Ferdinand

Here he is:

Thank you Mondvor!

It is also might be interesting that he got both his awards (physically received them) at the same time in April 1948. Before that he was awarded, but Red Star and Bravery were not bestowed upon him.

So he earned his Bravery Medal for actions on 6 February 1945, this was approved by a Prikaz of 31 March 1945 and he finally got his medal in April 1948. But how do you know he received both his awards in April 1948?

It was the moustache that gave it away But to avoid the game being played by only three people I won't answer...

Hello Gentlemen,

I need some with translating parts of the research (my first research! ) of one of my Bravery Medals, # 3086881.

From what I can understand it was awarded to Guards Private Nikolai Yakovlevich Golovach, who repaired two cut telephone lines near Fogelsang on 6 Februari 1945. He was in the 131st Guard Mortar Regiment of the 222nd Rifle Division.

Can someone translate the details on the award card for me? And is this a 'mass citation' for the entire regiment for actions near Fogelsang on 6 Februari 1945?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Auke

Page 1:

Page 2:

Page 3:

Award card:

Awards:

The unit research:

A short summary:

Yes, of course it's Aleksandr Ilyich Rodimtsev. As a Major-General he and his 13th Guards Rifle Division played an important role during the Battle of Stalingrad. Rodimtsev was promoted Lieutenant-General in 1944 and Colonel-General in 1961. His picture is on the cover of the Red Bible. You both provided the right answer but Simon was faster, so... Over to you!

Auke

Actually it was the description that confused me. I never knew Stalin liked Mozart and the piano...

Well, a new one (another individual):

I served as an advisor in the Spanish Civil War, after which I got my first Gold Star Medal. My code name in this war was 'Pablito'. I've got a great sense of humor and look more like an 'intellectual from Moscow' than a Red Army officer. I was decorated a lot during the GPW, probably because I don't fear death, as people say. As a guards officer I fought in a famous battle where my unit played a key role.

Who am I?

Auke

The safety-pin-suspension on MMM # 1758993, post # 36.

That's Marshal of the Soviet Union, later Generalissimo Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin!

Auke

Nice collection! And a nice Military Merit Medal suspension

Nice stats Christophe.

I have to admit I've always liked quizzes but I didn't know of the existence of this one, buried in the 'Other Militaria' sub-forum...

Ow, about Khrushchev: he was promoted Lieutenant-General 12 February 1943, so while he was the Member of the Military Council of the Stalingrad Front (where the 62nd Army was part of) he held the same rank as Gurov, and there was even a period when Gurov was Lieutenant-General and Khrushchev not yet. Odd.

Hello Christian,

As you might have figured out those are my sites Unfortunately there isn't much information available. All I know is on my page about Gurov:

http://www.stalingradbattle.nl/personen/goerov.htm

I'm always looking for more information, but my Russian isn't very advanced and I have no idea where to look. I think I have all there is to find on the internet (which is by the way contradicting).

In short, Gurov was born 1 September 1901 and he died of a heart disease near Donetsk on 25 September 1943, barely 42 years old. As Division-Commissar he was the Political Commissar (Member of the Military Council) of the 62nd Army during the Battle of Stalingrad. He was promoted Lieutenant-General on 6 December 1942. Gurov was the most important officer of the 62nd Army after Chuikov and Krylov. These two both became Marshals of the Soviet Union after the war and who knows what became of Gurov if he didn't die so early. In March 1943 Gurov was transferred to the staff of the Southern Front and later that year back to the 62nd Army (now renamed 8th Guards Army).

Lieutenant-General is indeed a high rank for a Member of the Military Council, but there were more high-than-average ranking officers in the 62nd Army. Probably due to the severe fighting and difficulties during the Battle of Stalingrad. The commander of the artillery was a Major-General, and so was the engineer commander. Furthermore there were a lot of Colonels.

Well, it's your turn now Christian!

Auke

Hello Christian,

Now that you're talking about Chuikov - the two officers were close friends. Both had tears in their eyes when they split up after the Battle of Stalingrad. Chuikovs mentions our officer in his memoirs. He wrote that his friend had 'iron nerves' and always remained very calm. Chuikov was shocked by his early death.

Our comrade was awarded an Order of Lenin and three Ordes of the Red Banner.

Good luck

Auke

Hello Christian,

After the Battle of Stalingrad our comrade was in the staff of the Southern Front for a short while. Then he rejoined the 8th Guards Army. He died of illness later in 1943.

Auke

To stay in Stalingrad - Who is this officer that would later become an important general in the staff of the 62nd Army?

To get back to the original question - is it Matvei Grigoryevich Vainrub?

Yes, you surely did! With some help of others they are now all identified...

Gentlemen, another nice May 2005 pic of a Cavalier:

You might get better answers on the awards to a Soviet over on the Soviet section of the forum?

Well, I thought that the experts over here could identify the Mongolian awards, and the experts elsewhere the other foreign awards.

Christophe, the funny thing is that I've got a list of all of his awards, but some awards are not depicted on the picture and some awards from the picture are not on the list... Anyway, thanks everybody for your help!

I would definately change the ribbon. Lieutenant Salnikov also wore his order with the correct ribbon and I think the awards in our collections should reflect te original situation as much as possible. After all, this Lenin ribbon was also added post-war after Salnikovs death.

Sorry Christophe, but exactly how does your post help me?

Anyway, thanks for your reply. The picture must have been taken between 01-06-1945 and 20-06-1949. Of his other foreign awards I have already identified the Legion of Merit, Order of the Bath, Legion d'Honneur, Virtuti Militari and Grunwald Cross.

Gentlemen,

I'm trying to identify all Zhukovs awards seen on this beautiful picture. The Soviets are no problem, but I'm having difficulties with the foreign ones (including his Mongolian ones). Are the two awards left from his Lenins Orders of the Red Banner of Military Valor?

To be honest I expected that too - why only one person who conducts the research for all of us? He must be a busy man...

Bob,

So did I, two days ago.

Very nice pics, thank you!

It is better to use 110KB at GMIC, than ??KB at the "other" Soviet awards forum .

And you can always upload larger pics at sites like www.imageshack.us , what is not allowed at the other forum.