Medal "For Military Merit".

[bayoswede]

Here is an interesting small group I bought recently
Two Combat merit medals to the same man.

Colonel Nikola Kryetev Grigarov ( I think) got his first merit in October 1953 and his second 29 April 1954. Is it unusual to get two merit medals in 6 months? And for what deeds could he got theese?

He has also an early 1941-44 Order 2nd class.
Later on he became a General has I been told.

:)

Regards from Sweden
christer

[CtahhR]

The Medal "For Military Merit" was founded on the 13th December 1950 and was the first non-commemorative military medal of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. The medals "For Labour Distinction" and "For Motherhood" 1st and 2nd Class were also instituted on the same day as were the Orders "Red Banner", "Red Banner Of Labour", "Kiril And Methodij" and "Maternal Glory", all very much based on the Soviet award system.

Awarded for "Skill and Bravery in Battle" (The PRB did not go to "battle" during its history) or "For guarding and securing nation's independence and security".

So far I have observed four variations of this medal. The "Small" variety which is 31mm in diameter and then three different thickness of the "normal" sized 33mm diameter medal, 1.68mm (Thin), 2.4mm (Medium), 2.7mm (Thick). The latter 33mm diameter and 2.7mm thick medal is by far the most common and can be found in abundance, mainly unissued. All variations had the full sized 5 sided suspension. In the early days of this medal's awarding the award was recorded in an Order Booklet with the word Order crossed out and "Medal" written or stamped beside. Medal booklets were used from 1953 but Order booklets can also be found from after their introduction. To date the earliest awarding of the medal I have observed is from March 1951 and the latest from 1957. With the introduction of Long Service medals in 1959 and "For Merit" medals for each "Service" in the 1970's this medal became redundant. Nearly every serviceman and woman of the 1950's earned this award and sometimes repeatedly. There will be as many as hundreds of thousands of them. This was not a retrospective award for service during the "Patriotic War".

The first "For Military Merit" Medal will probably be for five years service and the second for actual merit. The fact that the first medal wasn't issued earlier may have been due to a backlog of service medals for five years service as the medal wasn't instituted until 1950 and the second was probably issued closer to award.

A little update,
Unfortunately I haven't got the freedom of time to measure all of the examples of this Medal in the collection at this time (well over 100) but I have noted at least 8 variations of the "Large" Type. With diameters in the 32.7 to 33.1mm range and thickness of 1.8 to 2.9mm, with two different "mistruck" Variations (both 33mm in diameter). It makes Soviet awards seem to have very little variation in comparison.