History of Excellent Air Fighter Badge/История знака "Отличный воздушный боец"

Badge “Excellent Air Fighter” was established by the Decree No.15 of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR on January 20, 1928.

Original decree No.15.

ПРИКАЗ
РЕВОЛЮЦИОННОГО ВОЕННОГО СОВЕТА СОЮЗА СОВЕТСКИХ СОЦИАЛИСТИЧЕСКИХ РЕСПУБЛИК
№15. ​

20 января 1928 года. Москва.


1. В целях поощрения летного и непосредственно связанного с летной работой технического состава Военно-воздушных сил РККА, за успешное выполнение летной программы без аварий и поломок и за бережную эксплуатацию материальной части, установить, в развитие п.5 ст.11 Вр. дисциплинарного устава РККА (приказ РВС СССР 1925 г., № 962):

a) выдачу единовременного денежного вознаграждения и
б) награждение нагрудным знаком "отличный воздушный боец".

2. Выдачу единовременного денежного вознаграждения производить на основании объявляемого при сём "Положения о единовременных выплатах личному сотаву ВВС РККА за успешное выполнение лётной программы без аварий и поломок", каковое Положение считать введенным в действие с 1 октября 1927 года.

3. Главному Управлению РККА разработать в 2-месячный срок совместно с Управлением Военно-воздушных РККА и представить на утверждение РВС СССР проекты:

а) нагрудного знака "отличный воздушный боец" и
б) Положение о порядке награждения им.​

Народный Комиссар по Военным и Морским Делам и Председатель РВС СССР Ворошилов.

(По Главному Управлению РККА)

"Утверждается"
20 января 1928 года.

Народный Комиссар по Военным и Морским Делам и Председатель РВС СССР Ворошилов.​

ORDER
OF THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
No. 15.​

January 20, 1928. Moscow.

1. In order to encourage the flight and technical staff of the Air Force of the Red Army directly related to the flight work, for the successful implementation of the flight program without accidents and breakdowns and for the careful use of the material part, to establish, in the development of paragraph 5 of article 11 of the temporary disciplinary charter of the Red Army (Order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR of 1925, No. 962):

a) the issuance of a one-time monetary award and
b) awarding the badge "excellent air fighter".

2. The issuance of a one-time monetary reward is to be made on the basis of the “Regulations on lump-sum payments to the personnel of the Red Army Air Force for the successful completion of the flight program without accidents and breakdowns”, which is considered to be put into effect on October 1, 1927.

3. The Main Directorate of the Red Army to develop within 2 months, together with the Directorate of the Air Force of the Red Army, and submit for approval by the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR projects:

a) badge "excellent air fighter" and
b) badge awarding Regulation.
​

People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR Voroshilov.

(Through the Main Directorate of the Red Army)

"Approved"
January 20, 1928.

People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR Voroshilov.​

 

Deadline for submission of proposed badge designs (together with descriptions) was set on September 1, 1928.
Prizes of 150 and 75 rubles were set for the best projects.​

Original announcement of design contest and its rules published in Journal of the Bulletin of the Air Fleet No.7, 1928 /Журнал Вестник воздушного флота №7, 1928/.

Badge designs published in Journal of the Bulletin of the Air Fleet No.10, 1928/Журнал Вестник воздушного флота №10, 1928.

The contest attracted a lot of attention and the Air Force decided to extended it until January 1, 1929.

The results of the contest were announced in February 1929.

A total of 165 projects were presented. The most successful sketches were transferred to the N. E. Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, where the command staff of combat units, students of the engineering faculty and teachers gave their feedback about them. The jury awarded three prizes: the first prize went to Mikhailov, draftsman of the military school; the second - to the artist Filippov; the third - senior technician Evgeniev. The choice fell on Filippov's project, which initially looked like this: from the center of an oval with a blue field, the upper part of which forms a half wreath of leaves, diverge stylized outstretched black and blue wings with an inscription along their span - "USSR". In the center of the wings is an aerial bomb with a blued-steel hammer and sickle emblem superimposed on it. The bomb, on the stabilizers of which the red star crowning the sign rests with two rays, is framed on both sides by three red banners. Later some minor changes were made to the initial design.​

 

On April 19, 1929, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, signed by Deputy People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs I.S. Unshlikht /И. С. Уншлихт/, the Regulations on the procedure for awarding, line drawings and description of the badge were approved. The awarding, according to the Regulation, was made "for the special achievements in combat training, revealing the excellent qualities of an air fighter, and pilots and commanders of formations can be awarded in the absence of accidents and breakdowns, careful operation of the materiel/за особые достижения по боевой подготовке, выявляющей отличные качества воздушного бойца, причем летчики и командиры соединений могут быть награждаемы при отсутствии аварий и поломок, бережной эксплуатации материальной части ". Original description of the badge:

"Овальная пластина, ограниченная в верхней половине дубовыми листьями, а в нижней - полукруглой белой лентой с красной надписью: "отличный воздушный боец". Обе половинки отделены друг от друга наложенными распластанными стилизованными крыльями, состоящими из пяти перьев каждое и несущими на себе выпуклую аббревиатуру "СССР" черного цвета. В центре вертикально изображена авиационная бомба в обрамлении шести красных флагов, расположенных по три с каждой стороны. В середине изображение серпа и молота. Венчает знак красная пятиконечная звезда. Изготовлен из серебра. Размер 35x53 мм. Крепление при помощи штифта и гайки".

