Medal Of Victory And Freedom 1945.

[Taz]

(Medal Zwyciestwa i Wolnosci 1945)

This Medal was instituted on October 26th, 1945 by decree of the Krajowa Rada Narodowa (National Council).
Awarded to both civilians and the military who participated in any way in the fight against nazi Germany in or outside the territory of Poland. The shape of the medal was slightly altered in 1946.
It is a bronze medal, with the diameter of 33 mm.
The obverse of the first type had a non-crowned eagle surrounded by a laurel wreath with the letters KRN (National Council).
In the second type the eagle was also uncrowned but the inscription was KRAJOWA RADA NARODOWA below are two oak sprays.
The reverse of both types has the inscription, RP / ZWYCIESTWO / I WOLNOSC / 9. V. 1945 (victory and freedom), The words are underlined.

The ribbon was originally 33 mm, half white and half red, since 1946 it has five alternate stripes, three red and two white.
Over 700,000 Medals were issued however the first type is classed as rare.

[medals73]

A document to a Soviet friend.

[medals73]

And the document from the group to Lt-Col. Mikhail Aleksandrovich Tolkachev.

[CtahhR]

These Medals are very easy to collect with large numbers of unissued (later) examples being available on the market.

[Al-muell]

The greater problem is docs. You can easily get the "large certificate", like shown in this thread or a later medal booklet, but "small certificates" are really hard to find and expensive. An example of such (the only one in my collection so far) can be seen in a thread about sr. sgt. Trusz's group.

[Bill Garvy]

Document for the Polish Medal of “Victory & Freedom” issued to Captain Vladimir Petrovich Monzul dated August 5th, 1946 by the Head of Counterintelligence, North Army Group, Lieutenant-General Zhabokritsky, Serial #69525.