Stogieman Posted September 6, 2009 Posted September 6, 2009 Here's an odd grouping of awards.... WW2 Fascist, and Victory over Fascists..... all on the same ribbon bar!
Mossy Posted September 6, 2009 Posted September 6, 2009 Now that's a turn up, i would have imagined anything to do with WW2 service on the side of the Axis would have been hidden away for fear of reprisals, were things different with Bulgaria? I know that they were treated a bit differently than other nations, being allowed to keep the territory they annexed from Romania, for example. Perhaps the same went for medals, are there any more like this out there? Sam.
bolgarin Posted September 21, 2009 Posted September 21, 2009 The owner can receive this order for the WWI deeds......
Mossy Posted September 21, 2009 Posted September 21, 2009 True, but that's a massive gap in years there, over thirty in fact, as well as no other WW1 medals being in the group. It's possible certainly, but WW2 seems more likely to me. Sam.
Ulsterman Posted September 21, 2009 Posted September 21, 2009 I believe the Military Bravery Cross was one of the royalist awards that was continued during the interregnum before the Soviet-backed Communists deposed the Monarchy. The award may well be for bravery in the field against the Germans. Nice group by the way. Now to find the documents, eh?
Stogieman Posted October 1, 2009 Author Posted October 1, 2009 To further complicate matters, here's another pair from WW2 & Post WW2:
Stogieman Posted October 1, 2009 Author Posted October 1, 2009 A picture of our hero. The 9th September is on a Brass suspension and is a type 2a, nut back
Ulsterman Posted October 1, 2009 Posted October 1, 2009 Cool- I smell JOMSA article! Any pictures of these being worn? Theodor? :cheers:
bolgarin Posted October 1, 2009 Posted October 1, 2009 Could ypu post better scans of the award document to soldier bravery cross 3 class. Thanks
Stogieman Posted October 2, 2009 Author Posted October 2, 2009 Hi Petr, I had to play with the image to bring out the very weak typing, hope this helps. Can you translate?
Theodor Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 CERTIFICATE Nr 329 The HQ of the 2/35 Infantry Battalion certifies, that the reserve sanitary NCO Trifon Dimitrov Marinov from the town of Nikopol, for shown Bravery during the combats from October 3rd to 14th 1944, is awarded with the Military Order for Bravery III /third/ grade. /Ref. order 33 § 1 on 36th Inf. Kozloduiski regiment from 1945/. The present note is given to him to be used wherever is necessary. Town Oryahovo, 18 February 1946, Poruchik temporary commander of the 2/35 Inf. Battalion /Stoyanov/
Theodor Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 There is nothing unusual about these awards. First of all, there was no "fashism" in Bulgaria and the Royal orders and medals, established in the very early 1880s and awarded to officers and soldiers in 5 wars of the Bulgarian Kingdom, have nothing in common with Mussolini Now, Bulgaria was a kingdom until the falsified Referendum of September 1946. During the war against Germany /from the autumn of 1944 to the spring of 1945/ there were no other awards - the soldiers and the officers received the old Royal awards. At that time the State had not changed - at least in its "outer shape". The communists, backed by the Red Army, had made a coup and ruled the country, but it was still a Monarchy with Regents to the little a-hole Simeon II. If I may say it that way, the state system was not yet changed in shape, just other people took the seats. Indeed at that time all the political leaders and army commanders were replaced, people were already being killed at a large scale with no court sentence, but generally the system remained the same. Only after 1946 it all changed - the monarchy was replaced with Republic, in 1947 a new Dimitrov's Constitution was made and things turned upside down. The state system changed dramatically, the people lost their property and etc. etc. Back to the war: in 1944 and 1945 the Royal orders were the only ones to exist and to be awarded. And yes they were awarded! In numbers never seen before. According to veterans, the propaganda moment was heavily involved and loads of decorations were issued, reaching as far as giving Two Bravery awards to an officer for a single mission against the German forces! Of course, there was heavy fighting and great many orders were deserved, but also loads came through propaganda purposes. No matter of their Royal origin and outlook, the awards from the war against Germany 1944-45 were considered perfectly legal and many officers did wear them. Until 1947 99% of the Royal officers were purged from the army, but a great part of the new Socialist officers had participated in the war /most as soldiers and sergeants, a few with higher ranks/ and did wear their orders with pride.
Theodor Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 As shown in a recent thread, gen. Kozarov, commander of the Anti-Air Defense 1959-1973. Among all the trinkets, a Bravery order is seen, from his participation in WW2.
Stogieman Posted October 2, 2009 Author Posted October 2, 2009 Hi Theodor, thanks for your help with the translation and for the history. They seemed unusual to me as up until recently, I had not seen groups with this type of combination of awards. Thanks for explaining and giving us a better understanding of the transitions between regimes.
bolgarin Posted October 5, 2009 Posted October 5, 2009 Interesting fhoto. Heroes of Sipka with communist awards.....
christerd Posted October 5, 2009 Posted October 5, 2009 Great Photo Bolgarin ! I love to see a early 9 Sept 1st class, I wonder how many was awarded of the early neck type. Couldn´t have been to many I guess before they changed to the hanger type. Santa are you out there ? I want one for christmas........ Christer
Theodor Posted October 5, 2009 Posted October 5, 2009 Yes, this is very curious! Shipka veterans were alive and are participated in celebrations as late as 1954-55! Keep in mind that "Shipka" was a heroic defense battle in the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-78! Just try to imagine what these folks have witnessed: born in the Ottoman Empire, volunteered in a Bulgarian unit within the Russian army, which was first intended as second line duties unit, but found itself in heaviest battles. Russian-Turkish War 1877-78, then building the reborn Bulgarian state, then the Serbian-Bulgarian War in 1885, Balkan War 1912, second Balkan War 1913, WW1, WW2, add to that several coups through the years and finally a transition from monarchy to socialist state... These brave guys have seen it all :cheers:
Stogieman Posted October 5, 2009 Author Posted October 5, 2009 Those fellows sure got around! It was only seeing the photo that jogged my memory that I had a different image of them in my files!
bolgarin Posted October 6, 2009 Posted October 6, 2009 This fhoto is more than magnificient!!!!! Excelent. Is it possible to ask you to send it to my mail in very good quality?
Stogieman Posted October 7, 2009 Author Posted October 7, 2009 Petr, right-click and save the image. What's posted is the best I have. Thanks! i
Ulsterman Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 I believe there is another in the series on sale on eBay right now.
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