Commemorative Badge "Orlęta"

• Native Name — Odznaka pamiątkowa 'Orlęta' • Awarded By — General Tadeusz Rozwadowski • Established — *18 March 1919 • Approved 13 December 1921 • Country — Second Polish Republic • Eligibility — Awarded to the Lwów Eaglets for the Defense of Lwów • Status — Discontinued in 1928 • Founder — General Tadeusz Rozwadowski • Caption2 — obverse • Illustration — Commemorative badge ‘Orlęta’

The decoration was awarded for fighting in Defence of Lviv during its siege (for the period after 1–22 November 1918, for which the Cross of the Defence of Lwów was awarded) and for fighting for the Eastern Borderlands. The badge was established on 18 March 1919 by the commander of the ‘East’ Army, General Tadeusz Rozwadowski, for active military service in Eastern Galicia performed under his command until 19 March 1919. Rozwadowski general awarded the badge personally, along with his signature on the diploma. The badge was approved in the Journal of Orders of the Ministry of Military Affairs No. 49, item 872, dated 13 December 1921. After the death of General Rozwadowski in 1928, no one was authorised to award it. The badge was often the only reward that women involved in the defence of Lviv could hope for in various fields, not necessarily on the front line (including nurses and volunteers responsible for provisions and supplies). The first badge design was created by T. Łuczyński and the second by Lesław Węgrzynowski. The badge was made by Władysław Buszek. In a resolution dated 21 March 1936, the Provincial Board of the Federation of Polish Defenders of the Fatherland established a liquidation committee for the commemorative badge ‘Orlęta’. In January 1938, the ‘Orlęta’ badge registry began operating at 5 Szopena Street in Lviv.

The archives are cited for the existence and date of each notice; their wording is not reproduced here.