Soviet What Is "Geronimoooooooo!" In Russian?

[Guest Rick Research]

Three badges. Center = Model 1955 Distinguished Parachutist (worn 1956-66), on right = M1955 Instructor Parachutist (worn 1956-66), both with 200 jumps pendants. made (screw disks so marked) by the Victory Factory in Moscow.

The left hand badge is completely hand made and doesn't appear to match up with any official badge. The squared bottom is reminiscent of the pendant badges of the 1930s and 1940s, but the separate aluminum plane, tiny brass parachutist, and tiny red star on the 'chute do not match. It was obviously a hand-made intra-unit gift piece.

The truncated "ice cream cone" of parachute and sky is actually reverse painted under plastiglass, with abrass backing and rim. The starred "turtle head" backing is aluminum. The screw post, curvved spacer disk and unusual oval screw nut (curved to fit around the curved "hubcap" spacer disk) are steel. Notice that two of the painted shroud lines have jiggled loose under the plastiglass (my scans today above, seller's below). Sic transit gloria mundi!

[Ed_Haynes]

Nice set!

I still seek the Mongolian and PDRA parachute badges . . .

[Guest Rick Research]

Now for the neat part. These came with his

Parachute Jumps Records Book for Officer Personnel and the Award Booklet for his Instructor Parachutist Badge.

I have NEVER seen either from this period before.

[Guest Rick Research]

Inside the Jumps Record Book, bearing photo of Air Force Senior Lieutenant/Pilot (M1949 wings) Leonid Gavrilovich Klementiev:

Close up of his photo: apparently a WW2 recipient of a Red Star and ? MMM, while in 2nd place MIGHT be a Defense of Leningrad, then Victory Over Germany, and the 1948 Armed Forces Jubilee Medals.

[Guest Rick Research]

And what a record of this is!!!!

It was filled out on 10 August 1950 by Military Unit 55599 attesting that today's jump was Klementiev's 176th:

Recording jumps to then as 6 from aircraft, 147 daylight balloon jumps, and 23 night-time balloon jumps. Jumps mainly recording as ?training? (trenarovochny?)

[Guest Rick Research]

with some as ?into water " in the low 600 jumps and other abbreviations, as well as type of aircraft or balloon (!) jumped from.

Jumps to #200 in 1951, #s 201-223 in 1952, #s 224-235 in 1953, #s 269-280 dated in 1954, #s 301-409 in 1956 (!!!), #s 410-580 in 1957 (!!!), #s 581-635 in 1958 and #s 636 to 671 in 1959. Jump # 672 is the last recorded, on 21.8.59?496 jumps recorded in 10 years!

Issued by Military Unit 55599, to which jumps were also recorded in 1954, end of 1956 into 1957

M/U 01191 June 1951 to July 1953

M/U 93723 January 1953 to January 1955.January and March 1957

M/U 93733 September 1954

M/U 33842 December 1954, February and August 1957

M/U 63698 February 1955

M/U 93729 March 1955

M/U 20758 June 1955 to January 1957, February 1957

M/U 12159 January 1957

M/U 52596 February 1957

M/U 93687 March 1957

M/U 28357 April 1958

Etc etc etc back and forth with individual jumps often in any of these above units.

Yup, +495 jumps recorded in ten years to the month.

[Guest Rick Research]

Inside the Instructor Parachutist Award Booklet. Note that the printed design bears a "50" pendant but was drawn incorrectly with 6 shrouds rather than 8.

Ministry of Defense of the USSR "Instructor of Parachute Descent Readiness" Badge photo award booklet. #5901 per decree 013 of Airborne Forces Command 11 February 1957, issued by Deputy Chief of Staff of Airborne Forces (signed) Major General Brushko on 28 February 1957. Double stamped by Airborne Forces Command. Photo close up in M1949 Air Force Captain uniform, only tip of Red Star and top edge of 1948 Medal ribbon visible.

