Regimental badge

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The regimental badge (eng. Regimental badges, Polish. Odznaki pułkowe, Russ. Polkowyje nagrudnyje znaki, Полковые нагрудные знаки) were orden similar plug-crosses that of the officers of the Russian army until 1917 and the Polish Army of the 2nd Republic (1918-1939) on the left chest were worn to the uniform.

In both countries they are divided into the following sections:

Academy badges that graduates from various war academies were allowed to wear;

Regimental badges that were awarded by the regimental commander for good performance.

Russian regimental badge

In Russia, the first regimental badge was created in 1712 by Peter I , who also named various regiments after Russian cities and regions and gave them corresponding coats of arms. On March 8, 1730, the coat of arms of all regiments was confirmed by the Senate . They figured on all flags, seals, and caps and soon appeared on the officers' breast crosses. During the reign of Paul I , the custom disappeared and only returned around 1850 in the form of tokens or curls , small, often delightfully crafted badges that were attached to a uniform button with a chain.

It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that the regimental badge finally took on the form of the symbol of a military unit or a military academy. Its use and manner of wearing were strictly regulated by imperial regulations.

The badges for officers were made of precious metals and enameled, those for NCOs and (rarely) men were made of copper and were not enamelled. The largest group among them are crosses with screws or needles, but there were also many badges that had the shape of a tsar's eagle or a tsar's name code. The various symbols and dates that appear on them are always linked to the regimental history and tradition. There were around 500 regimental and school badges.

Polish regimental badge

In Poland, the first regimental badges began to emerge during the Polish-Soviet War (1919–1921). Among them are also front badges for fighters on different fronts of this war, which were later no longer worn. As in Russia, there were enameled badges made of precious metal for officers and made of copper alloy for non-commissioned officers and men, but some regiments had the same simple metal badge for all of their members. As in Russia, the symbols on them relate to the history of the regiment and the battles in which the regiment took part, but also to the names of kings, such as Bolesław I or John III. Sobieski , or famous Polish generals such as Josef Anton Poniatowski , who carried the regiment, or symbols of the folklore of the regions where the regiment was stationed (for example the swastika or edelweiss appears on the badges of the mountain troops and on the badge of the 21st Field Artillery Regiment , the all had their locations in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains). Most of the Polish regimental badges are crosses with screw and nut, which were worn on the left breast pocket 4 cm below the button. There were about 131 regimental badges in total. There are also the above-mentioned front badges and association badges of the Belarusian and Ukrainian troops who fought together with the Poles against the Bolsheviks , e.g. B. the troops of Ataman Symon Petljura .

From 1939 the regimental badges went out of use. Even after 1990 the tradition was not taken up again.

literature

  • Serge Andolenko : Histoire de l'armée Russe . Flammarion, Paris 1966.
  • Guido Rosignoli: Badges of rank and honor of the armies of World War II . Heyne, Munich 1975/76
  1. England, Poland, Belgium, Italy, USSR, USA, Germany . 1975, ISBN 3-453-81013-9 .
  2. British Commonwealth, South Africa, Finland, France, Japan, Netherlands, Yugoslavia, China, Denmark, Czechoslovakia . 1976, ISBN 3-453-81020-1 .