Wearing Awards During Combat.

[Soviet]

Well I don't really know where to ask this question on the forum, but I would like to know which medals and orders were worn in combat? Were all the medals and orders delivered during the war worn in combat? What I mean by that is would the infantry man go with is Red banner or Nevsky to the front with it???

I know that medals of bravery, medals for combat service and some other liberation medals were worn during the battle. Which are they other one? And I'm not talking about high rank military man. I'm talking about single infantry man.

Thanks for your help.

Soviet

[Dolf]

Originally Posted by Soviet

Well I don't really know where to ask this question on the forum, but I would like to know which medals and orders were worn in combat? Were all the medals and orders delivered during the war worn in combat? What I mean by that is would the infantry man go with is Red banner or Nevsky to the front with it???

I know that medals of bravery, medals for combat service and some other liberation medals were worn during the battle. Which are they other one? And I'm not talking about high rank military man. I'm talking about single infantry man.

Thanks for your help.

Soviet

Bryan,

From some pictures I've seen here and there it seems that Red Army soldiers loved to wear their awards in any situation, and I believe it includes combat situation. But this is just a guess, I have no picture or other proof of this that I could provide.

Just my two cents,

Dolf

[desantnik]

"Grunts", foot soldiers often wore their medals, including suspension ones in combat and there is plenty of photographic and literary proof. Scouts, partisans, or those going behind enemy lines would remove their awards for safe keeping and leave them at HQ.

[Dolf]

Originally Posted by desantnik

"Grunts", foot soldiers often wore their medals, including suspension ones in combat and there is plenty of photographic and literary proof. Scouts, partisans, or those going behind enemy lines would remove their awards for safe keeping and leave them at HQ.

Paul,

I've seen pics of soldiers wearing their Medals (and I mean Medals) in combat situation, but amazingly I don't remember seing pics of soldiers wearing Orders! At least no screwback Orders, Nevsky for example, as Bryan mentions. Any reason or I just missed the right pics?

Thanks,

Dolf

[desantnik]

Well for one, most enlisted soldiers didn't receive orders. Although I can't prove the orders were worn in combat, I've seen several beat-up orders with chipped enamel and ancient patina. Also, if you think about it, screwback orders are much less obtrusive than suspension bravery and combat service medals that flop around. Now that I'm thinking about it I remember seeing tank crews with OPWs, but I can't put my hand on the picture.

[Alfred]

Originally Posted by Dolf

Paul,

I've seen pics of soldiers wearing their Medals (and I mean Medals) in combat situation, but amazingly I don't remember seing pics of soldiers wearing Orders! At least no screwback Orders, Nevsky for example, as Bryan mentions. Any reason or I just missed the right pics?

Thanks,

Dolf

Dolf,

there is a documentary film about the street fights of Berlin in 1945 with original movie sequences.

Somewhere here I posted a picture of the film with a major wearing a Nevski, a suspension OGPW and two red banner during the street fights in Berlin.

regards
Andreas

Here is the link: http://www.soviet-awards.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=4445

[order of glory]

Soviet,

Good question?

You ask: Were all the medals and orders delivered during the war worn in combat? What I mean by that is would the infantry man go with is Red banner or Nevsky to the front with it???

In my meager understanding of the reason that medal/orders were worn was more than just showing their accomplishments, but rather as "get out of jail free card". Certain privileges came with awards. To prevent extra duty or even physical punishment a soldier would use the order as a warning sign that he was off limits from the wrath of sergeants and officers. Likewise it would be logical for junior officers to use their orders as a buffer against more senior officers. For senior officers maybe it was more of a status symbol. Just my thoughts.

As mentioned above, enlisted were not recipients of many orders. By statute, each order was given to a restricted rank structure. I believe the Nevsky for example was awarded to officers who commanded platoons through divisions. Other orders were for any soldier or seaman, yet some were for marshals only.

LRE

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Soviet

Well I don't really know where to ask this question on the forum, but I would like to know which medals and orders were worn in combat? Were all the medals and orders delivered during the war worn in combat? What I mean by that is would the infantry man go with is Red banner or Nevsky to the front with it???

Bryan,

Nevsky could only be awarded to officers. Therefore, it is impossible for an infantry man to have one let alone wear it in combat. The only exception could be an officer who was discharged and sent to a penal company.

Red Army soldiers went into combat wearing all of their awards. Many sources state that regulations required military personnel to wear all their orders and medals.

Wearing screwback orders in combat must have been an unpleasant experience. Imagine a pain from a rifle recoil magnified by a screwbolt that pushed into your chest. Ouch!

Cheers,

Simon

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by Simon

Bryan,

Red Army soldiers went into combat wearing all of their awards. Many sources state that regulations required military personnel to wear all their orders and medals.

Simon, thank you for your input, however, I personally wouldn't make this statement so categorically. Photographic evidence, common sense, and thousands of different units with different standard operating procedures show otherwise.

[Dolf]

Originally Posted by desantnik

Well for one, most enlisted soldiers didn't receive orders. Although I can't prove the orders were worn in combat, I've seen several beat-up orders with chipped enamel and ancient patina. Also, if you think about it, screwback orders are much less obtrusive than suspension bravery and combat service medals that flop around. Now that I'm thinking about it I remember seeing tank crews with OPWs, but I can't put my hand on the picture.

Paul,

When I used the word "soldiers" I wasn't making a difference between ranks, either privates or officers. I know only officers could get a Nevsky, but privates or non-officer soldiers could get other screwback Orders, such like the OGPW and the ORS, right?

So what I can't remember seing is a picture of a soldier (private or officer) wearing screwback Orders (Nevsky for officers or OGPW or ORS for non-officers) in battle. And I mean fighting in real combat situation, not in the rear, or in an HQ no matter how far or close to the front line.

And in fact this doesn't make much sense as I completely agree when you say that "screwback orders are much less obtrusive than suspension bravery and combat service medals that flop around".

Anyway, I guess that either I simply haven't seen the right pics, or if I did my memory didn't retain that info.

Dolf