British Awards Bestowed On Red Army Personnel During World War II

[slava1stclass]

To all:

On 12 July 1945, Field Marshal Montgomery, acting on behalf of the King of England, presented honorary British knighthoods to the following Red Army officers:

Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov; Commander, 1st Belorussian Front - Knight Grand Cross of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (G.C.B.)

Marshal of the Soviet Union Rokossovskiy; Commander, 2nd Belorussian Front - Knight Commander of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (K.C.B.)

General of the Army Sokolovskiy; Deputy Commander, 1st Belorussian Front - Knight Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.)

Colonel General Malinin; Chief of Staff, 1st Belorussian Front - Knight Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.)

The ceremony took place in the heart of shattered Berlin directly underneath the Brandenburg Gate. The Kings Company of the Grenadier Guards formed the Guard of Honor with tanks of the Kings 8th Royal Irish Hussars drawn up on either side.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

Here is a very nice color image of the day in question shortly after the honorary knighthoods were bestowed. From left to right in the picture: Zhukov, Montgomery, Rokossovskiy, Sokolovskiy and Malinin. Notice that Zhukov wears the broad scarlet sash for the GCB (from his right shoulder to his left hip) and that all the Soviet recipients carry their award cases - Zhukov in his right hand and the others in their left. Note, too, Rokossovskiy's KCB neck decoration and Sokolovskiy's KBE neck decoration.

Regards,

slava1stclass