Soviet Leutenant Aleksandr, Grigerovitsch Dmitrienko

[Alfred]

Leutenant Aleksandr, Grigerovitsch Dmitrienko

Research indicates Redbanner was awarded to Sargeant rifle squad leader:Abridged citation reads "he and his squad were the first to rush into an enemy trench in the village of Krasnoe where he personally killed seven German soldiers then crawled to a bunker and destroyed it with hand grenades. When the enemy counterattacked near Repnoe with a force of approximately 150, despite being low on ammunition Comrade Dmitrienko and a group of soldiers moved to a disabled tank where they indicated targets, which resulted in the destruction of an enemy cannon and 3 firing positions and the attack was repelled. After ammunition was brought forward and despite being wounded, he was the first to enter the village and killed (?)5 German soldiers. In combat southwest of Luzhka, SGT Dmitienko moved forward with an earlier captured German machinegun, and repelled a two-platoon enemy counterattck forced, killing 5 Germans.?

He served in the: 548. Rifle Regiment, 116.Rifle Division, 53. Army

born 1924

promotion to Junior Leutenant (15.1.45), Leutenant (4.11.45), and the designation of "Guards" title (20.6.45).

Komsomol member since 1938

[Alfred]

his awards:

1. Red Banner S/N: 258.147

2. Bravery Medal unnumbered

3. Victory over Germany

4. Victory over Japan

Edited November 17, 2007 by Alfred

[Alfred]

here is a picture of the award book

[Alfred]

here is the award card

[Alfred]

and here is the frontside of the award card

[Alfred]

and the rest

[Guest Rick Research]

VERY strange! That is a May 1945 Red Banner number-- why didn't he get it when awarded in 1943?

And his 1943 Valour Medal came along after the ARC was filled out (when was that? Lower reverse.... ) and after 1948--

what HAPPENED?

He was still in the Army, Commander of Instruction Platoon, 844th Mortar Regiment in 66(5?) Artillery Brigade whenever the ARC was filled out!

Did you get his service record? Was he a prisoner of war 1943-45?

[Alfred]

Thanks Rick,

no I didn?t get the service record and the citation for the bravery medal.

It was sold only with research of the Red Banner.

I don?t think he was a prisoner of war. On the last page of the red arward book are entries about his promotions.

promotion to Junior Leutenant (15.1.45), Leutenant (4.11.45), and the designation of "Guards" title (20.6.45).

best regards

Andreas

[Alfred]

here is a scan of the last page

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes but when was the Awards Record Card filled out? You've skipped the bottom of that, showing date it was made out (unit stamp might be clearer than the handwritten front) and the Valour Medal was obviously added later, AFTER the ARC was made out.

His Red Banner should have been in the 7X,XXX/8X,XXX range in September 1943... so why a delay of more than a year and a half to GET it? And why FIVE YEARS late for an unnumbered Valour from August 1943?

There must be a very interesting and odd story behind those delays.

[Alfred]

The record card was filled out in 1946.

Maybe he was on a military school after 1943 and they just forgott "to give" him the Red Banner.

In 1943 he was Sergeant and in 1945 he was promoted to Lieutenant.

regrads

Andreas

Edited November 23, 2007 by Alfred