Honorary Revolutionary Red Banner
Honorary Revolutionary Red Banner
a combat award that was bestowed in accordance with an order of Aug. 3, 1918, of the people’s military commissar on units of various sizes of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army for combat distinction. On Mar. 18, 1920, the order was approved by an edict of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, which granted the right to award the banner to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.
The first units to be awarded the Honorary Revolutionary Red Banner were the Zemgalian Fifth Latvian Rifle Regiment on Aug. 20, 1918, and the Nikolaev Regiment on Oct. 4, 1918. For repeated distinction in combat, units of various sizes were awarded the Order of the Red Banner, which was attached to the Honorary Revolutionary Red Banner. For combat distinction in the Civil War of 1918–20, the Honorary Revolutionary Red Banner was awarded to the Baltic Fleet, the Fifth Army, the Detached Caucasian (former Eleventh) Army, 36 divisions, and 263 units and military schools.
On Nov. 27, 1932, the Central Executive Committee of the USSR adopted a new edict on awarding the Honorary Revolutionary Red Banner to military units of various sizes for combat distinction and for great success in combat training in peacetime. The edict also provided for the awarding of the Honorary Revolutionary Naval Flag to ships and ship units.