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+---- Thread: Wearing Awards During Combat. (/Thread-Wearing-Awards-During-Combat)
Wearing Awards During Combat. - Jeffrey Meffert - 07-01-2009
Off topic but related to photo above: What I've found interesting is illustrated in the photo above with the victory markings on the Airocobra. Most fighter pilots mark their victories with the symbol of the enemy shot down (swastika, rising sun). The soviets marked their victories with red stars. Will have to mull over psychological implication/explanation for that.
Wearing Awards During Combat. - Stahanov - 07-01-2009
I was wondering exactly the same about the kill markings!
Wearing Awards During Combat. - Bill Garvy - 07-01-2009
The Germans also had cloth versions of their badges, i.e. Pilot's Badge, Paratrooper Badge, and even their Iron Cross in 1st Class.
Wearing Awards During Combat. - deValcourt - 07-02-2009
Stahanov Wrote:Wearing awards to combat seems (seemed) to be a peculiarly Soviet habit. I'm not 100 % sure, but I don't think any other country involved in the Second World War did it. I certainly would wear mine just to show the enemy what a badass I am.
To put it simply: if you know young Russian males, you get why they would want to wear any shiny award everywhere they could - it was the "bling" of the day!
OK - admitedly a bad joke, but in every joke...a grain of truth?:idea
Anybody ever been shopping for clothes in Moscow anywhere but the Arbat or the "GUM"? If yes, then you know what I'm talking about.
Phillip
Wearing Awards During Combat. - ade stevenson - 07-02-2009
Hi Stah, I feel this is more of a Russian tradition which carried over into Soviet times. The story I have heard is that during Tsarist days, disipline was brutal with soldiers being hit by their NCO's. It got noticed that decorated soldiers tended to get hit much less. So everyone wore their medals at all times as a result. Now how true all of this is I have no idea!
Cheers, Ade.
Wearing Awards During Combat. - Bob - 07-04-2009
:thumbsup
dav1941 Wrote:I understand if the common soldier did not feel comfortable wearing a more valuable medal or order into combat that a regimental clerk would secure it for him in the event of his death. Pilots were also more apt to wear their awards. Not to say this always happened as I have heard a story of an Order of the Red Banner of Military Valor (Mongolian) being found in the pocket of dead German soldier. Probably a souvenir no doubt
Where did the Mongolia story come from? Thanks
Wearing Awards During Combat. - Simon - 07-05-2009
ade stevenson Wrote:Hi Stah, I feel this is more of a Russian tradition which carried over into Soviet times. The story I have heard is that during Tsarist days, disipline was brutal with soldiers being hit by their NCO's. It got noticed that decorated soldiers tended to get hit much less. So everyone wore their medals at all times as a result. Now how true all of this is I have no idea!
Cheers, Ade.
By July 15, 1808 decree St. George Cross recipients were exempt from corporal punishment.
As for Soviet times, especially during 1930's and GPW years, orders, medals and even badges were a major status symbol. The awardees showed their decorations to get respect from others. Even many civilians and discharges soldiers wore their orders daily.
Wearing Awards During Combat. - Simon - 07-05-2009
Jeffrey Meffert Wrote:Off topic but related to photo above: What I've found interesting is illustrated in the photo above with the victory markings on the Airocobra. Most fighter pilots mark their victories with the symbol of the enemy shot down (swastika, rising sun). The soviets marked their victories with red stars. Will have to mull over psychological implication/explanation for that.
The pic on this thread indeed shows victory markings that look like red stars. However, Soviet GPW planes that I have seen in movies and museums have white stars as kill marks. I think that the star was chosen since it was a traditional Soviet symbol. Recall how many Soviet orders and badges are shaped as stars. Swastika, the symbol of Nazism, is so despised that it is still illegal in a number of countries. It is obvious why swastika was the last drawing Soviet pilots wanted on their airplanes.
Wearing Awards During Combat. - ade stevenson - 07-05-2009
Thanks Simon. That lends some credence to what I had heard.
Cheers, Ade.
Wearing Awards During Combat. - Commissar - 07-05-2009
Simon Wrote:By July 15, 1808 decree St. George Cross recipients were exempt from corporal punishment.
As for Soviet times, especially during 1930's and GPW years, orders, medals and even badges were a major status symbol. The awardees showed their decorations to get respect from others. Even many civilians and discharges soldiers wore their orders daily.
I'm not surprised to hear this, in many pictures of life in modern day Russia and former Soviet countries I can always spot some older man or woman with a medal pinned to their otherwise plain and business-like attire.