According to the Decree of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 310 issued on October 10, 1929 badge "Excellent air fighter" had two variation: badge for pilots and air observers /для летчиков и летнабов/ and badge for commanders of formations thet actually carrying out flight work /для командиров соединений, "фактически несущих летную работу"/. The compositional basis of these signs remained the same, although the emblems had some differences: commander's version of "Excellent Air Fighter" badge have gilded aerial bomb and hammer and sickle emblem.

Badge “Excellent Air Fighter” was worn on the left side of the tunic under the pocket.
Size of the badge 35x53 mm.
Badges were awarded until August 1937.
​

On December 7, 1930, for the great successes of air units in combat training with absolute accident-free operation, three people were awarded for the first time with the commander's version of "Excellent Air Fighter" badge .

Badge No. 1 was awarded to the commander and military commissar of the 3rd independent aviation detachment named after Ivanovo-Voznesensk workers S. A. Krasovsky /С. А. Красовский/ (later he will become Hero of the Soviet Union and Marshal of Aviation https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Красовский,_Степан_Акимович).

His badge No.1 currently is in the collection of Central Museum of the Air Force.

Badge No. 2 was awarded to the military commissar of the 30th independent aviation detachment A. M. Bakhrushin /Бахрушин А.М. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Бахрушин,_Александр_Михайлович/

Group photo with Bakhrushin wearing his No.2 badge.

Badge No. 3 was awarded to the commander of the 73rd independent Kiev aviation detachment P. L. Pavlushev /П. Л. Павлушев - Petr Leontievich Pavlushov (1899 - February 13, 1936) later he will become test pilot in the Gorky Aviation Plant/.

Petr Pavlushov with his badge No.3 (see https://asiamedals.info/threads/exc...o-3-znak-otlichnyj-vozdushnyj-boec-no3.24645/)

Born in St. Petersburg in the family of a railway watchman. In 1913-1916 he was an apprentice turner at a gun factory. From March 1918 he served in the Red Army (assistant commissar for supplies, sailor of the 1st independent Petrograd battalion). In 1920 he graduated from the Yegorievsk Aviation School. Worked as an aircraft mechanic. Graduated from the Moscow Aviation School of Aerobatics in 1922. Enrolled in the 1st Red Banner Aviation Squadron of Fighters, where he served as commander of the 4th independent detachment until February 1929. In 1929 he was transferred to Evpatoria to the post of commander of the 50th independent aviation detachment. In 1930 - 1931 - commander of 73 independent aviation detachment in the city of Kyiv. In 1932 he became commander of the 93rd Aviation Squadron. In 1933 transferred to the Gorky Aviation Plant No. 21 as a test pilot. Tested UT, KhAI-1, I-16, UTI-2, I-5 aircraft. In 1934 - 1935 - head of the test workshop No. 50, senior pilot. Died while testing the I-16 aircraft on February 13, 1936.​

 

Air Fighter Newspaper/Повiтряний боець/Воздушный боец, No. 23, 1931.

Командир звена Н-ского авиационного отряда товарищ Соколов. Лучший ударник, активист отряда, награждён начальником ВВС "знаком отличного воздушного бойца" /The commander of the N-th aviation detachment, Comrade Sokolov. The best udarnik, an activist of the detachment, was awarded by the head of the Air Force with the "badge of an excellent air fighter."/​

 

Вестник Воздушного Флота /Bulletin of the Air Fleet/ No.3, 1930.

We place additional portraits of those awarded with the badge "Excellent air fighter": 1) comrade Surkov, 2) Mikryukov, 3) comrade Sakunov, 4) comrade Labkovsky, 5) comrade Pavlushev, 6) comrade Belitsky, 7) comrade Upman , 8) t Sorokoumov /Помещаем дополнительно портреты награждённых знаком "Отличный воздушный боец": 1) т.Сурков, 2) Микрюков, 3) т. Сакунов, 4) т. Лабковский, 5) т. Павлушев, 6) т. Белицкий, 7) т. Упман, 8) т Сорокоумов/.

 

Unidentified cavalier of the badge.

Close-up.