Soviet Soviet enigma

[shako_uk]

Can anyone supply any information about the badge(s) shown here, please?

They are mounted on a blue beret, the wreath badge being 100mm across at its widest point and the flag being 118mm across the top edge of the flag.

Living in hope,

Brian

[attachmentid=17171]

[Dudeman]

Does it appear to be mass-produced? If not, it was probably made by an airborne soldier at the end of his service in an effort to "puff up" his uniform for the ride home. This was commonly done in the Soviet Army with all sorts of homemade insignia, improvements on basic insignia, colored backgrounds, etc.

[Gerd Becker]

For more info look here:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3227

best,

Gerd

[Stogieman]

Isn't that an Airborne beret, BTW? If that's a homemade "look I was in airborne badge" it's a rather impressive piece!

[Dudeman]

Isn't that an Airborne beret, BTW? If that's a homemade "look I was in airborne badge" it's a rather impressive piece!

The beret is for airborne (although a little bluer than usual), as is the smaller metal insignia on the red field of the larger badge in question. Airborne troops did wear a similar "banner" device to the one in question, especially in parades, but the usual design is of the cheap, stamped medal version. This one looks a little more substantial - thus lending me to believe it is a homemade "dembel" (or demobilized soldier) badge.

[shako_uk]

Thanks you all for your comments - very much appreciated! Yes, I have heard of these badges made up by personel leaving the Services. I wonder at it being worth the effort!

The beret on which these badges are mounted ( and they all came as one lot) is, perhaps, mot quite as blue as my scan gives one to believe. but it has been worn. The pennant, I think, must have been stamped out of sheet brass, the edges are too sharp to have been hand cut. The star and wreath badge looks as though it was made by having an o/ranks' badge sweated onto an officer's wreath. As you remarked, it is all well done.

I wondered if, perhaps, it was worn by a Band. The only similar badge I have seen illustrated was on the front cover of Otto von Pivka's book on the "Armies of Europe Today". This shows a bandsman of the Moscow band wearing a similar wide-wreath badge on his peaked (visor) cap, but topped with the standard lyre badge of the military bands.

Thanks again, gentlemen . . .

Brian

[HuliganRS]

Brian,

I'm willing to bet that the little insignia in the red flag is held on with a screw from white metal.

Rusty.

[shako_uk]

Brian,

I'm willing to bet that the little insignia in the red flag is held on with a screw from white metal.

Rusty.

You may be right, Rusty, but the fastening for the Airborne emblem cannot be seen, since it is sweated in place and, if there was a screw there, it has been filed off flush with the backplate.

A further refinement, not visible on the scan, is that a needle projects from the tip of the pennant (just over an inch long). This slides into the material of the beret and keeps the pennant from coming away from the curve of the beret.