Infantry NCO

[Taz]

Well Paul,
I agree with Christophe on this, something is wrong with the complete ribbon bar. Even if it was upside down the order of the medal ribbons would still be incorrect.

I think it should be: Medal for the Capture of Berlin, Medal for the Liberation of Warsaw, Victory and Freedom Medal and then the Armed Forces in Service for the Country Medal ribbon.

Regards Eddie.

[PaulR]

Could he have been a Pole fighting for the Soviets? Post war ribbon bar config?

[Al-muell]

The second ribbon may be warsaw medal (if the stripes are yellow, tot white). In this case this is an upside-down mounted ribbon bar to a soviet soldier who was lucku enough to get polish awards or it belonged to a soldier of the Polish 1st/2nd Army in which case it either doesnot belong to this uniform or the soldier was a Soviet Citizen (of whatever nationality, but most likely Polish, Ukrainian or Belorussian) and returned to the Soviet Union after the War. However, in that case I would expect him to get VoG as well.

[PaulR]

I would expect a VoG as well, but I just read here(on this forum) that those medals too years to catch up to the members. Perhaps he was already in Poland or etc by that time and he did not pursue it?

I know- a lot of what-ifs... as far as I know, the bar can be a total fake, but it was made a long time ago and has been on the tunic for YEARS. (cloth contracted around the pin so hard that it is nearly impossible to remove it from the tunic).

[Al-muell]

If he was in Poland after the WW2 he would still have a great chance to get a VoG - I have seen VoG docs to Polish servicemen from late 1940's.
Also, if he was an ex-Red Army soldier living in Poland he would probably not have this uniform - hard to say for sure from these photographs, but this gimnastiorka looks post-war (50-60's).
I think that the ribbon bar is likely original, but was not originally on this shirt - could have been added to it in 1990's by a seller.
But better photographs would help.