Soviet Researched Order of Glory 3rd class Nr. 121304

[Gerd Becker]

Gentlemen,

here is another researched Glory 3rd class of my collection. I got this Glory with an orders book to Viktor Ivanovich Polkarpov, unfortunately there is a Military Merit Medal missing

However, here are the details of the research (Thanks a lot for the translation to Andrew (MONDVOR) )

Last name, first name and patronymic: Polikarpov Viktor Ivanovich

Military rank: Private

Position and unit: Assaulting sapper of 58th Independent Assault Engineering Sapper Battalion, 12th Assault Engineering Sapper Brigade

Recommended to: Order of the Red Star

Born: 1926 in the village of Danilovka, Zaporozhye Region

Nationality: Ukrainian

Party membership: non-member

Participation in war: since September 1943 on the 4th Ukrainian Front, since August 1944 on the 3rd Ukrainian Front

Wounds and contusions: wounded on October 24, 1943 near the city of Melitopol

In Red Army: since September 26, 1943

Drafted by: Gulyajpolsk Subregional Military Office, Zaporozhye Region

Previous awards: not awarded

Permanent address: Zaporozhye Region, Novo-Nikolayevsk Subregion, Lyubetsk Farm District, village Danilovka. Motherr: Polikarpova Agafya Pantelejmonovna

Short description of military merits:

On August 20, 1944 while fighting in the lines of 55th Rifle Regiment (20th Guards Rifle Division) during the breakthrough of the enemy defense lines near the village Leontina (Benderovsk subregion, Moldavian SSR) at the time of artillery bombardment, despite the direct danger for his life, comrade Polikarpov under the heavy fire crawled to the enemy barbed wire defense lines and cut the holes in it for our infantry units. When our advancing infantry units penetrated through the barbed wire, Polikarpov was the first to jump into the enemy trench where he personally killed (invisible) German soldiers.

Comrade Polikarpov deserves a state award Order of the Red Star.

Signed: Commander of the 58th Independent Assault Engineering Sapper Battalion Guards Major Merikov

Date: August 31, 1944

Deserves a state award Order of Glory 3rd class

Signed: Commander of the 12th Assault Engineering Sapper “Melitopol” Red Banner and Suvorov order Brigade Colonel Pavlov

Date: September 3, 1944

Deserves a state award Order of Glory 3rd class

Signed: Deputy Commander of the 37th Army for Engineering matters Major-General of Engineering troops Goldovich

Date: September 12, 1944

By the Decree of the Commander of the 37th Army # 0186/N from September 26, 1944 awarded with the order of Glory 3rd class

Verified by: Chief of the 2nd Unit of the Personnel Department of the 37th Army Major of the Administrative Services Cherkesov.

Here is the Glory 3rd class, which was awarded to Comrade Polikarpov:

[Gerd Becker]

The orders book

Page with name

[Gerd Becker]

The research documents...

Award Card Obverse

[Gerd Becker]

Award Card Reverse

[Gerd Becker]

oops, forgot orders book page two, here it is:

[Gerd Becker]

citation obverse

[Ed_Haynes]

That's a 3rd class? Is it the scan or has it been gilded?

[Gerd Becker]

and the reverse of the citation...

Hope you like it.

Thanks for looking.

Gerd

[Gerd Becker]

That's a 3rd class? Is it the scan or has it been gilded?

Its the photo, Ed. Its clearly a 3rd class, no traces of gilding... The number is too high for a 2nd class though and i have the orders book, which confirms a 3rd class.

[Ed_Haynes]

Its the photo, Ed. Its clearly a 3rd class, no traces of gilding... The number is too high for a 2nd class though and i have the orders book, which confirms a 3rd class.

I know the number is way too high and the book says what it says, I was just looking at the scan, which looks very "gold" to me. Must be a scan oddity. Or my monitor. Or my eyes. Or the alchemists were right after all.

[Gerd Becker]

Ed, i think, your eyes are still fine. There ARE gold colered traces, but its some kind of golden patina, which this one developed on some places, especially at the borders of the arms, but also inside the middle medaillion.

I must correct myself, your eyes seem to be still excellent! It took me a while to realize it on the photo above.

[Gerd Becker]

I have just checked my other Glories and one of them (304.970) also developed this kind of golden traces at the borders, so this dosn?t seem to be unusual...

[Ed_Haynes]

And -- most importantly -- another GREAT Glory citation!

Dollar for Dollar, Rouble for Rouble, Euro for Euro, I think the Order of Glory may represent the very best research value out there. They (and only they?) seem underpriced when compared to what you get. (Will I come to regret having typed that??)

[Gerd Becker]

And -- most importantly -- another GREAT Glory citation!

Dollar for Dollar, Rouble for Rouble, Euro for Euro, I think the Order of Glory may represent the very best research value out there. They (and only they?) seem underpriced when compared to what you get. (Will I come to regret having typed that??)

Ed, i agree with you 100%. They are allways interesting to research and they are allways combat-awards, which were hard earned with blood, sweat and tears...

[Riley1965]

Gerd,

That's another GREAT "Glory" Story!!! I must admit the gold tone had me confused until I read the explanation. Congrats!!!

Doc

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks, Doc.

Gerd

[Bryan]

Was he first supposed to be awarded with a Red Star? I see "Красная Звезда" in one of the paper work?

If I understand, you have the rest of the group except the MM medal?

By the way, your pictures are really clear and nice.

[Gerd Becker]

Hi Bryan,

you are right, he was recommended for an Order of the Red Star initially by his Battalion Commander, but he was downgraded by the Brigade Commander a few days later.

Thanks for the compliments to the pictures. I have a new Sony Camera and i am still trying to find the best adjustments, although some of the results are quite promising already. I didn?t had good light for these shots though...

Here is a picture done through a loup, which shows an interesting detail on this order, its a version with 12.10 or 13.59 on the tower clock (Variation 6 according to MONDVOR), but it is totally out of the usual numberrange of about 365-391000.

Gerd

Edited February 7, 2007 by Gerd Becker

[order_of_victory]

I realy like these were order book matchs the citation

Nice group

Order of Victory

[PAB]

Why would it be downgraded? from a ORS to a Glory111. And slightly off topic is that the clock tower you can see in red square? I like the loop pic Gerd. Pete

[order_of_victory]

Why would it be downgraded? from a ORS to a Glory111. And slightly off topic is that the clock tower you can see in red square? I like the loop pic Gerd. Pete

Hi PAB

Yes it is the clock tower in the Kremlin or better known as Sparsky Tower

Order of Victory

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks, OoV and Pete

Pete, its downgraded, because the Order of the Red Star is higher in precedence of the orders. This COULD BE one of the cases, where the one, who decided in the chain, though: "Lets give this guy a real bravery award like Glory 3rd class than a Red Star", because the Glory was allways looked at as a real bravery award, which is not the case for the Red Star, which was somehow devalued, when they started to award these for 15 years Long Service.

Gerd

[Bryan]

And slightly off topic is that the clock tower you can see in red square?

Hi Peter, yes it is!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spassky_Tower#Spasskaya

Edited February 8, 2007 by Soviet

[Gerd Becker]

The Spassky-Tower is also shown on the Order of Victory, the Order of Kutuzov, the 40 years Victory Medal and the 800 Anniversary of Moscow-Medal, if i am not mistaken.

[Ed_Haynes]

A photo from last summer.