Bulgaria Bulgarian Wound Badge

[Gordon Williamson]

Does anyone have any info regarding the Wound Badges issued after the "Liberation" by the Red Army, given to Bulgarian troops fighting against their former German allies ?

I read somewhere, but can't find it now, that the Wound Badges were issued with the Crown removed, or even with a red star pinned through the hole for the crown fitting.

The reason I ask is that I have seen a couple of these, sans Crown, and the way the Crown was attached on these , it doesn't look particularly weak or likely to coma adrift , so I wondered if the reports of the pro-Communist regime issuing these without the Crown is true.

Anyone any ideas ?.

[new world]

Hi Gordon,

Your information is correct - after September 9, 1944 royal symbols were removed from awards. Some awards were issued in new versions (lion without a crown, crown replaced by wreath or star, etc).

However, some awards were left unchanged and recipients did modifications themselves - some were done neatly, but some were crudely.

It's possible that your badge was modified during that period, but it's also possible that the crown was simply lost.

Will

[Gordon Williamson]

Hi Will,

Many thanks for the info. I have the opportunity to get the badge in the photo and wanted to be sure that such badges did indeed exist "officially" without Crown.

I can live with the fact that it could just be a case of the Crown coming loose on this example if I know that it could equally be one actually issued without a Crown.

I can see that it would be a very simple matter to add a red star using the original hole for affixing the Crown. Have you ever seen an example with a red star ?

I've been looking around for a photo of the Bulgarian Wound Badge being worn. One would think that with something like a Wound Badge pictures of it being worn wouldn't be all that rare but they don't seem to turn up.

Gordon

[new world]

Gordon,

Here's a badge with a star from my collection.

It looks like the star is soldered to the badge, I imagine it would be quite difficult to lose it.

Best,

Will

Edited October 27, 2011 by new world

[Wood]

It looks as if there is quite a difference in quality.

Pete

[new world]

These badges normally have multi-element construction and are of high quality.

Badge in Gordon's post looks like 2-piece construction and of much lower quality.

Proper badges should have red enameled middle-plate as separate element, hence badges should consist of 3 elements plus back-plate:

1) main silver colored element with wreath,

2) red-enameled middle-plate,

3) brass lion,

4) shiny nickel-plated back plate with the name of the maker.

[Gordon Williamson]

I have one of the higher quality three-piece examples with the nickel backplate with the maker details.

This one without the crown is Zinc. I have seen these offered on various sites in the past as being late WW2 period.

A quick look around this evening showed up this one, identical in construction to the crown-less one shown above.

http://www.picardyantiquesltd.com/shop/article_S1006/Royal-Bulgarian-Wound-Badge-for-one-wound,-1908-1946-issue,-probably-late-World-War-II.html?shop_param=cid%3D200%26aid%3DS1006%26

[new world]

...

This one without the crown is Zinc. I have seen these offered on various sites in the past as being late WW2 period.

...

I am not sure I believe in this theory.

Why would quality decrease so dramatically? Unlike Germany, Bulgaria was not involved in major war efforts, they didn't have weapons industry for which to save the strategic materials.

I don't see dramatic decrease in quality of other Bulgarian awards, they were still of high quality.

Shortly after the Germans were pushed out Communists started making their own awards - the quality of such awards are superior to later Communist awards.

I would stay away from this badge, especially without a crown.

[ruiz]

My Royal Wound Badge, 1st and 3rd.