ORDERS AND MEDALS OF THE TWO MOST FAMOUS RUSSI~ M~SHALS

Frank C. Dennis

The next four photographs are unique in every respect. They are OFFICIAL photos of the Soviet and the Polish Co~snunist Governments.

The photograph of Marshal GeorglJ Zhukov is in black and white, but to my knowledge the finest and clearest on record. He is wearing a ~rshal’s cap, gala uniform and Orders and Decorations not seen so frequently on one person.

He is wearing the Marshal’s Star over his neck tie. Then one can see 4 Heroes of the Soviet Union (the only one in Russia). He has 2 Orders of Victory, the highest Yugoslav Military Order, the Order of Freedom, a red 5-pointed star, 2 Orders of Kutuzov, the Grand Cross df the Military Order of the White Lion for Victory, and the ist Class Star of the Order of the White Lion, the large Czechoslovak Star. To the left is the Grand Cross of this Orders which is usually hanging from a sash and underneath is the Grand Cross of Virtuti Militari, usually hanging from the sash, but taken off and the ist Class Order of the Cross of Grunewald, the C~echoslovak War Cross and Order of the Red Banner. He has 4 Orders of Lenin and 3 Orders of the Red Banner. On his right side one can see from the top, 2 unidentified Soviet Orders. The Grand Cross Plaque of Virtuti Milltari, Chief Commanders Cross American Order of Merit, Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath and underneath the G.C.O. of the Bath, usually hanging from the sash and the Grand Cross Plaque of the Legion of Honor and the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, usually hanging from the sash. The interesting thing is that he is wearing Grand Crosses of various Foreign Orders which usually hang from a sash and the plaques of these orders. Other decorations can’t be made out, though this is the clearest picture I have seen to be released by any Soviet information service.

Marshal Konstantln Rokossovsky is shown in an extremely rare photo from Polish sources, wearing the uniform of a POLISH MARSHAL. He is wearing the first class Oross of Grunewald around the neck on both his Polish uniform and the Soviet uniform. He is wearing 2 Heroes of the Soviet Union, one Order of Victory, Order of the Construction of the Polish Peoples Republic, which is Poland’s highest order, Grand Cross of Virtuti Militari hanging from a sash, usually, but this time no sash. The Plaque of this Order is on the right side.

He has 6 Orders of Lenin, 6 Orders of the Red Banner, Order of Alexander Nevsky, Order of Suvarov, unidentified Plaque. Knight Commander, Order of the Bath is hanging below the Plaque of the Legion of Honor, one Chief Commander, United States Legion of Merit, underneath the Grand Cross Plaque of Virtuti Militari.

Comparing the Soviet with the Polish photograph it is obvious that the location of the various Orders have been changed.

The P~lish Marshal’s Baton is probably Rokossovsky’s. Very peculiar is the fact that Marshal Rokossovsky, a Soviet Marsha!, was made Commander in Chief of the Polish Forces and a Polish Marshal. Krushchev had to see how the Poles actually chased Rokossovsky out of Poland. At the time Premier Krushchev thought it wise not to interfere.

As of this writing Marshal Rokossovsky has been dead as of a few years ago, ~rshal Zhukov is still alive, retired and is probably the finest and most experienced military commander of the century. MARSHAL GEORGIJ ZHUKOV 17 MARSIqAL KONSTANTIN ROKOSSOVSKY IN POLISH UNIFORM 18