Socialist Yugoslavia Medals and Orders in Wear

[BalkanCollector]

Now that you've mentioned that some of the shoulder boards looked the same...here's an interesting photo of two officers in a Harley Davidson. The right one is wearing a Kingdom of Yugoslavia Pilot Badge. The photo is not very clear but you can see that it appears to be either Kingdom or Socialist Yugoslavia Pilot Badge. Considering that this photo was taken during wartime it can only be the Kingdom type.

[paja]

I'm not sure, too bad the image is not a little bit better, but I doubt it can be royal era badge. Before the introduction of those well know badges there were cloth type and I think one more. Here's a photo of a 1st lieutenant who seems to wear both of them, unfortunately I can't remember where did I find it. If not that then perhaps something foreign.

Edited September 16, 2017 by paja

[BalkanCollector]

Hmm, I don't know. Too bad the photo isn't a little more clear.

Interesting photo. Did you notice the position of triangles? They should be on the upper part of the collar.

 

[paja]

Yes, it's unfortunate that we don't have better photos...
Good eye, I missed that detail!
 

Edited September 18, 2017 by paja

[BalkanCollector]

Group of photos of a Soviet Read Admiral Grigory Nikolaevich Ohrimenko. He was awarded the Yugoslav Order of Bravery (Soviet production) and Order of People's Hero. His group of awards was sold a few years ago.

[paja]

It's interesting to see that a Soviet citizen received Soviet made Yugoslav orders.
That Romanian Star has a pretty strange crown, I don't remember seeing orders like that before.

[paja]

On 9/16/2017 at 21:35, BalkanCollector said:

Now that you've mentioned that some of the shoulder boards looked the same...here's an interesting photo of two officers in a Harley Davidson. The right one is wearing a Kingdom of Yugoslavia Pilot Badge. The photo is not very clear but you can see that it appears to be either Kingdom or Socialist Yugoslavia Pilot Badge. Considering that this photo was taken during wartime it can only be the Kingdom type.

 

On 9/16/2017 at 22:16, paja said:

I'm not sure, too bad the image is not a little bit better, but I doubt it can be royal era badge. Before the introduction of those well know badges there were cloth type and I think one more. Here's a photo of a 1st lieutenant who seems to wear both of them, unfortunately I can't remember where did I find it. If not that then perhaps something foreign.

Perhaps they are wearing this badge.

[paja]

Speaking of the Soviets, here's a great photo of marshal Zhukov wearing Order of Freedom!

[paja]

Cosmonaut Gherman Titov wearing Yugoslav Flag 1st Class, his wiki page states he also received Yugoslav Star but I don't think that's correct. If I remember well Gagarin also received Yugo Flag.

Edited September 22, 2017 by paja

[BalkanCollector]

45 minutes ago, paja said:

Perhaps they are wearing this badge.

You are right Paja! I checked in "Partizanska vojska i Jugoslavenska armija 1941.-1953." book and I've found 2 types of this badge which was introduced in 1945. It was descibed as metal pilot badge. There was this photo also and it said that this officer was wearing that badge. However the photo of the officer on a Harley Davidson isn't larger so we can't know for sure. 

On 16. 09. 2017. at 22:16, paja said:

Here's the photo of those 2 types of the pilot badge.

Nice photos of the Soviets! I'm not sure about Gagarin receiving the Yugoslav Flag but I think I've read something about it somewhere. I will share more Soviets wearing Yugoslav awards soon.

[paja]

Thanks for the scan! I presume it's from the "Partizanska vojska i Jugoslavenska armija 1941-1953", I definitely have to get a copy. What do the authors say about them, when were they introduced?
I think I read somewhere in Rudež's book about Gagarin receiving Yugo Flag. Crew members of the Apollo 11 were awarded with the Yugoslav Stars.

Edited September 22, 2017 by paja

[BalkanCollector]

No problem Paja! Yes it's from that book. I will send you a private message about that book.

The only thing they said about the badge is that it was introduced in 1945 and that the variety of later pilot badges which were probably introduced in 1947 but were regulated in 1953 were derived from it.

[paja]

Thanks for information regarding the book and the badge. 
So they were used for only about two years, looking at those examples I'd say they were casted.
Model from 1953 (1947) is also very similar to the royal one, it had new coat of arms and red star instead of crown.

[BalkanCollector]

Here's some more Soviets decorated with Yugoslav awards.

Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General of the Airforce Andrey Nikiforovich Vitruk wearing an Order of People's Hero.

Hero of the Soviet Union Georgi Stepanovich Staradubuev wearing Partisan Star 1st class.

Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General of tank troops Vladimir Ivanovich Zhdanov wearing an Order of People's Hero.

 

[paja]

Marshal Tolbukhin wearing People's Hero Order.

[BalkanCollector]

That's an interesting way of wearing neck orders. I see US Legion of Merit and some Swedish order if I'm not mistaken.

[paja]

I'm not sure about the far left decorations, looks like the French Legion of Honor might be at the bottom. Next to the People's Hero is Bulgarian Bravery Order, and next to the Legion of Merit is French War Cross 1939-1945 with palm branch.

Edited September 22, 2017 by paja

[Dragomir]

The badge in question (at the bottom) is US Legion of Merit.

[BalkanCollector]

You're right about the Bulgarian Bravery Order. I've mixed it with Swedish Polar Star Order. Decorations on the left are from top to bottom: two Suvorovs 1st class, Order of Red Star, Order of Kutuzov, another Bulgarian Bravery Order and a French Legion of Honor.

Here's a photo of his another uniform with some other awards. Unfortunately there's no Order of People's Hero on it.

[paja]

I was thinking about this order, Legion of Merit is next to the People's Hero.

[BalkanCollector]

Sorry for making it unclear. It appears to be a French Legion of Honor.

I've marked the photo for better understanding.

1 and 2 are two Soviet Orders of Suvorov 1st class

3 is Soviet Order of Red Star

4 is Soviet Order of Kutuzov

5 is Bulgarian Bravery Order

6 already mentioned French Legion of Honor

[paja]

I didn't see your post with photo from museum before my previous reply, it was meant for Dragomir.
Anyway thanks for the effort.
Here's a photo from sammler's base taken from a different angle.

[BalkanCollector]

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Here's a photo of what appears to be a Lieutenant Colonel. He's wearing two Yugoslav type Orders of Bravery, 10 years of Yugoslav People's Army Medal and a Commemorative Medal of the Partisan 1941 on his left side. The Order of Republic (class?), Order of Brotherhood and Unity (2nd class?), two Orders of People's Merit (possibly 2nd and 3rd class) and a Polish Partisan Cross on his right side. I don't know what's the thing he's wearing in the bottom left side of the photo.

[paja]

12 minutes ago, BalkanCollector said:

I don't know what's the thing he's wearing in the bottom left side of the photo.

Perhaps Labor Oder?

[BalkanCollector]

It had crossed my mind but I'm not really sure. :/