Awards Worn Into Action

ANZAC · 02-04-2007, 02:41 AM

Quite a lot of period photos show Russian soldiers wearing their decorations in action. I have always wondered if these are posed or in fact actual action photos.

In reality they make a perfect target for a sniper also if there is more than one, they can make a clanking noise, which is not on as far as night patrols go.

Can anyone inform me on what the case is here? I am interested to know if the wearing of awards flows from the top echelon right down to the grunts on the ground who are at the sharp end.

ANZAC

***desantnik*** · 02-04-2007, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ANZAC

Quite a lot of period photos show Russian soldiers wearing their decorations in action. I have always wondered if these are posed or in fact actual action photos.

In reality they make a perfect target for a sniper also if there is more than one, they can make a clanking noise, which is not on as far as night patrols go.

Can anyone inform me on what the case is here? I am interested to know if the wearing of awards flows from the top echelon right down to the grunts on the ground who are at the sharp end.

ANZAC

Awards were worn during "combat" activities. It depends on your definition of "combat", but not every veteran is a steely eyed killer sneaking up to slit a sentry's throat in the middle of the night. Air crews, staff officers, and those close enough to the front to get killed by aerial bombs, artillery, enemy raids had plenty of reason to wear awards and not worry about detection.

Scouts, partisans, and those going behind enemy lines often removed them and left them in a safe place, but even then I've read memoirs of people parachuting behind enemy lines insisting on wearing their awards to show off their exploits, encourage others, etc.

kabanchik · 03-02-2007, 01:21 AM

I believe that the Soviet soldier probably DID wear his orders and medals into action for one simple reason: in a savage war of annihilation, such as that on the eastern front of WW2, the average Ivan knew that his life expectancy was not so good, and he wore his decorations simply because it might be the only chance he might have to do so, before the odds caught up with him.

ANZAC · 03-02-2007, 03:44 AM

In most cases you are quite right I believe. Life was to short why not wear them proudly while you can.

Brendan

Lapa · 03-02-2007, 04:40 AM

Kabanchik, Brendan,

It is also a very, very old Russian tradition for soldiers to wear their medals into action.

Marc

ibaya · 03-03-2007, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kabanchik

I believe that the Soviet soldier probably DID wear his orders and medals into action for one simple reason: in a savage war of annihilation, such as that on the eastern front of WW2, the average Ivan knew that his life expectancy was not so good, and he wore his decorations simply because it might be the only chance he might have to do so, before the odds caught up with him.

If the decorations were serial-numbered, it was also a means of identifying remains. "Orders and Medals of the USSR" mentions the case of Alexander Gorovets, Hero of the Soviet. Fourteen years after he was shot down, the wreckage was found by farmers, and his identity traced by the serial number on his Order of the Red Banner he was wearing.

ANZAC · 03-03-2007, 01:42 AM

I believe this is what you mean as far as wearing orders. Wow has he got enough Red Banners

Brendan

ibaya · 03-03-2007, 01:51 AM

I think it's safe to say that in the case of Soviet pilots, there were louder sounds to be heard than the clanking of their orders and medals!

kabanchik · 03-05-2007, 01:15 AM

Refresh my memory, please. Isn't the pilot of the Bell P39 Airacobra being congratulated in the above photo (the one with all the Orders of the Red Banner) Pokryshkin??

ANZAC · 03-05-2007, 02:00 AM

You are correct

Alexander Pokryshin credited with 59 victories.

Brendan

02-04-2007, 02:41 AM	#1
ANZAC Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Age: 59 Posts: 343	Awards Worn Into Action Quite a lot of period photos show Russian soldiers wearing their decorations in action. I have always wondered if these are posed or in fact actual action photos. In reality they make a perfect target for a sniper also if there is more than one, they can make a clanking noise, which is not on as far as night patrols go. Can anyone inform me on what the case is here? I am interested to know if the wearing of awards flows from the top echelon right down to the grunts on the ground who are at the sharp end. ANZAC __________________ "If we come to a minefield, our infantry attacks exactly as it were not there." Marshall Geogi Zhukov to General Eisenhower, 1945

03-02-2007, 03:44 AM	#4
ANZAC Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Age: 59 Posts: 343	In most cases you are quite right I believe. Life was to short why not wear them proudly while you can. Brendan __________________ "If we come to a minefield, our infantry attacks exactly as it were not there." Marshall Geogi Zhukov to General Eisenhower, 1945

03-05-2007, 02:00 AM	#10
ANZAC Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Age: 59 Posts: 343	You are correct Alexander Pokryshin credited with 59 victories. Brendan __________________ "If we come to a minefield, our infantry attacks exactly as it were not there." Marshall Geogi Zhukov to General Eisenhower, 1945

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03-02-2007, 01:21 AM	#3
kabanchik Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Huntington Beach, CA USA Age: 71 Posts: 80	I believe that the Soviet soldier probably DID wear his orders and medals into action for one simple reason: in a savage war of annihilation, such as that on the eastern front of WW2, the average Ivan knew that his life expectancy was not so good, and he wore his decorations simply because it might be the only chance he might have to do so, before the odds caught up with him.

03-02-2007, 04:40 AM	#5
Lapa Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: St Petersburg, Russia Age: 63 Posts: 2,397	Kabanchik, Brendan, It is also a very, very old Russian tradition for soldiers to wear their medals into action. Marc

03-03-2007, 01:51 AM	#8
ibaya Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Maryland, USA Age: 54 Posts: 200	I think it's safe to say that in the case of Soviet pilots, there were louder sounds to be heard than the clanking of their orders and medals!

03-05-2007, 01:15 AM	#9
kabanchik Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Huntington Beach, CA USA Age: 71 Posts: 80	Refresh my memory, please. Isn't the pilot of the Bell P39 Airacobra being congratulated in the above photo (the one with all the Orders of the Red Banner) Pokryshkin??

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