Soviet 31st Stalingrad Rifle Division Vet's badge

[IrishGunner]

This veteran's badge was interesting to me because of it's construction from all brass instead of the usual "cheap" aluminum. Also, the Stalingrad connection and the unusual range of dates "1925-1946-1975"

On the reverse shows that it's a veteran's badge of the 31^st Stalingrad Rifle Division, which made the XXX - 30 - number odd to me on the suspension. I then figured out that this was produced at the 30th anniversary of the GPW Victory - thus the colors of the suspension - rather than the number of the Division. But the significance of 1925 and 1946 still eluded me until I found info in the book "Armies of the Bear"

The Division was formed in its II. Formation in Oct-Nov 1925 from 93^rd Rifle Regiment, then assigned to the 32^nd Division near Stalingrad in the North Caucasus Military District. In 1926, the Division received the honorific title “Stalingrad.” In 1939, the Division formed two new divisions, the 118^th and 160^th; the remaining units became the III. Formation of the 31^st Division. In January 1940, the 31^st Division to the Transcaucasus Military District in Azerbaijan. In October 1941, the Division was assigned to the 56^th Army, participating in the battles around Rostov-na-Don. It then was transferred to the 46^th Army within the Transcaucasian Front and participated in the Defense of the Causcasus campaigns. In 1943, the Division went to the Southwestern Front, fighting in the drive to the Dnepr. In 1944, the Division was with the 2^nd Ukrainian Front in the Romania campaign. It then moved to the 1^st Ukrainian Front taking part in the Vistula-Oder campaign through Poland and then the Berlin offensive operation. The Division ended the war in Czechoslovakia and aided in the liberation of Prague. Immediately after the war, the Division was assigned to the Northern Group of Forces in Poland; being disbanded in 1946. (“Armies of the Bear”)

Great campaign credits and history. I found another reference that said the 31st Div was formed in 1925 in Yerevan; so, another unique connection from my view point.