Unresearchable Awards List

[Will]

I have an Order of the Red Banner, serial number 560,531.
I asked a researcher in Russia to assist, and I was surprised when he came back to me several weeks later and said that there was no record of it by serial number.

He is checking the KGB archives, but I'm not optimistic, of course.

Is there any explanation as to why a Red Banner could not be researched?

[RedMaestro2]

Originally Posted by Will

I have an Order of the Red Banner, serial number 560,531.
I asked a researcher in Russia to assist, and I was surprised when he came back to me several weeks later and said that there was no record of it by serial number.

He is checking the KGB archives, but I'm not optimistic, of course.

Is there any explanation as to why a Red Banner could not be researched?

It could also be an award to a veteran of the October revolution. Those can't be researched generally.

[Will]

Alex, that's an interesting thought.

I have an unnumbered Bravery Medal, and the award book indicates that it was awarded in late 1967. A respected member of this forum tried to research it by the name which was, apparently, quite unusual. However he found nothing. I have suspected that the medal might well have been awarded to a veteran of the revolution on the 50th anniversary.

As to this ORB, a dealer has an ORB for sale on his site which bears a number less than 2,500 higher than mine, and his was apparently awarded in 1957 to a Cold War bomber pilot. So I suppose that it is possible that mine was an award made to a veteran of the revolution on the 40th anniversary.

Unfortunately, we'll probably never know for sure unless someone finds a list in the archives that recorded such awards. :(

[RedMaestro2]

Originally Posted by Will

Alex, that's an interesting thought.

I have an unnumbered Bravery Medal, and the award book indicates that it was awarded in late 1967. A respected member of this forum tried to research it by the name which was, apparently, quite unusual. However he found nothing. I have suspected that the medal might well have been awarded to a veteran of the revolution on the 50th anniversary.

As to this ORB, a dealer has an ORB for sale on his site which bears a number less than 2,500 higher than mine, and his was apparently awarded in 1957 to a Cold War bomber pilot. So I suppose that it is possible that mine was an award made to a veteran of the revolution on the 40th anniversary.

Unfortunately, we'll probably never know for sure unless someone finds a list in the archives that recorded such awards. :(

Will, I would also guess that the 1967 bravery medal is a revolution award. If the name points to a specific nationality, you might ask a researcher to check the revolution awards decree for that region (awardees were listed by region). I've never tried this, so I don't know if it actually is possible. Even if it were, I'm not sure it would be worth it. In any case, it would be great if you could post the award on the forum somewhere!

Back to the Red Banner: with serial numbers this high, it could be anything. There are Red Banners numbered about 50,000 lower than yours awarded for Afghanistan, and there are some less than 1,000 away awarded in 1997 for actions in WWII. It's totally arbitrary. I suggested a 50th anniversary of the revolution award because those are typically unsearchable. As far as I am aware, there was no decree for the 40th anniversary of the revolution.

So yes, without archival documents, we will never know. :(

Cheers,
Alex

[Will]

I'll try to post some photos of the award book.
The medal itself is just a standard, unnumbered Bravery Medal.

[JensF.]

Unfortunately my early Red Banner #50060 can't be researched too and I think it should be a very interesting and early one from around 1942/43.

[medals73]

Originally Posted by JensF.

Unfortunately my early Red Banner #50060 can't be researched too and I think it should be a very interesting and early one from around 1942/43.

Yes, it is pretty random. I have repeatedly (!) come up empty on Red Banners 33254, 381808, 438415, and 440621. And on other stuff too.

:confused:

[warsaw45]

Hi.... my archive researcher has said that nothing can be found in the archive for the above ORS. Any ideas why this might be ? Is it a common occurrence ?

[desantnik]

It is "common." Absence of research can indicate naval, NKVD/security services, civilian, or just plain bureaucratic oversight.

[warsaw45]

Interesting! :) Pity I didn't have the award booklet with it Thanks for responding