Egorka

For "Crossing from the Tamtsak-Bulak (Mongolian Peoples republic), across the Greater Hingan mountain range, across whole Manchuria until the mountains of Port Artur." (quote from one of the HQ officers of 39 Army). And the face of Lt. ULYANOV Vladimir Leontievich 1926.

The decree 18 August 1936 on bestowal of the of commanders, political workers, engineers, technicians and military doctors of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. For outstanding achievements in combat, political and technical training of military units...

I am glad then for you having such nice early item and with an interesting personal story behind! Thank you Konstantin for pointing at the relevant forum!

Greetings! I don't think I have ever seen such engraving style on these OBH from 1936. I have a bad feeling about it...

One reason (among others) for some veterans getting two jubilee 1985 awards, was the fact, that people could be recommended for those by different organisations: work place, veteran organisation, local Communist party offices. This lead to double awards in a many cases. Taht is apart from the general disorganisation.

"15 November 1939" It is not visible that great, but it is the only option to fit to a Serbian word for a month name. "in Belgrad" - place of bestowal.

He was born in 1924 and would be 84 in 2009. Quite possible... According to the 2010 census in the Russian Federation, there were ~50.000 men born in 1924. IT would be very similar for Belorussia, I think, where the veteran got his 65 year jubilee medal.

Marcel posted the personality, who is likely the recipient of those medals. but it is not 100% certain. Good: there is only one person with the same full name and officer rank. On the down side, we don’t know his birth year. Meaning, it could be a younger man, who became an officer after the war graduating from a military school. Such man possibly didn’t get any awards during the war, hence would be “invisible” in the online database. Farkas, could you post the award booklets open so that it can be read. Also, there are two booklets for 40 years of Victory medal.

Thank you! It helps already. The date inscribed on the badge is 16 September. That is the date when U-511 was officially transferred to Japanese command under the name RO-500. It gives the idea that the badge was also possibly handed out to the crew on that day.

Hello! Assisting a friend, I am looking for help on this badge, which should be quite interesting according to the story. Has someone seen this badge or mentions or photos of it? Also if possible to get help on the Japanese translation. The story goes, that this badge was issued to the crew (and only to them) of the U-511 submarine, which was the first to reach Kure, Japan on 07.08.1943 after a 90 days voyage from Germany. There is a good deal of material online on this whole German program "Marco Polo" and particularly on the U-511 and the faith of the crew. But I have not seen yet particular mentions of this badge issue, neither photographs of it... Maybe our Japanese speaking members could help with some Japanese sources. Would be great! Another related question and avenue of investigation is war diary of Heinz Rehse 1918 who was master mechanic on U-511 and was with it all the way, until the day U-511 was gifted to Japan and became RO-500. Late war and post war fate: Heinz Rehse survived and ended as an USA citizen in 1950s. He died in 20.11.2015 at the age of 97. Several articles about U-511 refer and quote the diary. Does anyone knows how to get access it?

IMHO, it is a good one.

Hello, FCM 3,163,931 is 95% a long service award from 1946-1947. Researching these is a lottery with low chance of winning... You will find the name and so learn veteran's history (good), but there will not be a citation available to you (bad). I would personally withhold from researching unless this is the only one you want to keep in the collection. FCM 163,333 has a chance of being related to Stalingrad. Maybe 50/50... Close numbers (+100) above are for the rifle divisions involved in the Stalingrad battle around Dec 1942 - Jan 1943. But I also see a whole range of FCM numbers below (-70) from the Karelian front units... Personally, I would had this one researched.

Yes, thanks, Marcel. There is some doubts about the picture being of exactly the OAN recipient GREKHOV... I thought the face is the same, but there is doubt about it... Maybe the diver on the photo doesn't look like he is 35... but even in the worst case, it is a related photo as I doubt there were any other divers than GREKHOV's coworkers.

Hello, Is there a rectangular stamp on the other side of the document?

