- same essential design on all SCWV badges

[attachmentid=15434][attachmentid=15435]

[don]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackenzie-Papineau_Battalion - 21k

A friends dad was in this group.

don

[Christian L]

Mate-Zalka-Commemorative medal (photos credited uwe bretzendorfer)

don't know much about it, but as no one of those was posted, i thought i'll do.

[Ed_Haynes]

Thanks, Christian. That is am IMMENSELY elusive one!

[Guest pegasus]

Has anyone ever seen a breakdown on the nationalities of foreign volunteers who served on BOTH sides?

also men from irland on the side of Franco, the only evidents for the moment are 2 feldpost letters.

it was a companie or brigade.

[Ed_Haynes]

also men from irland on the side of Franco, the only evidents for the moment are 2 feldpost letters.

it was a companie or brigade.

Yes, there were Irish on both sides, most of the Irish fascists coming in from religious motivations. There have been several good articles on them, and on their counterparts fighting for the republic.

[Ed_Haynes]

See also: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=14128

[Ed_Haynes]

For a thread on the Hungarian Zalka M?t? Commemorative Medal 1956, see: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=19808

[pegasus]

was 1 belgium pilot with the legioen condor he died in 1940 as pilot with the belgium army fighting the germans.

there was also a irisch brigade fighting with Franco

Has anyone ever seen a breakdown on the nationalities of foreign volunteers who served on BOTH sides?

[peter monahan]

The Canadians who fought Franco - none I've ever heard of ton the other side, though possible, I suppose - called themselves The Mackenzie-Papineau Brigade, after two Cdns. who led our 1837 Rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada (Ontario & Quebec) for responsible government. I believe they were, at least initially, brigaded with the American volunters of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.

The "Mac-Paps" not only didn't get medals but were regarded with deepest suspicion by the Cdn authorities and in many cases were not allowed to join the Cdn, Army because of their alleged infection by Communism!

As far as I know, none has been given any formal recognition by our government - I could be wrong - but their place in history is now recognized a little bit in text books. (For eg, I spent the winter writing a new grade 10 History course for the Ontario Ministry of Education and made sure the Mac-Paps figured in the section on WWII).

My tuppence worth.

Edited September 13, 2007 by peter monahan

[Ed_Haynes]

Thanks for this Peter. It is important to remember (especially on a forum such as this one) the wide range of international volunteers who came to the defense of the Spanish Republic. Only a few countries, such as Ireland (instigated by the Church), had significant pro-fascist contingents.

My notes also show the "Mac-Paps" in the XV Lincoln Brigade (founded February 1937, Lincoln-Washington Brigade from March 1938).

Any idea how many "Mac-Paps" survive?

The ALB has an interesting veterns' website at http://www.alba-valb.org/ though few of the veterans are left. The online copies of their newsletter are especially interesting.

[peter monahan]

My notes also show the "Mac-Paps" in the XV Lincoln Brigade (founded February 1937, Lincoln-Washington Brigade from March 1938).

Any idea how many "Mac-Paps" survive?

Ed

There were about 1600 Mac-Paps in all and somewhere between 30-50% were killed/died in Spain. Many did eventually enlist for War Two and obviously didn't all survive that, so 700-800 by 1945 is probably a safe bet.

There were about 40 alive in Canada a decade ago when the Cdn Federation of Labour launched a campaign (abortive, i think) to put up a memorial to them. So, call it 25-30 today, if that!

Peter

[nesredep]

Hi

Very interesting tread and informativ.

Regards

Nesredep

[seb16trs]

hello gentlemen, what do you think of this piece picked up this afternoon in Paris?

[Ed_Haynes]

What do I think??

[seb16trs]

What do I think??

I'm sorry, I forgot to post the reverse. I bought it from russian dealers; I haven't been seeing of of them for many years in Paris! I'm not convinced they knew what they were selling. They had a vast majority of fakes, and more russian decos than soviet ones.

This badge is made of aluminium, but the suspension is made of an heavy alloy; it looks very close to another pic I found on the "other" forum.

[paddywhack]

ah good thought the irish part of the civil war might have been forgotten!!! heres a very very short thing on the irish in the civil war(infact its very very basic!!)

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SPblue.htm