Order "People's Hero".

[Taz]

Here is the Hero of Yugoslavia and a great pic from Williams complete set of this award.

Instituted on 15 August 1943, in a single class, to award outstanding bravery in action.This order was instituted on august 15, 1943. The last example was awarded on may 16 1976 to Tito. From beginning until then totally awarded have been 45 to military units or other organizations, 22 to Non-Yugoslav persons and 1324 to Yugoslav citizens. The bearer of those orders were given special awards and conditions for lifetime. This order counts as one of the highest ranked orders of socialist Yugoslavia in the past WWII time. In the time the after WWII it was the highest rank order with the institution of the order of grand Yugoslav star it took 3rd rank in the orders list.

Eddie.

[Mark]

Cool you posted just the pic that I wanted!!! And before I even asked for it! Thank you very much it's a very nice pic! If you have more pics like this one, please post them.

[Dolf]

What is that ""hollow inside" thing?

I guess this one, being offered for $75.

Is this the tomback variation, or still another one?

Thanks,

Dolf

[HuliganRS]

That is the tombac variation.

There's no shortage of these!
It's the same seller selling them one at a time...

Rusty.

[Dolf]

Rusty,

So this one is the normal T3 mentioned in your list as made in Yugoslavia in "gilt bronze" ? Is tomback the same thing? Or are there two variations of these pieces made in Yugoslavia, apart the one in gold? One let's say normal 1st award in gilt bronze and another replacement piece in tomback for those who returned their original pieces to the State? :confused:

I wonder why would people have done that, I mean returning their original pieces to the State, and then have a replacement piece later?! :confused:

And what does it means "hollow inside"?!... :confused:

Thanks buddy,

Dolf

[HuliganRS]

It's the same thing. It may be an error on my part calling it a tombac.

Hollow inside means it's not a solid chunk of metal but rather made from two thin pieces that have been welded together. At least that's what I understand.

The story may not be correct with the recipient giving it back.

Rusty.

[Dejan]

If you ask me that one looks odd and more like cast one than tombak two piece type.You need much better pics to tell which one is that.
Also there was about 1300-1400 national heros of Yugoslavija and approx 400 alive when awarded.In early days untill mid sixties if died at that time fammilys had to return order to state office for orders.No raplacements and no second order were given to fammilys.
Regards
Dejan

[Lapa]

Guys,

I was browsing through Sasha's brand new thread in which he posted (incorrectly, I agree) some really nice pictures of 2 of these orders when it simply disappeared.

Rather than erasing an interesting thread, could our beloved moderators simply remove the offending threads and explain (once more...) to the culprit that he did a big boo-boo.

Anyway, here are those rare orders.
First Monetniy Dvor-made, in gold, weight 42-43g.

Marc

[Lapa]

And the IKOM-made one, in gold, 38g.

Marc

[UQWozza]

From: Wapedia - Wiki: Order of the People's Hero

The Order of the People's Hero (Serbo-Croatian: Orden narodnog heroja, Cyrillic script: Oрден народног хероја; Slovene: Red narodnega heroja, Macedonian: Oрден на народен херој) was a Yugoslav gallantry medal, the second highest military award in the SFR Yugoslavia, It was awarded to individuals, military units, political and other organisations who distinguished themselves by extraordinary heroic deeds during war and in peacetime. The recipients were thereafter known as People's Heroes of Yugoslavia. The vast majority was awarded to partisans for actions during the Second World War. A total of 1322 awards were awarded in Yugoslavia, and 22 were awarded to the foreigners [1] .

The bulletin of the Supreme commaned of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia no. 12-13 (December 1941 and January 1942) announced the establishment of the title of "People's Hero" for heroic and self-sacrifing participants of the People's Liberation Struggle. The first person to be awarded the title was Petar Leković. On 15 August 1943, the title was formalized as an order together with Order of the People's Liberation, Order of Bravery, Order of the Partisan Star, Order of Brotherhood and Unity and the Medal for Bravery.

The Order consists of an oval gold badge showing a soldier with rifle and banner superimposed upon a rayed star surrounded by a wreath of laurel. The badge is suspended from a red ribbon, with a narrow white stripe towards each edge. The design for this and the other Orders were undertaken by the painter Đorđe Andrejević Kun and the sculptor Antun Augustinčić. From its inception until around 1993, the Order had been awarded nearly 1,400 times. Marshal Josip Broz Tito was awarded the Order three times: in 1944, 1972 and 1977.

The holders of the order were entitled to certain benefits, like free fares on public transport, and pensions for the surviving family members of deceased people's heroes. Although the benefits have since been downscaled, post-Yugoslav countries still provide certain benefits to people's heroes. Many schools and streets in post-war Yugoslavia were named after people's heroes, and many of the names remain, to varying degrees in different successor countries.

Several cities in Yugoslavia were awarded the order, and proclaimed Hero Cities: Beograd, Cetinje, Drvar, Ljubljana, Novi Sad, Prilep, Pristina and Zagreb.

Awarded for | Distinguishing oneself by extraordinary heroic deeds
First awarded | 1942
Last awarded | 1993

Petar Leković became the first People's Hero in February 1942.
Marija Bursać became the first woman Hero at 15 October 1943.
Josip Broz Tito was awarded the order three times.

By 1957 1,220 awards to males and 87 to females, and 17 to foreigners including Rodion Malinovsky and Fyodor Tolbukhin.

The deaths section on page 5 is interesting - includes 3 buried alive, 3 strangled, 1 impaled and 1 burned on a skewer (stake?).

Simon