About ribbon bars

[Tal Inbar]

Faked & Fantasy ribbon bars (Fruit salad)

[DougD]

The set you show is typical of the 'covered' style used on uniforms in the 1960's and 1970's. They show up all the time, doubt its a fake.

You still got it for a good price.

DD

[Nack]

Can anyone tell me when the change from the narrow, pin-back ribbon bars to the sew-on, fruit-salad ribbon bars occured?

I have some photos of, what I think are, men in M69 service uniforms wearing narrow ribbon bars. Was that common during the 1969-early 70's time period?

[textorpmt]

I have a reference work that tells me the prededence of soviet awards and medals. I know that they are displayed on the current uniform like they are on US uniforms. (wearers right to left, down each row of medals.)

What I don't know is how they were place when worn diaganally!

Was the order up to down, or still right to left, when each row having on 2 or three medals in it?

Also, I have seen the green work uniform with the medals worn diaganally.
I have been told that this practice stopped in the early to mid 80's. Also that
only enlisted ranks wore them like that. What is the real story? I have air force majors uniform and would like to dress it with the appropriate placement of medals.

Any help or references would be very much appreciated.

Phillip

[January]

They went from bottom to top, so that your highest order would be the bottom award (as worn). Doesn't seem to be any limit on how many awards per row when worn like that--I've seen a photo of a hero wearing eight awards in one (diagonal) row and three Irreproachable Service medals in the row beneath it. The uniform reg books have some decent illustrations showing some variations.

I can assure you that officers did definately wear their awards diagonally. There is a picture of one such officer on the cover of the Comprehensive Guide to Soviet Orders and Medals; there are many, many more such photos as evidence.

Here is a thread with a great Air Force uniform with awards displayed diagonally; it might help give you some ideas for yours:
Meet Mikhail...A work in progress

I really like the diagonal placement, myself. I'm not aware of any other militaries that wear awards like that (although they could well be out there).

[ibaya]

Just think of the orders and medals arranged in the regular fashion, just tilted! So the order of precedence is is followed, with the superior decoration to its own right in relation to inferior ones, and going top-down for multiple rows.

[latinmajorac]

Originally Posted by January

They went from bottom to top, so that your highest order would be the bottom award (as worn). Doesn't seem to be any limit on how many awards per row when worn like that--I've seen a photo of a hero wearing eight awards in one (diagonal) row and three Irreproachable Service medals in the row beneath it. The uniform reg books have some decent illustrations showing some variations.

I can assure you that officers did definately wear their awards diagonally. There is a picture of one such officer on the cover of the Comprehensive Guide to Soviet Orders and Medals; there are many, many more such photos as evidence.

Here is a thread with a great Air Force uniform with awards displayed diagonally; it might help give you some ideas for yours:
Meet Mikhail...A work in progress

I really like the diagonal placement, myself. I'm not aware of any other militaries that wear awards like that (although they could well be out there).

you will notice though, mikhail is wearing an M49

i dont' think the diagonal placement is appropriate on the M69 however, this woudl be a decent point to bring up...

[ibaya]

latinmajorac,

For lack of specific editions of the uniform regulations spelling out when it was authorized or not authorized, I think it was mostly a matter of how to best fit all the decorations on the uniform. There are lots of examples of post-1949 uniforms with decorations worn diagonally ... the only criteria I can think of that precludes it is the lack of a fold-down open collar.

[Jeffrey Meffert]

are OK on an M69 until 1972 when they went horizontal. So technically you shouldn't have something like a 30 year GPW anniversary as part of a diagonal mount.

[January]

Originally Posted by latinmajorac

you will notice though, mikhail is wearing an M49

i dont' think the diagonal placement is appropriate on the M69 however, this woudl be a decent point to bring up...

I've attached some pics of diagonal awards being worn with the M69 uniform from "Военная одежда Вооруженных сил СССР и России 1917-1990" (an official history of uniform regs). I thought the illustration of a woman wearing diagonal awards was interesting (they seem to go under her jacket). M69 are the last uniforms shown with awards like this, however.

I do have issues of Soviet Military Review magazine from as late as 1977 that show photos of awards being worn diagonally. Seems to have been more common in the Navy.