Original Item. Only One Available. This is a great example of a Soviet Guards Badge from World War II. The only flaw with this piece is the cracking of enamel on the background and chipping in the star as shown. The badge retains its original backing which is maker marked. From the construction, we can tell that this is a wartime manufacture. The badge measures roughly 2¼ x 1⅝”.

Soviet Guards

The title of Guards within the Soviet Armed Forces was first introduced on 18 September 1941, at the direction of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (Stavka). By order No. 308 of the People's Commissar of Defence, the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st Rifle Divisions were renamed the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guards Rifle Divisions, respectively, for their distinguished service during the 1941 Yelnya Offensive. The Soviet 316th Rifle Division was renamed the 8th Guards Rifle Division on 18 November 1941, following the actions of the Panfilovtsy and was given the Panfilovskaya title in honor of its late commander Ivan Panfilov. By the end of 1941, the 107th, 120th, 64th, 316th, 78th, and 52nd Rifle Divisions had become the 5th through 10th Guards Rifle Divisions. By the end of the war, over 4,500 units, formations, and ships had received the Guards designation, including eleven field armies, six tank armies, 40 rifle corps, and 117 rifle divisions. However, not all Guards units received their status through combat: all artillery units equipped with Katyusha multiple rocket launchers were designated Guards Mortar units upon formation. Airborne units, already considered elite, were also formed as Guards rather than receiving the status through combat action. Some twenty Guards Airborne Brigades were converted into the 11th–16th Guards Rifle Divisions in December 1943.

The introduction of the title marked a shift away from the RevolutIonary symbolism of the Red Army as it referenced the Russian Imperial Guards. The units and formations awarded the Soviet Guard title received special Guards colors in accordance with the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On 21 May 1942, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR introduced Guards ranks, which allowed soldiers of Guards units to append the title to their ranks, for example a major in a Guards unit could be referred to as Guards Major and any soldier could be a Guardsman (Gvardeyets) rather than a just a Red Army man (Krasnoarmeyets). The decree also introduced Guards badges to be worn on the right side of the chest in all uniforms to distinguish those in Guards units from others. The institution of distinctive colors was extended to Guards field armies and corps in June 1943.