The "Excellent driver" badge, mod. 1943

The original sign is in very good collector's condition. Tompack, enamel. The sign depicts a figured shield superimposed on a gilded oak wreath, the branches of which, intertwined with a ribbon, protrude from the sides of the shield. The surface of the shield is covered with ruby-red enamel, and the edges are represented by an oxidized strip with symmetrically arranged dots on it. At the top of the shield, the strip turns into a twisted decoration. In the upper part of the sign on the shield there is a round plate covered with ruby-red enamel, in the middle of which there is a gilded image of a hammer and sickle. Along the edge of the plate there is a white enamel belt with an inscription in gold letters — "Excellent driver". The white enamel belt has gilded rims at the edges, and a five-pointed star at the bottom. A gilded image of a car on an oxidized roadway is placed in the lower part of the shield. On the reverse side, the sign has a threaded pin with a nut for attaching the sign to clothing. The original twist is included. Guarantee of authenticity.

The honors badges in the Armed Forces of the USSR were an effective measure of moral stimulation of military personnel, a way to effectively raise morale and love for the Motherland. By handing out awards, the Soviet government recognized the merits of the Red Army soldiers, who were really objective. The practice of awarding badges has made a significant contribution to the development of Russian faleristics. Over the years of the existence of the Soviet state, so many diverse awards have appeared for various branches of the armed forces that an impressive encyclopedic volume will be required to briefly describe them. The badge "Excellent Student of Aviation" is one of such tokens, which were awarded to persons directly involved in flights. The Soviet Army, or Red Army, was formed simultaneously with the emergence of a new state. At that time, the government faced global challenges in building a communist-style society in accordance with the principles of Marxist-Leninist philosophy. The economy was in a depressed position, exhausted. To protect the state and create favorable conditions for the development of the economy, an army was needed, and armies needed worthy fighters whose actions should be encouraged, at least morally.

Badge "Excellent driver", approved by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 08, 1943. The badge is an award for particularly distinguished drivers of automobile troops and motor transport units of the Red Army. The badge is awarded to military personnel of the rank and file and junior commanding staff of the automobile troops and motor transport units of the Red Army, who systematically show high standards of: excellent accident-free driving of a car for delivering ammunition, food and equipment to active troops while saving fuel and lubricants and rubber; excellent work on restoring a car and maintaining it in constant readiness for the task; careful maintenance and saving cars and personal weapons in a combat situation; for the removal of the wounded and captured property from the front to the rear; for valuable inventive and innovative proposals that help strengthen the combat capability of the automobile troops and motor transport units of the Red Army.

The award of the badge is announced in the order for the automotive management of the front (district) with the entry of the award in the Red Army book of the awarded fighter and junior commander. The right to award the badge is enjoyed by the head of the Main Automobile Directorate of the Red Army, heads of automobile departments of fronts and districts, heads of army automobile departments, commanders of corps, divisions, brigades and individual automobile regiments. Drivers who are awarded the badge "Excellent driver" are also awarded the emblem "Excellent driver" for installation in the car cabin on the glass, at the top of the grass side.