MGB Unit flags 1946-1953

[DougD]

The MGB was the main state agency in the postwar years (1946-1953) that led the final elimination of the nationalist Ukrainian Partisans by the early/mid 1950's.

For fighting the partisans in (mostly) western Ukraine a few MGB units were awarded unit flags by local organizations. It is not clear if these flags then took the place of the standard M1942/3 'large star' unit flags or were used along side them. Because these flags were awards they did not have to comply with strict unit flag design. In the past fifteen years I have seen only the two that are part of this thread.

This first is for the 62nd MGB Internal Troops Rifle Division. Note the Stalin and Lenin portraits on the reverse of the flag and that it was awarded by an Obkom in Ukraine. Rumor is that this unit was the spearhead in killing Roman Shushkevich.

The material of the flag is the traditional unit flag material; the person who photographed this one (it is in a private collection) used a bright flash and thus it looks a bit lighter than it is in reality.