Republic of Cuba Cuban Ribbon Bars

[mytouch]

hi, please send comments about this military brest bars collection thanks best regards greg

[Ulsterman]

well, I recognize that!!

That was almost a cousin of mines' Xmas present in 2007.

Can you make it any clearer?

[Guest Rick Research]

Ahhhhh, I KNEW somebody there had to wear ribbon bars!!!

I've been looking for one for 2 years!

Awards are actually upside down:

Combatant of the Liberation, Combatant of Clandestine Struggle, Internationalist Combatant 2nd Class, 20th Abnniversary FAR

30th Anniversary FAR, Distingusihed Service FAR-- THREE in this row !

a FOURTH Distinguished Service FAR (I guess now we know why ther are som many of this medal! ), and 10, 15, and 20 years of service in the FAR-- in THAT order!

Nice to see how GROUPS are actually worn! :cheers:

[Guest Rick Research]

These arrived today from Greg. Construction is DDR-clone. They are paper ribbons under plastic.

First group of 12 has already been discussed. But one notable thing is that the first left to right stroke of each of the Roiman numerals is gilt, so each makes some "sparkle" that way.

2nd bar = Combatant of the Liberation (note shade of blue edge stripe as too dark and what is a very clearly printed white stripe on the far left side), 20th Anniversary (Party), 20th Abnniversary (Armed Forces). The long serving Comrade above didn't get the Party one.

3rd bar = Internationalist Combatant 1st Class (upside down), 20th Anniversary (Armed Forces), 30th Anniversary (Armed Forces--upside down). The 10 year spread without an "X" Medal suggests he got the 1986 Anniversary as a veteran, and was no longer on active duty?

4th bar = 10, 15, 20 and the ubiquitous Armed Forces "Distinguished" Service Medal.

Note that every one of the Armed Forces long service medals here has the Roman numerals printed so the stripes are blue-white-green. The only cloth ones I have seen, singles cased with each medal, are the exact opposite-- green-white-blue.

= NO comrades could tell proper up from down? Or did different branches of the Revolutionary Armed Forces wear "their" color on the left?

I also find it odd that the RAF long services are worn 10-15-20 rather than the normal Communist Bloc system 20-15-10.

Huh.

But then MOUNTED groups provide us with information loose singles do not.

:cheers:

[Taz]

Very interesting, nice bars Rick.

The thing I find really strange is the number of "mistakes" on medal bars and medals alike.

Ribbons mounted back to front, wrong ribbons etc and now the long service examples in your bars.

Surely there must be a plausible reason for this.

Another question mark in a long line of.......... question marks

Regards Eddie.

[Guest Rick Research]

Apparently, despite the grim reality of totalitarian regimes, even THEY are not as obsessively scary about compliance with The Rules as

collectors!

The RAF long services in particular are niggling at me. If just ONE of these bars was blue-white-green, I'd figure a slip up at the manufacturer's for that batch. But these are two different styles from two different places for two different Comrades at what sure seems like different times (am trying to date these-- 20 years of service but NO RAF Jubilees? Perhaps worn on a second but separate row with other.... ?) and THAT suggests continuity and what somebody thought was correct for BOTH.

[Ed_Haynes]

Very tasty eye-candy, Rick!

[Guest Rick Research]

I think the "ribbons" are a bit thicker and printed with a more "enamel" sort of surface than DDR paper ones. That shows most clearly in the chipping on the right edge of the Combatant of the Liberation on the 3 ribbon bar and the right side of the "XX" on the 4 ribbon bar.

When (oh happy day!) I have accumulated enough (can that day EVER come?) ribbon bars to have "common" duplicates... I may commit

ribbon bar vivesection and bend an end tab and jiggle some out to see what they are actually made OF. I can see the white reverses plainly enough through the "drain holes" in the reverses of the DDR brass hardware-- and these "ribbons" just seem thicker and glossier than East German ones.

I suspect they're sort of "plasticized" which would make sense so they wouldn't dissolve in the tropical humidity.

East German paper ribbon bars, in my limited experience, are TRULY wretched things that very often slip and slide one "ribbon" under the other. These are each individual ribbons--not printed in a single solid row--but seem absolutely "tight."

The trio with the Internationalist Combatant 1st Class has obviously been in the sun a LOT (Angola? ) so that the red has bleached right out of the RAF 1976 Jubilee and the IC 1st itself is quite pinkish BUT... not smeared blurring of ink that sweat/damp would cause if the ink RAN.

I think maybe each ribbon is some form of PLASTIC rather than paper.

