Czechoslovakia Annoying Unknown Communist Ribbons

[Guest Rick Research]

These two just absolutely refuse to give up their identities!!!

Order of Lenin and Order of the Red Banner = February 1945 and November 1944 long service awards, then an interesting Aleksandr Nevsky Order so he DID see real combat;

OPW1, OPW2, and an Order of the Badge of Honor;

1938 "Jubilee," Defense of Caucasus, Victory Over Germany;

1965 and 1968 jubilees (so made it 50 years from the Revolution!), UNKNOWN;

Czech War Cross (showing why this "sheet" style was a Bad Idea), UNKNOWN;

Czech 1944 Dukla Pass Medal

So, our old Colonel served 1918-1945/47, was still alive in 1968...

he obviously mixed his 4 foreign awards so they "stacked" the most pleasingly, with the two Mystery Items from some nation using Soviet width ribbons. NOT Mongolian, and presumably either from 1944-47, or relating to WW2.

Does anybody know what these two ribbons are?

PS notice that the backing on this "recycled garden watering can" is scored with markers to line up such shifted/centered ribbons neatly-- though it remains a horror of nasty edged tabs and scruffy corrosion.

[Dudeman]

The green ribbon could be from the VDNKh award. That may explain why it is after all the military awards save the one at the bottom which he may have applied even later.

[Eric Schena]

If it's pre 1955 or so, the green one could be the Albanian Medal of Labor - the ribbon for that medal is that approximate shade of green. There were quite a few advisor exchanges between Albania and the USSR (many Albanian officers received their training in Odessa during the late 40's). Hoxha didn't break with the USSR until the early 60's, so there is a possibility that Hoxha awarded a few decorations to their Soviet counterparts and since in the late 40's and 50's, most of the awards were for combat service in WW II or labor decorations, they might have gotten the Order of Labor or the Medal of Labor depending on criteria. Unfortunately, I've never seen a pic of a Soviet officer wearing any Albanian decorations and I half wonder if they were removed from wear after the split.

Cheers,

Eric

Edited November 21, 2005 by Eric Schena

[Guest Rick Research]

No, this one dates from 1968-75. It has the 1965 and 1968 jubilees. There isn't a 1970 Lenin Centennial, but we are still thrashing out who actually got those , so I don't know if surviving 1918 veterans got them. But before 1975, when the next round of WW2 survivor jubilees started up again.

Although corroded at the bottom, this was all made as one complete unit.

[HuliganRS]

Rick,

I don't think the unknown ribbons are from other countries.

I think the one with red and blue is some kind of state prize.

Here's a few examples:

[HuliganRS]

The green one could be this:

[Guest Rick Research]

Those state prize medals have been looking me in the face and just never clicked! I've never encountered those on ribbon bars before, which is why I wondered if they were some exotic, ephemeral foreign client state type dinguses. The positions are probably nothng more than getting the most compact "stacked" shape, hence alternated with the wider Czech ribbons.

ONE less group to wake me fretting at 3 AM!!!

[HuliganRS]

You're welcome, I think

Russian people do get too creative for their own good!

Rusty.

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup-- like the Victory Over Germany/ Order of Glory ribbons found at the BOTTOM of old veteran bars...

I dunno if those are supposed to represent the 1970 MoD jubilee or a Guards badge or some Soviet War Veterans Committee thing. Since the ABOVE turned out to be Not Foreign After All, might as well toss in a couple of these, for what I mean:

These were all loose ones, so no clue what they are supposed to represent.

[HuliganRS]

Who knows...

What to the backs look like?

1st bar: It's all backwards.

2nd bar: same...

3rd bar: put together most likely.

Then again...

Rusty.

[Guest Rick Research]

No, these are OK and in perfect precedence. Well, with the obvious exception of WTH the LAST ribbon is supposed to be on each. Nasty sharp recycled watering can typical plastic sheet over ribbons veteran mountings first two, and third above IS a good one off a tunic and not one of the recent slapped together turista pieces. I am paranoid about ALL ribbon bars and those which come to live with me must prove themselves to my exacting standards of forensic deduction. Many are called but few are chosen.

And then there is THIS one, which adds to the mystery by having a separate tiny little commercially (so not a home made "one off" though it IS the only one I have ever seen) made ribbon laid diagonally across:

Seems rather overkill to transform a Nakhimov ribbon into the MoD 1970, or... IS it?

[Dudeman]

The green VDNKh ribbon I mentioned in frame 2 is pictured in frame 6. It is most likely the ribbon you are seeking.

[HuliganRS]

The green VDNKh ribbon I mentioned in frame 2 is pictured in frame 6. It is most likely the ribbon you are seeking.

Yeap,

That's what I was thinking.

Now Rick can sleep at night.

Rusty.

[Guest Rick Research]

These are POSSIBLY unknown CUBAN ribbons:

Three sets, closeups of last two rows from the same general. When he ran out of the usual "lawn furniture" weave, had composites made up in multiple parts.

After the Soviet 10 years, Mongolian 1981 Armed Forces Jubilee, impossible to identify solid red ribbon , a Soviet Red Banner ribbon which has been "made due" with blue stripes...

possible Che Guevera 3rd???, Cuban 1986 armed forces jubilee, what is apparently an unreported SECOND Class Cuban military "Brotherhood in Arms" from the white edge, and Cuban "Distinguished Service" in the Armed Forces, always found tagging along at the end.

Here's the whole group from one of the set-- all three identical except for the "make do" foreign ribbons: