Partisan Nikola Georgiev Nachev.

[CtahhR]

Here is an enigma of a group to Partisan Nikola Georgiev Nachev.

An active participant in the "anti-fascist struggle" yet seemingly never a member of the regular army.

1945-08-12 Medal ''For Victory Over Germany In The Great Patriotic War 1941-1945''
1949-06-01 Badge "Ready For Labour And Defence" #81031
1951-11-23 Medal "For Participation In The Anti-Fascist Struggle" #759
1954-06-29 Medal "For Military Merit"
1957-01-03 Medal ''For Participation In The Antifascist Struggle'' #18096
1964 Jubilee Medal ''20th Anniversary Of The Bulgarian People's Army''
1968-11-15 Order ''People's Liberty 1941-1944'' 2nd Class
1969-08-30 Jubilee Medal ''25th Anniversary Of People's Rule''
1969-09-22 Jubilee Medal ''25th Anniversary Of The Bulgarian People's Army''
1974-02-25 Order ''9th September 1944'' 3rd Class
1975 Medal ''30th Anniversary Of Victory Over Fascist Germany'' #040924
1978-03-02 Jubilee Medal ''100th Anniversary Of The Liberation Of Bulgaria From Ottoman Rule 3-3-1878-3-3-1978''


Here we have his Workers Youth League Membership. Born in 1924 and apparently a member of the youth wing of the banned communist party from 1939 and a paid up member from within a week of the Fatherland Front taking power.

[CtahhR]

It is a little different to the usual to be awarded the "Patriotic War" Medal by the Soviet Union but not the Bulgarian equivalent. This may be due to his "Partisan" activities which benefited the Soviet Union occurred before Bulgaria's "Patriotic War".

Nachev may well have been busy on the "home front" working with youth brigades in 1949 (at the age of 25) he was ready for labour and defence.

Nachev's first Medal ''For Participation In The Anti-Fascist Struggle'' is of a rather low number and surprisingly lower than some earlier dated awards.

[CtahhR]

His Medal "For Military Merit" was most likely awarded for 10 years service in the reserve or in a civil service (such as Railways). As all of his awards are either mass awardings or awarded without a citation it isn't overly obvious. He is awarded a pair of army commemoratives but is not photographed in an Armed Forces uniform at any time although he is wearing rank insignia.

His second Medal ''For Participation In The Anti-Fascist Struggle'' has a considerably higher number of 18096. The reason for two of these awards is also unknown, he may have participated to the struggle in two distinct ways or his name may have cycled the books.

[CtahhR]

His Jubilee Medal ''20th Anniversary Of The Bulgarian People's Army'' was awarded during his stint in the reserve.

His Order ''People's Liberty 1941-1944'' 2nd Class is part of the early mass awards celebrating the 25th anniversary of the "Fatherland Front".

Notice the rank tabs.

[CtahhR]

Two more commemoratives and a Gramota sent on behalf of General Dzhurev and the Ministry Of National Defence offering thanks in recognition of service during the "Patriotic War", on its 25th anniversary but not person specific.

[CtahhR]

His Order ''9th September 1944'' 3rd Class was awarded for the 30th anniversary of the "Fatherland Front" and Medal ''30th Anniversary Of Victory Over Fascist Germany'' #040924 which isn't particularly high or low in serial.

[CtahhR]

Finally his Bulgarian Partisan Antifascist Union membership.

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by CtahhR

It is a little different to the usual to be awarded the "Patriotic War" Medal by the Soviet Union but not the Bulgarian equivalent. This may be due to his "Partisan" activities which benefited the Soviet Union occurred before Bulgaria's "Patriotic War".

And this isn't just a run-of-the-mill awarding. First, extremely early (AUG 45) and second, signed (or stamped) by Marshal Tolbukhin as Southern Group of Forces commander.

[CtahhR]

The lion's share of awards to Bulgarians happened mid August 1945.

http://soviet-awards.com/forum/sovie...tml#post166102

All stamped with the Marshal's signature as his "Southern Group" was occupying Bulgaria at the time.

I have no official information regarding the number of these Medals awarded to Bulgarians but it must be in the tens of thousands.

[desantnik]

Cool. I forgot to add the originally discussed VoG medal of this thread identifies his rank in a non-existent Russian rank "podofitser" - I'm assuming imitating the German unterofizier or noncommissioned officer.