But no "spares" to play Doctor Frankenstein with out of idle "scientific" curiosity. :catjava:

[Taz]

4th bar = 10, 15, 20 and the ubiquitous Armed Forces "Distinguished" Service Medal.

Note that every one of the Armed Forces long service medals here has the Roman numerals printed so the stripes are blue-white-green. The only cloth ones I have seen, singles cased with each medal, are the exact opposite-- green-white-blue.

= NO comrades could tell proper up from down? Or did different branches of the Revolutionary Armed Forces wear "their" color on the left?

I also find it odd that the RAF long services are worn 10-15-20 rather than the normal Communist Bloc system 20-15-10.

Huh.

But then MOUNTED groups provide us with information loose singles do not.

This one is partly correct, the 10 year ribbon is the right way, the other two back to front

strange, very strange.

Edited July 20, 2008 by Taz

[Guest Rick Research]

Agh-- you're right! Hadn't noticed!

The X and XX could go EITHER way, being the same right side up or upside down (either way) but the XV on these two bars shows that it was INTENDED to be blue-white-green.

ANOTHER odd thing? These "ribbon" bars ALL have the Roman numerals in GOLD color, while the metal devices on the single cloth ribbon bars that come with cased individual medals

match the bronze-silver-gold color of the actual medals....

More ribbon bars obviously neede for comparisons.

Many many many more.

Nice big multiple row ones so we have some idea what career soldiers wore. :catjava:

[Guest Rick Research]

Found my last remaining DDR "ribbon" bar-- IDENTICAL construction, although the DDR "ribbons" are printed with mock weaving to look more like real cloth ribbons, while the Cuban ones are simply the colors without that detail--

Leaving us to wonder-- like the full sized medals with their identical distinctive pentagonal drapes and plastic cases--

MADE in the DDR, or made in Cuba on DDR machines?

[Guest Rick Research]

Arrived today... the full size XV medal cased with, yet again, green-white-blue on the medal and presentation cloth ribbons

Loose... cloth... complete opposite of our as yet limited-yet-consistent ribbon bar versions. Why? Why? :banger:

[Taz]

Arrived today... the full size XV medal cased with, yet again, green-white-blue on the medal and presentation cloth ribbons

Loose... cloth... complete opposite of our as yet limited-yet-consistent ribbon bar versions. Why? Why?

Nice addition to the collection Rick!!

Mine are on the way, I wonder what they will look like. i'll get some images posted when they arrive.

Regards Eddie.

Edited September 5, 2008 by Taz

[Taz]

In today along with the XX year Service Medal, not really any difference to your example Rick.

The Medals always have the ribbon mounted Green-white- Light Blue, only the ribbon bars seem to have been changed or mounted wrong.

Regards Eddie

[Guest Rick Research]

We need some clear color photos of Real Comrades WEARING these things.

Minor mystery to be sure, but it niggles at me.

[Taz]

That would help a great deal, most photos I have seen in colour are too small to tell anything much at all.

Regards Eddie

Edited September 6, 2008 by Taz

[Stogieman]

I know, why make such nice singles but use crappy paper in groups? Devices.... I want more devices!

[Taz]

Arrived today... the full size XV medal cased with, yet again, green-white-blue on the medal and presentation cloth ribbons

Loose... cloth... complete opposite of our as yet limited-yet-consistent ribbon bar versions. Why? Why?

And again on this 10 year service medal.

[Taz]

XX year service, once again the Green-white-light blue.

Regards Eddie

[Noor]

Here is my only Cuban ribbon bar what I just got. Great pre-revolution period group with:

1. Long Service Medal with three chevrons

2. Armed Forces Military Medal

3. National Recoonciliation Medal with star

I think its pretty nice ribbon bar and also pin system is great. Anyway, its look like the quality over communist time went down a little .

Sorry about the bad quality of the picture but its look like I have more time early in the mornings and over the night time, so not the best light around.... yeah... will think about Epson as well!

Edited October 26, 2008 by Noor

[Guest Rick Research]

Well even though that is the WRONG Cuba-- pre-Communist-- it does make an interesting contrast with the DDR-clone variety we're trying to figure out. :beer:

[Taz]

The Armed Forces long service ribbons are definatly not according to FAR regulations, that I can confirm with the evidence.

Also medal bars should exist We just haven't seen any yet.

Please enjoy (thanks Vic)

[Taz]

Another two.

[Taz]

And the last set of regulation pictures with medal bars.

Regards Eddie.

[Guest Rick Research]

HURRAH !!!!!

Which makes me wonder...

are the "upside down" long services (which the XV cannot be)... maybe NAVY? Or Some version of police as in the Soviet MVD rather than Militia? Or... ?????

?Muchas gracias!