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+----- Thread: Swapping medals (/Thread-Swapping-medals)
Swapping medals - jefflgarrison - 12-31-2006
Anyone ever heard of Soviet soldiers swapping the medals they were given with soldiers from another country during the war?
I know it is a stupid question but it will lay to rest one of my wonders about a medal I have.
Thanks.
Swapping medals - Tretov - 12-31-2006
I've understood that the awards were actually property of the Soviet state, and in those times - I am not sure I would dare to swap them for some foreign nicknack?
Swapping medals - willie777 - 12-31-2006
Your superiors are still gonna notice a missing "Combat Service" medal if you ever march on parade.
Swapping medals - kingsnorth - 12-31-2006
I'm not sure about swapping medals when Stalin was alive but they certainly swapped/sold them during the latter years of the USSR.A friend of mine built up a good collection of Soviet awards when he was in the army and posted
to Germany.He made regular journeys into East Germany as I did.
Unfortunately I wasn't a collector then damn it.
Cheers
Keith
Swapping medals - January - 12-31-2006
I know that firefighters have something of a tradition of swapping cap badges. (I got a wonderful pre-1975 Nigerian National Fire Brigade cap badge from a retired firefighter in the UK last year.) It would make more sense with any given piece of uniform accoutrement other than a medal, though, since things like cap badges and collar tabs could easily be purchased.
Perhaps the veteran whose awards you got was a collector himself?
Swapping medals - jefflgarrison - 01-01-2007
According to the nephew the swap, if it was a swap, was done in spring 1945 on the Drava in Hungary.
Makes me think he was awarded the star and didn't swap it.
Swapping medals - desantnik - 01-01-2007
Jeff, Russians are extremely generous and crazy things do happen, especially after copious vodka toasts to victory, but I really doubt a swap of a combat decoration would have occurred. A Guards badge or cap star - maybe, but an order or medal - unlikely.