Soviet ARTAMONOV Nikolaj Porfirevitj, Guards Captain

[kimj]

After a loooooong wait results are in! I have in my hand the ?Nagradnoy list? of Red Banner no 201 954. Some of you might remember this thread, http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2459...'t&st=0 . The big question, at least for me, was if my medal bar was put together or ?real?. When I had the papers I first planed to let you guess and in a couple of days post the answer. But then I figured that would be cruel. So here it is or at least the translation.

AWARD CITATION

First, middle and last name: ARTAMONOV NIKOLAY PORFIRYEVICH

Rank: Guards Junior Lieutenant

Position, unit: Pilot of the 106-th Guards fighter aviation Vislensky regiment of the 11-th Guards fighter aviation Dneptopetrovsk holding order of the Red Banner division

Is recommended for the order of Red Banner

1. Year of birth: June 1, 1920

2. Nationality: Byelorussian

3. In the Red Army since: 1940

4. Party membership: CPSU(b) candidate since 1943

5. Participation in battles: Participant of the Great Patriotic War since June 1943, at

South-Western, 3-rd and 1-st Ukrainian fronts

6. Wound or contusions: None

7. Previous awards: Order of the Patriotic War, 1st cl., order to 1st GSAK

No 08/N of August 10, 1944 for 35 successful operational flights

8. Drafted by what military Orshansky district military commissatiat, Vitebsk region

9. Permanent home address: Vitebsk region, Mekhovsky district, Belki village.

Sister: Artamonova Maria Porfiryevna

1. BRIEF, CONCRETE DESCRIPTION OF PERSONAL FEAT OR MERITS

Comrade ARTAMONOV during the period of his front work in Guards fighter aviation regiment since June 1943 until January 1, 1945 showed himself as a brave and courageous fighter-pilot, during the specified period he had 76 successful operational flights; flying hours - 77 hours 35 minutes, executed 6 air fights in which he personally brought down 1 enemy aircraft of ?FV-190? type, executed 18 assaults and 3 bombing. For 35 successful operational flights he was awarded with the order of Patriotic War, 1st cl.. After being awarded comrade ARTAMONOV executed next 41 successful operational flights without a single flight accident due to his fault, among them: reconnaissance of the enemy land forces ? 38 flights, accompanying of ?IL-2? ? 2 flights and blocking of crossings ? 1 flight. During execution of the combat missions he carried out 8 assaults and 3 bombings and as a result put out of operation 1 steam locomotive and killed up to 20 enemy soldiers. Executed 2 air fights and brought down 1 enemy aircraft. He is brave and courageous in air fights. Pilotage technique is good. All military missions fullfils excellently.

For 41 successful flights, among them 38 reconnaissance flights, for courage and bravery displayed in air fights, deserves the government award, order of the Red Banner.

Commander of 106-th Guards fighter aviation regiment.

Hero of the Soviet Union, Guards Lieutenant Colonel (KUZNETZOV)

Oh, I almost forgot.... The second Red Banner is documented on the award card! My bar is a 100% good! Not according to regulation, but from one recipient! Research is all it?s said to be and more!!!

Dave?s guess was almost a 100% correct... Must be a really good crystal ball or a couple of hundred citation read..

/Kim

[Guest Rick Research]

Awwwwwwww, but you ARE being cruel! Post the research! post the research!!!

[kimj]

It's right there Rick, in the quote. I don't have any scans of the actual documents. But perhaps could do that tomorrow.

/Kim

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes, would like to see the Awards Record Card.

Did you ask for his personnel file?

Have you been waiting ALL this time since 2005?

[kimj]

Here's the award card.

No, I didn't ask for anything more than award card and citation for the first Red Banner. My main reason for researching this one was to see if it was a bar to one person. Now it turned out good and I think I got a good citation too. Now to find the missing orders

I ordered the research in early 2007. But the wait sure feels like two years....

/Kim

[Guest Rick Research]

Aha. Filled out as Captain and Regimental Navigator of the 54th Gds Fighter Aviation Regiment, 1st Gds Fighter Aviation Division.

The 15 years medal on that bar is wrong, since he got his 15 years Red Star in 1955.

What is VERRRRRRRRRRY interesting is that second Red Banner (and note that it is another first-award type and not a "2"!)

by Ukaz of 16 October 1957

NOT long service-- he only had 17 years in.

So what did he get that for?

Something sercet. Something interesting.

[Ed_Haynes]

Something sercet. Something interesting.

And something at least worth TRYING to research? While it harms the so-called "budget", I have started just asking The Researcher (now experimentally researchers) to get "everything of everytiing". It saves trips back to the Well of Wisdom.

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH

[kimj]

So much to research and limited collecting budget doesn't add up. But I agree with you that it could be for something good. He was after all still an active military man, stationed in Latvia in 1955. When I get more on Artamonov I'll post it here, but don't hold your breath as this group is now last in the line for future research. Then again awarded 1957.... dare one think Hungary....?

I wonder how the 15 years of service medal ended up on the bar.....

/Kim

[Guest Rick Research]

Too late for Hungary. My guess would be secret aircraft testing in the year of Sputnik or a nice little delayed reward for.... oh, say...

Egypt or Syria in the war of 1956, and just coming home about then.

[Bryan]

KimJ, that's a great return for your researches! I'm happy for you it turned to be correct!

[kimj]

I could live with that research result Rick. But it's still at the end of the research line...

Soviet: Thanks! The research was more than I could ever hope for. All I hoped for was that it was a group. A pilot was an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise.

/Kim