Poland The Grunwald Awards of Poland.

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

In a thread on the HUPR sub forum I listed three medals medals awarded to a Hungarian General that had recently been bought, through the GMIC, by Christophe. He suggested I post the medals and add some details about each one. One of the awards was a Polish Grudwald non portable medal document. At the end of that thread, seb16trs suggested we start another thread strictly about Grundwald awards. Well since I bought a new one last week lets list the ones I know about, with what little information I have on them, and perhaps we can fill in some more info on this particular award.

The award document to the Hungarian General first.

Edited March 13, 2009 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The document cover closed with a Hungarian translation of the Polish text inside the document cover.

A rough translation of the Hungarian text.

"In the year 1410 the Polish, Lithuanian, Smolensk, Kiev, Czechoslovakia, and Masovia armies united in a common battle against the Knights Templar and won a mighty victory at Grunwald. (more commonly familiar to us as Tannenburg)

In 1945 the Countries National Council leaders decided the Polish people should fight shoulder to shoulder with the Soviet soldiers to a heroic victory against the Prussians. The Poles were determined to fight for their home after centuries old oppression under the feet of Fascism. The freedom loving Soviet Union has been fighting Hitlerism hard for years to rescue the world from fascist barbarism. The third Grunwald will bring welcome peace to fellow countrymen. The Grunwald medal is a symbol of victory over fascism."

Edited March 13, 2009 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The award we believe goes with this document.

[Gordon Craig]

A different cased, non portable Grunwald. According to the guy I bought this item from the criteria for awarding is was similar to the Polish Brotherhood in Arms medal but that it was mostly awarded to high ranking Warsaw Pact officers.

Edited March 13, 2009 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The cover of the case for this award.

[Gordon Craig]

And now the latest Grunwald that I have acquired.

This one is a pin back badge. The suspended part is identical to the cased one from my collection that I just posted a picture of. It is 6cm high (2") and 3cm (1 1/2") wide across the ribbon suspension. Anyone have any information on this piece?

Edited March 13, 2009 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The reverse.

[seb16trs]

hello, this not a Grunwald badge but the polish equivalent of the soviet fraternity (brotherhodd) of arms medals.

[Gordon Craig]

seb16trs,

Thanks for the info. Sure pays off to start a thread around here!

Regards,

Gordon

[Kris D]

The document cover closed with a Hungarian translation of the Polish text inside the document cover.

A rough translation of the Hungarian text.

"In the year 1410 the Polish, Lithuanian, Smolensk, Kiev, Czechoslovakia, and Masovia armies united in a common battle against the Knights Templar and won a mighty victory at Grunwald. (more commonly familiar to us as Tannenburg)

In 1945 the Countries National Council leaders decided the Polish people should fight shoulder to shoulder with the Soviet soldiers to a heroic victory against the Prussians. The Poles were determined to fight for their home after centuries old oppression under the feet of Fascism. The freedom loving Soviet Union has been fighting Hitlerism hard for years to rescue the world from fascist barbarism. The third Grunwald will bring welcome peace to fellow countrymen. The Grunwald medal is a symbol of victory over fascism."

Hi,

Here is the version of the award document and translation in my collection.

Translation - Left Hand Side

Part of painting "Grunwald" by Jan Matejko.

In the year 1410 on August 14th. The allied armies of Smolensk, Kijow. Czechoslowak and Morawien, together as one force achieved victory on the battle field of Grunwald over their deadly enemy of Slavic nations ? the Germanic crusaders.

Again, in 1945, the brave Polish soldiers fought shoulder to shoulder with Soviet soldiers, then stood victoriously in the ruins of Berlin.

On all battle fields and on their own Polish soil, the Polish soldiers have been fighting for six years, their eternal enemy.

After so many years of heavy fighting, peace and freedom loving nations, with the great Soviet nation at their head, defeated the Germans, and so saved the world from fascist barbarians.

The second Grunwald brought us freedom, democracy, and the return of our "West Lands" to Poland.

The "Badge of Grunwald" is a symbol of victory over the Germans.

Translation - Right Hand Side

By the order of the day 22 August 1945

The Chief Marshal of the Polish Army in the East;

Is awarding;

The participant in armed battles with the Germans

In the 1939 ? 1945 war.

Lieutenant Lata wladyslaw

S. Kukasza

"Badge of Grunwald"

Szief M.H.P.O.P.

Brzoza

Major

No. 067347

Radom 12th August 1946

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

Time to add something to this thread.  When I started it I did not have the pin that went with the document in #1.  Now I do so I can add it and some picture.  I have a couple of questions;

1- This pin has a number (8942) stamped on the back.  I have never seen that before.  Were they numbered at issue at one point or would the person awarded the pin stamp the number from the document on the back?.

 

It was established on the first anniversary of the July Manifesto PKWN under Order No. 155 Supreme Commander of the Polish Army, as a badge of merit for the defense of the country, and at the same time - souvenir participation in armed effort during the Second World War. According to the decree of the Department of Personnel HR, reproduced in the Official Gazette of the Polish Republic 1945 (No. 50), the right to issue Badges Grunwald had: Supreme Commander of the Army, Deputy Minister of Defence, Chief of the General Staff, commanders of military districts, commanders of regiments and the Presidium of the Board Chief Fighters Association Fascism and the Nazi invasion of the Independence and Democracy - an organization which in 1949 was in the composition of the Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy. The award entitled the soldiers of the Polish Army-formed in the USSR, members of the left-wing underground organizations operating in the occupied territories Polish, Soviet partisans or Yugoslavia, as well as the resistance movement in France, as well as all those who, with their attitude and service from 1 September 1939 to May 9, 1945 contributed to the victory over the Third Reich. This group also included veterans of Polish Armed Forces in the West, who returned to the country.

In addition to the bronze badge I have read that there was a silver badge that was awarded to officers.  Were the bronze and silver badges established in the Order No. 155?  There appears to be silver badges in the photo below.  Also shown below is a picture of General of Polish Army Wojciech Jaruzelski wearing what appears to be the silver pin on the left breast pocket of his tunic.

 

Edited October 19, 2015 by Gordon Craig

[Aahauge]

This is an old thread, but I dare reply anyway.

The silver badge has never to my knowledge been awarded with a specific "silver class" document - and I have maybe 60 documents for all ranks from generals to privates. I have the same photo of Jaruzelski in my collection (b/w) and it seems by the shine to be a silver badge.

None of the generals or colonels in my collection have received a silver badge - but to be honest they received high ranks in the 1960s. I tend to believe that all badges were bronze in their original issue, but at some point a "commemorative badge" in silver was presented to higher ranks.....as a commemorative award (not necessarily for participation in combat during WWII).

I have a silver badge in my collection which seems old and genuine made by Makowski, if I remember correctly. There are a lot of silver badges on the market atm, but most are just "silvered" bronze badges - aka fakes.

I am writing books about Polish medals and will of course continue to investigate this topic.

Best regards Aahauge

Edited April 3, 2019 by Aahauge

[seb16trs]

Hello, never too late for educating!

 

Thank you for yours comments. I look forward to seeing any new quality books about polish medals - which will complete the W. Stella 's work)

[chechaco1]

On 13.03.2009 at 18:51, Gordon Craig said:

Обратное.

 

The first type of medal until 1975. The number of awards in this period, as they say, is small, just over a thousand people, but, surprisingly, the medal is often found and inexpensive, about 20-30 dollars.