You might have seen a somewhat iconic photo with Reichstag on the background and a diver being bestowed by rear admiral KRYLOV in (May?) 1945 for mine clearing of the river Spree. Now you can find the name of the diver and see the award he received on the photo. Diver’s name is GREKHOV Aleksander Dmitrievich 1910 born in town Tyumen’, USSR. He graduated from school in 1927. In 1932, he served as an electrician in 2 submarine brigade. 20 October 1935, he became a cadet of the diver school of EPRON in town Balaklava, Crimea. EPRON – “Special Expedition for Underwater Works” —Special-Purpose Underwater Rescue Party, was a government agency of the USSR to salvage valuable cargo and equipment from sunken ships and submarines. From September 1936, GREKHOV is in reserve and back to civilian life. He was married and had already one child. He lived in Moscow until he was drifted back to service on 27 May 1942 and was assigned to the Moscow branch of EPRON for river underwater technical operations (he got his “Moscow defence medal” in 1946). He served as a diver team leader in a river salvage and rescue units. In June 1943, his unit seems to had been reassigned to Volga Flotilla most likely for raising sunken ships after Stalingrad battle. In November 1943, team leader chief warrant officer GREKHOV was bestowed with order “Red Star”: Chief warrant officer diver GREKHOV has raised from under water 19 ships. His team, despite the lack of equipment and supplies, disregarding harsh weather – rain, slush, and frost – worked uninterruptedly. 19 ships were salvaged ahead of scheduled time. He fully deserves to be bestowed with order “RED STAR”. On 27 November 1944, GREKHOV is promoted to the rank of Junior Lieutenant. GREKHOV seem to had been specialising in underwater gas torch metal cutting as part of the salvage operations, as from August 1945, he is acting engineer for underwater gas torch metal cutting in his unit (12th team of the main river military directorate). But otherwise the description of the photograph, is that the bestowal was done for mine clearing of the river Spree. As a divers team leader and officer, GREKHOV was bestowed with order “Aleksander Nevsky” (a little unusual award for such circumstances). His unit was stationed in occupied Germany, when GREKHOV‘s Victory medal was handed to him on 12 December 1945. GREKHOV continued his service in various units responsible for salvaging operations in the rivers of the western area of USSR. He was discharged from the service in the rank of Lt. Captain according to the article 59″a” (due to age) on April 1955. Lived in Leningrad, had 4 children. Such an unusual and notable award: Naval award for the Berlin battle and for diving operations… Another diver, GREKHOV’s mate, bestowed on the occasion by rear admiral KRYLOV.

The first document is for medal For participation in the European war 1915-1918 (Медал за участие в Европейската война 1915-1918). The second document is for "Голям офицерски кръст", i.e. "Grand Officer Cross" of the Order "For Military Merit". So, it is 2nd class then. Date was mentioned before: 26 June 1938.

It was very often the case that people would get in hand their awards moths or even years after they were officially bestowed. Her FCM is from 27.11.1944. ORS from 14.06.1945. It is a bit of a stretch, but it in theory possible she didn't actually get her awards until sometime in 1946... Regarding the rank of Jr.Lt. of Police... it is the first officer rank... I am guessing here, but MAYBE there was a similar system in the Police like in the army, that the female medics would get sergeant rank for the purpose of outranking formally their male co-servicemen. May there was a similar system , so that she got the entry officer rank. Ok. so it not a direct confirmation, but neither is a direct contradiction that these 2 items a related.

331 fighter aviation regiment was his unit in 1946, i.e. post-war. There was a lot of reshuffling and downsizing in the soviet Army after 1945. People were moved around a lot. It should be the same guy.

Yes, right south of Jaunpils. I can mail, no problem. But you can see here. The bridge was raised across the river going through the forest.

The veteran.

Hello, Tom. OK, so you are not sure the photo is of the same recipient... On the photo, she has victory medal and Warsaw liberation medal. Presence of a Warsaw medal indicates she was present in the sector during second half of 1944 - beginning 1945... Now about the document. Mind, that it is from July 1946. By that time general demobilisation was already conducted and women were among the first to be dismissed. Now, there was a signals servicewoman with the same full name, who incidentally also had Warsaw medal too (but she also had ORS, FCM and Berlin medals). So, on one hand it is not too far fetched, that it is the same woman, who by July 1946 ended up in Izmail serving in the police... On the other hand, I am not 100% sure she would get Jr. Lieutenant rank so quickly...

No need to walk 130 km, mate. Here is Pilsaty.

Our colleague chechaco1 means it was the highest ranking medal, then there were orders with the higher rank. Though, I would argue, that - the Gold Star of the Hero of Soviet Union - the Gold Star of the Hero of Socialist Labour - the Gold Star of the Mother Heroine. were all medals, not orders.

Any time! I meant a specific award - medal “FOR BRAVERY” or “FOR COURAGE”, depending on translation. The links you posted are to the same man mentioned in the document. Just different entries in different databases.

красноармеец Романов Владимир Николаевич 1911 private ROMANOV Vladimir Nikolaevich 1911 He was born in the village Nizovka, Chernigov region, Ukraine. The Victory medal was issued to him in 1947 by his local military commissariat in the town Shchors district (it existed during 1935-2016. Before and after the town name was/is Snovsk). It appears the veteran served in the 162 rifle division and was bestowed with Bravery Medal in January 1944 (unfortunately, the citation is not available online). Pitty. He also got his jubilee OPW1 in 1985.