In aluminum, paint and lacquer; 60.4 mm wide. The obverse has inscription "55th Proletarian Moscow- Minsk MSD (Motorized Rifle Division) and shows four decorations bestowed upon the unit: Orders of Lenin, Red Banner, Suvorov and Kutuzov. The reverse has raised inscription "40th Anniversary of the Soviet Guards; 40th Anniversary of the Battle of Moscow" and logo of the Experimental Factory of Sports Souvenirs and Badges in Moscow. In excellent condition.

The division was originally formed in late 1926 in Moscow and soon became one of the "showcase" units that participated in high-profile military exercises attended by foreign delegations. Even before WW2, it received special honors and became known as "Moscow Proletarian" division. The division fought with outstanding heroism since the beginning of the Patriotic War when it made a heroic stand in Belorussia on the Neman River and then near Smolensk, and was almost entirely wiped out. In August 1941, it was briefly reconstituted as a tank division and fought so well under its charismatic commander Lizyukov that at the end of the month the division was decorated with an Order of the Red Banner - among the first such unit awards of the war. In September 1941, after a brief refitting, the division was redeployed to cover the approaches to Moscow near Mozhaysk and at the same time promoted to Guards unit becoming the 1st Guards Motorized Rifle Division. During the defensive phase of the battle of Moscow, it especially distinguished itself in the desperate seesaw fighting for the town of Naro-Fominsk.

/See Paul Schmitt "Soviet Second World War Veteran Badges" p. 30/