Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

First off... don't be hesitant about posting that last one WC... I think it's neat! Interesting history and one of those "if only it could talk" pieces. Nothing in the world wrong with that. I enjoyed seeing it. Thanks for sharing!

Secondly... they're breeding again. Here's my latest additions.

First one off Ebay... complete 85 2nd class set of original box, OGPW 2nd and award booklet all matching:

Sellers pic... will do better scans and pop on when I get a chance.

And this one, although not a matched set... another 85 2nd class where the number was scratched out... but they didn't do a good job and it's still completely visible. Got this from Paul Schmitt and the pic is his used with his permission. Thanks Paul!

I'll have to do up scans of this one, front and back and pop on along with the one above. The award booklet sadly does not match... it's for a different number but was included with this OGPW.

Dan

[JimZ]

For those of you who may be interested,

Some of my OGPW1 and 2s live on:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=21230

Must admit there are some good quality pics there.

Enjoy and (comments always welcome!)

Jim

[Wild Card]

Thank you Hauptman, glad that you enjoyed it,

Wild Card

[Ed_Haynes]

A somewhat damaged, but nice one, part of the Ivanov group.

See http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=23128 for more.

Edited December 6, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Lapa]

Here's another orphan piece: Loose replacement ribbon and missing nut, too.

Chuck,

That is potentially a very scarce Moscow Mint production you have there. Could you please post some better quality scans of the order itself.

Marc

[Lapa]

Here's another one.

Chuck

Chuck,

Unfortunately, this one is NOT what it purports to be

Marc

[Hauptmann]

Don't know why I never posted this one here except in the group shot. But I just redid the pics using scans instead of my digital camera of years ago.

[Hauptmann]

And this lil' fellow who's seen some action over the years. It's researched so here's the full thread on it:

http://gmic.co.uk/in...showtopic=46901

Here's the before shot:

This is how the previous owner got it. Covered in glue, gawdawful deep red enamel paint or something... just YUCK!

Edited December 8, 2010 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

He put some TLC into it and now the inner beauty begins to show itself more clearly...

And finally the reverse. I concentrated so much on the obverse when I saw it that I didn't even realize that it's a starback... my first, one and only!

I have a replacement H&S coming as well so once that's in place I'll add another shot showing it in all it's glory.

And a note for all those out there who tend to lean towards the "leave it alone" school of thought... I feel that the last owners cleaning was carefully and lovingly done and did NOTHING to harm but only improve on the look of this order and he did not go overboard or make it look "brand new", etc. It still has the look of it's age but no longer looks like "something you'd pick up on your shoe in a gutter on a hot summer day" (if you know what war movie that quote is from... "you win a cookie" (can you guess which one that is from... you'll win two cookies!).

And as for me adding the H&S... it will be done so it can, if required, be removed down the road with no damage to the Order whatsoever. Nothing permanent! So hope this satisfies those who feel such things should be left alone. But for the history this represents and the hard times it's seen, much of it perhaps in battle, I think it's well worth bringing it back to some semblance of it's original appearance. The enamel will be left as is... that damage was earned honorably I'm sure and I have no intention of changing that.

Anyhow... just felt that needed to be said. Stay tuned for the finished pic.

Dan

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks everyone for the contributions. Great OGPW´s and amazing stories. 

Let´s revive this thread. If you have more of these lovely little buggers, please post them here.

[Ferdinand]

Here's a recent addition. It was awarded posthumously to infantry Captain Aleksei Dubrovin, days after he was killed in action east of Stalino, Ukraine, in September 1943.

On 11-7-2007 at 21:52, Gerd Becker said:

Be careful, when you stick them together in a box, they breed

That warning turned out to be quite warranted 

Here's another one from my breeding ground, a beautiful Fisheye / Baby variation:

[Gerd Becker]

On 6.12.2007 at 13:58, Ed_Haynes said:

A somewhat damaged, but nice one, part of the Ivanov group.

 

See http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=23128 for more.

 

 

Wow, what a fantastic group, Ed. Particularly interesting was the Belgrad-Medal document, a variation, i have never seen before.

Ferdinand, great specimen, that fisheye is just beautiful 

19 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

Here's a recent addition. It was awarded posthumously to infantry Captain Aleksei Dubrovin, days after he was killed in action east of Stalino, Ukraine, in September 1943.

Amazing. I guess, posthumous awards are pretty scarce, right? I don´t remember seeing very much of them.

[Volovonok]

22 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

ere's a recent addition. It was awarded posthumously to infantry Captain Aleksei Dubrovin, days after he was killed in action east of Stalino, Ukraine, in September 1943.

Stalino is the name for Donetsk in Ukraine in 1924-1961, major city of Donbass region where fighting between local militiaman and ukraininan government is ongoing.

2 hours ago, Gerd Becker said:

Amazing. I guess, posthumous awards are pretty scarce, right? I don´t remember seeing very much of them.

Well, before 1977 all the awards were to be returned to the state after awardee's death except for OPWs only which relatives could retain. Therefore, the posthumous awards should not be scarce in theory but lack of supplementary documents leave them untraced.

I have got a few early suspension bar OPWs, one of which is in immaculate condition with all the enamels intact - most likely it is a posthumous award.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Volovonok

[Ferdinand]

2 hours ago, Gerd Becker said:

Amazing. I guess, posthumous awards are pretty scarce, right? I don´t remember seeing very much of them.

They are a bit scarce, although definitely not rare. Right now I have 4 posthumous OPWs in my collection. I was able to locate the records for quite a large number of posthumous awards (see this topic). My guess is that thousands of OPWs were awarded posthumously (much more than any other award, for the obvious reason, as Volovonok stated, that before to 1977 most decorations had to be returned to the state once the recipient had died).

[Paul R]

Here are a few of mine.  

The OGPW1 is a posthumous award to a LT killed during the Pozen battle.  This OGPW2 is for a Political Officer.  

Here is one to a housing officer in Manchuria. 

A really great set with a 1985 OGPW2

[Chuck In Oregon]

On December 25, 2007 at 10:54, Lapa said:

 

 

 

Chuck,

 

Unfortunately, this one is NOT what it purports to be

 

Marc

 

[Nine years later]  Are you still around?  Can you explain?  I'm not even sure which order this refers to.

Chuck

[Ferdinand]

I assume Marc referred to the five-digit OPW2 (12541?) in post #93. The reverse does look a bit suspicious... Could you post better photos?

Edited March 7, 2016 by Ferdinand

[Gerd Becker]

Dan,

your first piece is a very late LMD example awarded from 50-55  and the second one with the missing h&s is a LMD produced around November 44. Did you find a replacement by now for the h&s?

Paul,
the OPW 83xxx is a nice early KMD piece. Love it!

 

Edited March 24, 2016 by Gerd Becker

[Paul R]

Thanks Gerd!  These are great orders.