He is now a Captain-- but 12 years after the war, that doesn't seem very promising career-wise, and I'd guess he got the heave-ho in Khruschev's February 1960 budget purge. Can't imagine what kind of unit had pilots this "old."

[Guest Rick Research]

Bumped back up. These 1950s badges don't show up very often, and this remains the ONLY set I have ever seen for the 1950s Instructor Parachutist badge award booklet AND parachute jumps log.

[paddywhack]

nice badge! iv never seen a book to go with these and they(well the later ones) turn up a bit here!

Edited June 23, 2008 by paddywhack

[Guest Rick Research]

Brought back up from the Way Back pages... 6 years and nothing similar Out There?

[Noor]

Not exact same because "your man" was pure army officer but close enough (higher level parachutist, including instructor in the army). I know that he did some test jumps but the amount of papers is massive and my Russian is very rusty to find these pits out. I will get more organised when I finish my course - my late father's set....

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/36507-one-lovely-document-photos-group/

[Noor]

Here is my few days ago find from small town antique:

Parachutist, who earned Order of Glory, Viena medal and Victory over Germany. Nice paper set and badge. Glory number unfortunately do not match but perhaps was replaced by the veteran himself. Papers are meantime great with the order booklet. When I get back home I must check out based on his name what for he got it.

[Noor]

more:

(can someone read out the unit?)

[Guest Rick Research]

My vision has deteriorated enough in these last three years offline that I am having a REAL problem with camera images not up close and flat on a scanner.

104th Guards Parachute "O.R." Division (which must be the German-type "Abteilung" usage--Battalion not many-regiments=Division) of... the MGB comes into that after the war, after serving in Guards Rifles units.

[JapanX]

I believe that entry from 12.05.46 refers to him as Guards private of 104th Guards airborn division

Under "104th Guards airborn division" we see "okr. (i.e. okrug/district) MGB.

More about 104th division and structure of soviet-russian airborne troops

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Airborne_Troops

He was demobilize on March (?) 18, 1947.

Edited August 15, 2013 by JapanX

[Noor]

Thank you very much guys! I am really pleased with that find!

Here is some otlichnik badges as well that I randomly picked up.

JapanX - can you please advise any reference materials regards these? Is there any good booklet published or article?

More will follow coming days!

[Noor]

My vision has deteriorated enough in these last three years offline that I am having a REAL problem with camera images not up close and flat on a scanner.

104th Guards Parachute "O.R." Division (which must be the German-type "Abteilung" usage--Battalion not many-regiments=Division) of... the MGB comes into that after the war, after serving in Guards Rifles units.

Sorry because bad shots... still in the middle of our trip and using phone for photos...

[Hoyden R.]

These are wicked cool! I believe Paul has a few of these pins, but I do not believe he has any of the jump booklets.

I need to work harder to learn more Russian so I can read these booklets easier.

[JapanX]

I need to work harder to learn more Russian so I can read these booklets easier.

Dear Hoyden,

here you will find learning materials (video, audio, special computer playgames, etc....) for free.

http://www.englishonlinefree.ru/game.html

A lot of them

Cheers,

Nick

[JapanX]

JapanX - can you please advise any reference materials regards these? Is there any good booklet published or article?

Unfortunately there is no book specifically devoted to these badges...

I guess your best shot will be Avers #8

[JapanX]

Only 4 or 5 pages completely devoted to these badges.

An example

[JapanX]

Another source (in english) will be "Para Wings" by Bragg and Turner published in 1985

[JapanX]

[JapanX]

Unfortunately only two pages in this book (p.79 and p.80) devoted to soviet badges...

Example

[Hoyden R.]

Dear Hoyden,

here you will find learning materials (video, audio, special computer playgames, etc....) for free.

http://www.englishonlinefree.ru/game.html

A lot of them

Cheers,

Nick

Thank you!

I have the first level of Rosetta Stone that I have been trying to work through. Having a child home all summer has made it hard with her interruptions. I was ready to keep a loaded squirt gun near by so I could "remind" her that I was busy.