Soviet Odd Award Card and Citation for Glory 3rd

[NavyFCO]

I've been researching awards since 1996, and have probably seen 300+ sets (conservatively) of research in the 10 years I've been doing this.

On rare occasions though, you run into something that makes you say: "What the heck happened here???" This is one of those occasions. Hopefully, someone might be able to help me decipher what happened here with this guy's awards.

This Glory 3rd was awarded to Kanyaev, Ivan Aleksandrovich, a Layer with the 3rd Mortar Company, 3rd Battalion, 353rd Guards Rifle Regiment, 114th Guards Rifle Division.

What's interesting about this is his date of entry into the Patriotic War. Granted, this was not impossible, but it's highly unusual.... It's 22 March 1945! What's odder about it is that he was in the Soviet Army since March 1942. Perhaps a "behind the lines" guy who they wanted to move forward to see some combat and maybe get an award or two?

Well, within three and a half weeks of reporting to the unit, he was nominated for the Order of Glory 3rd Class. The citation is presented below...

[NavyFCO]

Okay, so he's with the unit a few weeks and they put him up for a Glory 3rd. Not that unusual, to be certain, particularly with the losses that they were experiencing in the assault on Berlin.

What's odd though is that I received two award cards for him. The one on the right (dated 1956) lists not just the Glory 3rd, but TWO For Valor medals! Basically, this guy raked in three awards within a month and half of combat! Odder still is that both of the For Valor medals were given by the SAME unit on the SAME day under the SAME declaration (Prikaz), but were over 600,000 numbers off in serial number!

Looking to the left hand (earlier) award card, it lists just his Glory 3rd, and a single For valor, but oddly enough it mentions (from what I understand) that they were presented to him in 1948 in Leningrad. WHAT?

Lots more stuff on there that I just can't read because of the crappy handwriting.... Can anyone help me out to straighten out what happened to this guy's awards?

Thanks!

Dave

[Paul R]

Dave,

I look forward to seeing the update on this one! He definately seems to have been a "favorite" of someone high up in the "management".

Paul

[Guest Rick Research]

Well, anybody who would cross the Danube to take out snipers with grenades DESERVED it. From what I can read on the earlier award card, the delayed awards (and that 1947 date is one of the mass "wounds" Ukaze, isn't it?) weren't made until 1948 because they couldn't FIND him at his last known address.

[Gerd Becker]

What is a Layer?

[Paul R]

what other valor awards does he have listed?

Paul

[Mondvor]

Dave, this award group is really interesting. There are several strange moments with it and I think we should not combine them all together. Lets answer one question at a time.

First of all, I do not believe he was some special guy who was sent to the battlefield on the last days of the war to get some medals... Last days of the war were sometimes more dangerous than in mid-war period. If you are familiar with Russian losses during the battle of Berlin, than you understand what I'm talking about.

He joined the Army on March 1942. But started to participate in active combat only since March 1945. So what did he do for 3 years. There are manu possibilities. He could be on Far Eastern Front. During the whole war USSR kept huge number of troops near the border with China and Mongolia to prevent possible Japanese invasion. Also he could serve in one of Training Regiments. Soviet famous fighter and 3 times HSU Kozhedub spent the initial part part of the war as a pilot instructor in one of the Fighter Training Schools.

But for the final battles Red Army required more people. So many units from Far Eastern Front and from Training Units were transferred to Western Europe for the "last fight".

Dave, you posted only one side of each award card. If you post the other sides, I try to continue my explanation about other strange moments with his awards. The every small piece of information from those documents could be very valuable.

[NavyFCO]

Andrew:

Your wish is my command!

AC Fronts...

Dave

[Gerd Becker]

And a Layer is what?

Edited August 16, 2006 by Gerd Becker

[Eric Gaumann]

And a Layer is what?

Well "gunlayer" is, I think, the man who actaully aimed (or pointed) the weapon.

Or perhaps the loader. It might depend on translation.

In any event I'd guess he was a specific part of a mortar team.

Or, when you put it the terms of lay-er and lay-ee a whole different explanation come to mind. But that's for a different thread.

[Gerd Becker]

Thank you, Eric

[Mondvor]

OK, back to Konyaev's awards. I think the situation with his Glory 3rd class is pretty clear. We have a citation and I have to say it's very cool! After his mortar was damaged with enemy artillery fire, Konyaev used his machine-gun and killed German sniper. After that he took his rifle and with this rifle he killed 8 German soldiers and an officer. Germans tried to surrender and capture Konyaev, but he threw 2 hand grenades and killed 5 more Germans.

Now we have the most strange part - his 2 Bravery medals. According to the documents first medal was given to him in 1947 in the city of Polotsk. He was awarded by the Decree of his Regiment on April 29, 1945. Why it took two years to receive the award? Most likely he was wounded and transferred to the hospital or just transferred to the other unit. So regimental authorities were unable to find him in a war-time chaos. But after he was discharged from the army in 1946, he returned back home and registered in a local Military Office. Administrative officer from this department filled his papers and send them to the Central Office. And there they found that his Bravery medal is still waiting for him. But now his location was clear and they simply sent the medal to local Military Office and the Head of this Office called him and gave him his medal. The number of this medal matches with the data when it was given to recipient (1947). The first award card was filled at that time and shows two awards - Glory and first Bravery medal. What happened then? From the first award card we know that Konyaev moved away in 1948. Some time later he settled in the other place and again came to the local Military Office. Administrative officer sent the request again and received his initial award card from previous location. It was on May 22, 1956. He put the new seal that confirms that all entries are correct. And of course he informed Central Office that Konyaev changed his location and got registered in a different Military Office. And here is a moment of truth. When Central Office personnel reviewed Konyaev's papers they found this old citation for the Bravery medal. AND THEY THOUGHT HE DID NEVER RECEIVE IT!!! They sent another medal to new location. And he was awarded SECOND TIME. But now the number of the medal was higher and it perfectly matches with data of issue - 1956. Of course local Military Office clerk immediately filled the new award card to Konyaev and now two medals were listed.

Of course it is only my hypothesis, I'm not absolutely sure how it was in reality.

[Mondvor]

Sorry, what is the number of second Bravery medal? In award card it looks like 3658186. If it is correct, then it is highest number for Bravery I've ever seen. Previous highest was 3658166.

[NavyFCO]

Sorry, what is the number of second Bravery medal? In award card it looks like 3658186. If it is correct, then it is highest number for Bravery I've ever seen. Previous highest was 3658166.

Andrew:

Yes, it is 3568186. Unfortunately, I don't have the medal with the group, I just have the single Glory 3rd.

I did get an award card for a Valor with a 39XXXXX serial number. I believe I actually have that medal, but I think it's a 34XXXXX, and someone just made an incorrect entry on the AC. I'll check it when I get home tonight.

Dave

[Mondvor]

Andrew:

Yes, it is 3658186. Unfortunately, I don't have the medal with the group, I just have the single Glory 3rd.

I did get an award card for a Valor with a 39XXXXX serial number. I believe I actually have that medal, but I think it's a 34XXXXX, and someone just made an incorrect entry on the AC. I'll check it when I get home tonight.

Dave

Thanks Dave,

39XXXXX really must be a mistake, because no numbers in 37XXXXX - 39XXXXX were observed during last several years.