Photographs Of Recipients Of Soviet Awards/Service Personnel.

[vvadim]

This is only my understanding, but I read awhile back that it was not until the 1970's that Soviet airborne units had their own separate existence. Before then the airborne units were spread throughout other branches of the combat arms and, as such, would wear the branch insignia of the units to which they were assigned, with only the paratrooper badge on their uniforms to show that they were airborne troops.

Airborne troops on June 3 1946 were transferred from Air force to ground forces of Soviet Army. And wile remain intact each unit within Air borne division was wearing uniform and insignia of appropriate army branch (I.e. artillery, armor, infantry etc.) with air borne patch on the sleeve. In 1955 sleeve patch was replaced with air borne emblem.
This is example from 1955 regulation for air borne infantry units.