Shoulder straps of lower ranks, Marine shock battalion of death, model 1917 (Product code: 2.25)

With the fall of the empire in February-March 1917, order and discipline, the desire of soldiers to fight, rapidly declined. The Provisional Government, trying to raise the morale of the army and in order to create combat-ready units, began to form so-called shock battalions under infantry divisions.

On the shoulder straps of such battalions, instead of codes and emblems, images of a skull and crossbones are painted in black paint as a symbol of readiness to die in battle “For the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland.” St. George battalions are formed, entirely consisting of holders of the insignia of the Order of St. George, detachments of disabled volunteers, a women's shock battalion of death under the command of Maria Bochkareva, and shock naval battalions. All these units, along with other insignia, are assigned special shoulder straps.