Israeli Medals, Badges and Patches

[Igor Ostapenko]

early ribbon of

Moshe Polsen

born in Scotland, February 6th 1917.

During his childhood the family moved to Montreal, Canada.

His father was a Hebrew teacher. When he was 18 he requested to immigrate to Israel.

His father agreed and in the spring of 1935 he showed up at the Hechalutz (translated- pioneer) Farm, in the US were he learned farming in preparation for life in Israel.

In 1940 he joined the Anglo-Baltic group in Binyamina.

Later he requested and received membership in the new kibbutz, Na'ama (which settled in The Upper Galilee) in 1940 he volunteered for army service.

During furloughs he would return to Na'ama and help work the farm which he so loved.

Moshe was killed in an accident on the Sidon road in Lebanon. November 17th 1943.

He was buried in a Military ceremony at the army cemetery, in Beirut.

[Igor Ostapenko]

and

[leigh kitchen]

There is a thread on WAF discussing this cap badge (post 48), whether it's Jewish Brigade or Trinidad Police, does anyone know for sure what this is, & are there any photos of it in wear?

I regret having disposed of my modern Israeli badges (well, they were modern in the 1970's - 80's), & am considering starting up another collection of them, perhaps concentratng on older, attributable medals, insignia, photos & documents.

Edited August 3, 2007 by leigh kitchen

[Chris Boonzaier]

I think someone found a link to the Nigerian customs and that was their badge as well.

Best

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here you go...

[leigh kitchen]

So same / similar badges - Jewish Brigade, Trinidad & Tobago police, Nigerian Customs - I'd love to see a photo of the badge in wear by the Jewish Brigade.

Edited August 3, 2007 by leigh kitchen

[Igor Ostapenko]

To complete the set (the Itur ha`oz / Valor Decoration is shown above), the:

Itur Hagvura / Heroism Decoration

See: <a href="http://www.yairmalachi.org/MedalsOfIsrael/Medal_of_Valor.htm" target="_blank">http://www.yairmalachi.org/MedalsOfIsrael/Medal_of_Valor.htm</a>

Itur Hamofet / Medal for Distinguished Service

See: <a href="http://www.yairmalachi.org/MedalsOfIsrael/...hed_Service.htm" target="_blank">http://www.yairmalachi.org/MedalsOfIsrael/...hed_Service.htm</a>

Ed !

All three awards on your photos - not originals .

(Copies for collectors from http://www.zahal.org/decorations/p1.htm )

See please genuine Itur ha-Mofet in original olive wood box

Edited November 14, 2007 by Igor Ostapenko

[Igor Ostapenko]

Medal of IRGUN ( ETZEL )

[leigh kitchen]

Interesting medal, apart from finding Israeli awards interesting in themselves (I could find none to purchase on my 3 or 4 trips to Israel in the 1980's, only beret badges etc of that time) I'm also interested as my father was based in Israel / Palestine as a British infantryman crca 1945 - 48.

[Igor Ostapenko]

Medal 1946 .

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27603

Anybody have more information ?

[Kev in Deva]

ISRAELI COMMUNIST PARTY:

Seen recently on E-Bay, not a military item but interesting enough.

Kevin in Deva.

[Kev in Deva]

The Lebanese Communist Party (?)

Kevin in Deva.

[Igor Ostapenko]

USSR-Israeli Friendship Society badges 1948-1953 yy.

[Guest IMHF]

These are very nice, thank you for sharing these

Lorenzo

[leigh kitchen]

my "modern" Israeli badge collection of the late 70's early 80's was swapped years a go for three bearskins. I had an attack of the sensibles, modern stuff, why have I got it.

A few weeks ago I found a little survivor, alone & forgotten in the dust on the floor of the garage, having survived a couple of house moves. Small, grey metal, flimsy brooch pin.........I've put it somewhere, just don't know where.

And a few days ago I found this photo & description on "Historama's" website:

Rare Palmach breast emblem badge. Small white metal pin bearing the emblem of the Palmach - the "shock companies" of Israel's pre-State 'army' and forerunner to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Haganah ("self defense").

The pin was issued to everyone who was a Palmach member prior to 29 November 1947, the date on which the UN General Assembly passed a resolution to partition Palestine (i.e. the unofficial start of the 1947-49 Israeli War of Independence). The pin was usually worn on the flap of the left pocket of an army shirt/tunic, sometimes with cloth backing, though rarely seen worn. The Palmach existed as an independent armed force even after the IDF was created, until November 1948, when it was absorbed into the Israeli Army; it numbered about 6,500 fighters of whom 1,500 fell in the War of Independence. The Palmach pin was later replaced in 1951 by the blue and white War of Independence ribbon.

The pin is roughly 2cm tall and 1cm wide, with a simple safety pin soldiered at the back; not maker-marked; weight: 1 gram. In Palmach fashion, the pin is simple in manufacture but intricate in design. Of significance is that the Palmach had no other "official" wartime insigniae or issued badges except for this pin: this is the only officially issued identifying emblem worn by members of the Palmach.

The significance of the Palmach ("Plugot Makhatz"), founded in 1941, is two-fold: militarily it represented the epitome of pre-State Israel's pro-active doctrine of "coming out from behind the fences" and attacking the enemy on his terrain, its battle cry being "after me!"; the Palmach was commando trained and contained special foreign language companies (like German and Arabic). The Palmach contained land, air ("Pal-Avir") and sea ("Pal-Yam") forces. Eventually subsisting on the Kibbutz (Zionist communal farm community) movement under the tutelage of Yitzhak Tabenkin, the Palmach also absorbed and reflected the socialist ideal of Zionism, of working the land and living in a spartan socialist manner. The fusion of the military and socialist ideals of Zionist at that time turned the Palmach into an icon, whose membership was a way of life. Palmach culture in turn heavily influenced Israeli culture in every sphere, and many former Palmach members (Moshe Dayan, Yigal Allon, Yitzhak Rabin, Chaim Ghoury, Rechavam Zeevi) became prominent in Israeli political and cultural life, across the political spectrum.

Price $400 & I had at least half a dozen of them & never knew what they were.

Edited October 16, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[Guest IMHF]

Very nice can you post a picture of the reverse side:

Thank you

Lorenzo

[leigh kitchen]

The reverse, again from the Historama site:

[Igor Ostapenko]

My PALMACH badges

[Igor Ostapenko]

:unsure:

[Igor Ostapenko]

Israeli Award

[Igor Ostapenko]

pre-state awards

[Igor Ostapenko]

arrived from USA

[Igor Ostapenko]

PALMACH badge on INDEPENDENS WAR ribbon

[Guest IMHF]

Thank you all of these are very beautiful:

Lorenzo :love:

[leigh kitchen]

Now I know what they are they're even nicer - what's the medal on the left of post 71 please?

In fact I've just checked where I thought I'd seen it (Historama) - 4th Battalion of the "Har'el Brigade" of the Palmach.

Edited October 16, 2008 by leigh kitchen