01-26-2003, 04:01 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-18-2003, 02:27 PM by slava1stclass.)
To all:
Dave's pictures support my theory (repeated below from a previous post) that an exception was made for those Red Army personnel of G.O./Marshall rank:
"I agree that the likely reason there is no reference to the U.S. decorations in his records is the fact that post-WW II relations with the USSR were defined by the Cold War mindset. That said, it would have been very difficult for the average Red Army soldier to have decorations from an "avowed" enemy reflected in his service record. When further placed in the context of the NKVD/KGB's espionage paranoia, this makes perfect sense. I personally think, however, that the Soviet regime likely viewed WW II U.S. awards in a very different light when it became a matter of the senior Red Army officers holding G.O./Marshal rank."
Dave's photo of MSU Rokossovskiy also raises a very interesting new development. Information currently available from U.S. War Department GOs and other sources indicates that the only Red Army officer to be awarded the LOM in the degree of Chief Commander was MSU Zhukov. I have a copy of the WD GO for Zhukov's award. Dave's photo now suggests otherwise. I'll review my Red Army LOM data for Rokossovskiy's LOM info. I can verify Chuikov's DSC as being authorized by a WD GO. More to follow...
P.S. Munroe, the photo evidence of the GCB for Zhukov and KCB for Rokossovskiy supports my earlier message to you ref them likely being awarded these by the Brits in Berlin in the summer of 1945. I've seen photos of the ceremony. General of the Army Sokolovskiy received the KBE at the same ceremony.
Regards,
slava1stclass
Dave's pictures support my theory (repeated below from a previous post) that an exception was made for those Red Army personnel of G.O./Marshall rank:
"I agree that the likely reason there is no reference to the U.S. decorations in his records is the fact that post-WW II relations with the USSR were defined by the Cold War mindset. That said, it would have been very difficult for the average Red Army soldier to have decorations from an "avowed" enemy reflected in his service record. When further placed in the context of the NKVD/KGB's espionage paranoia, this makes perfect sense. I personally think, however, that the Soviet regime likely viewed WW II U.S. awards in a very different light when it became a matter of the senior Red Army officers holding G.O./Marshal rank."
Dave's photo of MSU Rokossovskiy also raises a very interesting new development. Information currently available from U.S. War Department GOs and other sources indicates that the only Red Army officer to be awarded the LOM in the degree of Chief Commander was MSU Zhukov. I have a copy of the WD GO for Zhukov's award. Dave's photo now suggests otherwise. I'll review my Red Army LOM data for Rokossovskiy's LOM info. I can verify Chuikov's DSC as being authorized by a WD GO. More to follow...
P.S. Munroe, the photo evidence of the GCB for Zhukov and KCB for Rokossovskiy supports my earlier message to you ref them likely being awarded these by the Brits in Berlin in the summer of 1945. I've seen photos of the ceremony. General of the Army Sokolovskiy received the KBE at the same ceremony.
Regards,
slava1stclass
