Soviet Berlin-Warsaw campaign group

[Bryan]

I have just acquired a partially researched group consisting of 2 Bravery medals and Warsaw & Berlin medals belonging to an artillery repairman. With the help of a moderator I was able to complete the translation on the award card of this soldier.

An abbreviation of the citation in English was already available when I bought the group. The soldier was part of the 185th Guards Artillery "Poznansky Red Banner" Regiment.

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Award card : Pavel Ignatevitch Olefirenko

1. Last Name : Oliferenko

2. Name and Patronymic : Pavel Ignatevitch

3. Military Rank : Guards Private

4. Sex : Man

5. Year of birth : 1908

6. Place of birth : Voroshilovgradskaya Oblast, Kreminsky Raion, Molvaika village

7. Party membership : not a member

8. Education : illiterate

9. Nationality : Ukrainian

10. Service in the Red Army : 1943-1945

11. Place of service and duty position at time of awarding: 185 Artillery Regiment, 82 Rifle Division, 8th Army - Art. Maister (that is, artillery workshop craftsman

12. Place of service and duty position at the current time : Voroshilovgradskaya Oblast, Svatovsky R(aio)n, Sovkhoz N. 10 ? Tractor driver

13. Home Address: Voroshilovgradskaya Oblast, Svatovsky R(aio)n, Sovkhoz N. 10

14. Awards:

#1 Medal for Bravery # 1 744 542

185 Artillery Regiment: 21/10/1944

#2 Medal for Bravery # 2 338 160

82 Rifle Division, 19/05/1945

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The second Valour Medal that has been researched was put in for a Red Star. It was approved as such by Division, but bumped down by Corps to a Valour Medal again.

Citation abbreviated (Medal for Bravery # 2 338 160)

Awarded for "fighting near Saarlandstra?e from 29-30.04.45 while under enemy sniper and MG fire, he repaired a cannon 4 times that had become non-mission capable, thus permitting continuous fire. In this fighting were destroyed 2 buildings with SMG gunners, 8 MGs, 10 Panzerfaust, a large caliber air defense weapon, and as many as a platoon of infantry."

Edited April 29, 2007 by Soviet

[Bryan]

Here is the Saarlandstrasse in Berlin from a 1943 map. The fighting was not so far from Potsdamer Platz and the Reichskanzlei from Hitler.

http://www.alt-berlin.info/cgi/stp/lana.pl...p;ost=13.388395

Edited April 29, 2007 by Soviet

[Bryan]

Here is Saarlandstrasse in 1938. This is from the book : "Berlin Then and Now" by Tony Le Tissier.

[Bryan]

62 years ago today (on April 29th), Pavel Ignatevitch Olefirenko earned is second Bravery medal. Here are some background information.

Edited April 29, 2007 by Soviet

[Bryan]

And an aerial picture from 1991.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Bryan,

great, historic and fantastic group AND perfect presentation with all the additional informations you gave to us - congratulations .

Also a great group for a rather moderate investment of hard earned bucks .

The 4 medals also have the "super-rare to get now plastic covers" for preventing the ribbons of getting spoiled .

Usually, if you get these plastic covers with the medals, they are in rather bad shape, but your's are perfect .

What does "illiterate" mean at the section "education" ?

Does it mean, that your comrade never visited a school or that he couldn't read, nor write?

Well, in the 1920s & 1930s the Soviets built up a rather sophisticated school-system, so "illiterate" persons in the mid-1940s should be rather rare ...

Or does "illiterate" mean, that he just finished primary school, but didn't attend any higher school?

Best regards

Christian

[Bryan]

Hi Christian,

Many thanks for your comments. The group is indeed really nice with the uncracked ribbon plastic protectors. In regard to your question, I have no idea. it is just written that he is "Analphabet", so I can't comment more than that. I presume he was not to school or he was to school, but still cannot read.

He was enlisted at 35 years old and was a farmer. I guess it was just propaganda to say that the whole Soviet Union knew how to read. There are still illeterate people in Canada and Austria even with our school system. So I don't think there is a big deal with that soldier that was illiterate.

[Christophe]

Bryan,

A very nice group, and a superb way to make it back to life!!!

Congrats!!!

Too bad for him he did not get the Red Star...

Cheers.

Ch.

[Gerd Becker]

VERY nice group, Bryan

I have seen it before and also have one or two researched awards to illiterate soldiers and i hardly doubt, that the whole USSR could read at that time.

[Bryan]

Thank you guys! I appreciate modest groupings that were awarded to simple soldiers like Olefirenko. Too bad the documents were not available with that group and that the Victory over Germany medal is not available as well.

Nowhere it is mentioned that he obtained the Berlin and Warsaw medal, but I'm 100% sure they belong together. I like the plastic covers as well.

[Christophe]

(...) I like the plastic covers as well.

Yes, they give a flavour of authenticity, of "I was there"!!! And the book of Le tissier, as his other ones, is FANTASTIC!!!!!

Cheers.

Ch.

[Alfred]

Great group with great citation.

regards

Andreas

[Paul R]

Congratulations on your very significant grouping!