MM Park Bulgaria

Description

Bulgarian armoured vehicle driver badge, bronze grade.

Manufacturer / main description

Bulgarian armoured vehicle driver badge.

Bronze grade: soldier.

Model in use from 1935 to 1944, royal period.

Oval badge measuring 38 × 56 mm, in the form of an ornamented wreath, single-sided. On the reverse, against a black background, appears a relief representation of a « Škoda » armoured vehicle; above it is a royal crown with pendant; below it is a stylized relief shield bearing the abbreviation meaning “military vehicles”. The decoration exists in three classes: a gilt-metal crown for officers, a silvered-metal version for non-commissioned officers, and bronze for soldiers. The armoured vehicle applied to the badge is made of white or oxidized metal.

A few isolated examples of a decoration from the patriotic war of 1944–1945 are known. These are in fact Bulgarian adaptations of the German tank assault badge (« Panzerkampfabzeichen »), instituted in the Third Reich on 20 December 1939. In this adaptation, the eagle and swastika at the top of the badge were replaced by a stylized bronze shield divided into three bands in the Bulgarian national colours.

See « Bulgarian Military Decorations » by Professor Petko Pavlov, pages 130-131.

On 1 March 1935, the first tank unit of the Bulgarian army was created: an armoured car company. This unit received 14 Italian « Ansaldo-Fiat » tanks, known at the time as “military vehicles”. In January 1939, the armoured troops were separated into a distinct branch of the army; the two tank companies became a tank battalion, then an armoured regiment in June 1941, and an armoured brigade in October 1943. The final differentiation of the armoured troops took place on 1 January 1945, when two armoured brigades were formed. In 1944, during the deployment of the armoured brigade under the wartime establishment, it included, in addition to the armoured regiment: a motorized regiment, an artillery regiment, an armoured reconnaissance battalion, an armoured hunter battalion, an engineer pontoon battalion and several other units.

Alongside the creation, development and organization of these army units, special decorations were instituted. By decree no. 101 of the Minister of War dated 8 March 1941, the “Armoured Vehicle Driver” decoration, also known as the “military vehicle driver” badge, was created in three versions or classes. In 1944, a special decoration was also instituted for the soldiers of the armoured hunter battalion.