Medals & Badges - Poland

Rare issue as manufactured in Soviet Union and issued to select Polish soldiers for the battle of Lenino. One of the rarest issues of this interesting award as the Polish National eagle is crowned. These were made in the Moscow National mint. The 1944 types had an eagle uncrowned. There were only 46 official awards of this type for the Battle of Lenino however more were made (still a small number indeed).

Created as a commemorative cross on 26 July 1944 by the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces of the Government in exile, General Sosnkowski. The dark bronze cross, with a serial number on its reverse, was awarded to members of the 2nd Polish Army Corps.The obverse reads "MONTE CASSINO MAJ 1944". The ribbon bar depicted on the cross above is a non-regulation addition. A similar smaller bar, but in bronze, can be attached to the ribbon when ribbons alone are worn. The Monte Cassino Cross was elevated to an official Polish decoration on 16 September 1992.

The Grünwald Badge was eEstablished in 1945 to commemorate the victory over Germany. Awarded to all Polish troops who fought for Berlin. It's a Bronze Badge in the form of a knights shield with an eagle at the top. Below the eagle 1410-1945 GRUNWALD BERLIN. Below this are two Grunwald swords in the center points down.

In spite of its title, this cross, instituted on 14 March 1985, was awarded to honour inmates of any Nazi concentration camp and not only those interned in Auschwitz. Honourable conduct while imprisoned was a prerequisite and the decoration could be awarded posthumously and to foreigners as well. The reverse inscription stands for "The People's Poland to Prisoners of Nazi Concentration Camps".

Medal Zwycięstwa i Wolności 1945 (Polish for "Medal of the Victory and Freedom 1945") was a Polish military decoration, awarded to persons, who fought during the World War II against Germany. It was instituted in order: to commemorate the victory of the Polish Nation and Its Allies above a barbarism of hitlerism, and a triumph of a democratic freedom idea, and to award persons, who helped in this victory and triumph by their acting or suffering in the country or abroad, by May 9, 1945.