Soviet Research Order of the Red Banner Nr. 72.925

[Gerd Becker]

Hello everyone,

i got research today and part of it is the research to this T2V2 Order of the Red Banner. My friend Rick is so friendly to provide the translation for this, so stay tuned.

Firstly the Order itself:

[Gerd Becker]

Fortunately there was a photo in the in the personal record. He looks a bit like Raymond Burrs long lost brother. He is already Colonel on that photo.

[Gerd Becker]

The first part of his award record card

[Gerd Becker]

Other side of the award card:

[Gerd Becker]

Citation upper half:

Edited September 13, 2005 by Gerd Becker

[Gerd Becker]

Citation lower half:

[Gerd Becker]

Personal Record Part 1

[Gerd Becker]

Personal Record Part 2

[Gerd Becker]

Personal Record Part 3

[Gerd Becker]

Personal Record Part 4

Thats it. Rick, give me a sign, if these are ok. Thanks in advance.

Gerd

[Guest Rick Research]

In 1955 Colonel Khariton Gordeevich Shashel', born 1907 in the village of Sivash, Sivashsky Raion, Khersonskaya Oblast, ethnic Ukrainian, of peasant class background. Civil occupation described as "Pioneer Worker," which I take to be a functionary of the Communist youth group "Young Pioneers." Entered the Red Army 30 November 1929 at Genichevsky, Zaporozhsky Oblast.

He was then the Commander of 274th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Traget Range "2nd Category" (whatever THAT meant, for weaponry type).

Awards

THIS Red Banner # 72,925 on 25.4.44 per Order of the Northern Front

Red Star # 458,737 on 3.11.44 (so a long service bestowal)

Red Banner # 355,301 17.5.51 (long service)

Defense of Stalingrad, Victory Over Germany, and 1948 Armed Forces Jubilee medals

Order of Lenin # 291,848 5.11.54 (long service)

and the Award Record Card dated 5.3.55 is something "Academy," so Colonel Shashel' 's command was some sort of instruction unit at that. Rotrating the ARC stamp will no doubt make it more legible and I'll come back to the precise Academy designation later.

The Red Banner Citation was for him as Major commanding 80th Unit of Anti-Aircraft Artillery. The heading indicates he participated in the war against Poland in 1939, and WW2.

[Gerd Becker]

Wow, you are fast. Here is the stamp again, rotated 180 degrees:

[Guest Rick Research]

Ah, Gerd snuck in 5 more scans in there while I was typing!

Anyway, the citation reads

"In the division {Soviet artillery unit term here = battalion} since August 1941, obtained excellent military training and military readiness.

He carried out his military tasks for defense of railway bridges over the River Don in the area around Lizhka, with the battalion repelling waves of massed enemy aerial attacks. Showing personal leadership in continuously suppressing enemy air attacks regardless of losses, thanks to correct arrangements within his means and personal leadership, the battalion was able to repel all attacks and protect important defensive objects.

Comrade Shashel' 's personal example and enthusiasm place his personal leadership among the highest heroic advances.

In his military service at anti-aircraft defense points, the battalion shot down 9 and hit 7 enemy aircraft. Comrade Shashel' is devoted to affairs of the Party of Lenin and Stalin and the Socialist Homeland. For displaying personal courage and heroism and personal leadership in repelling enemy air raids, he deserves to be decorated with the Order of the Red Banner.

Chief of Western Front Anti-Aircraft Branch, Colonel-General "Gromadin"

Concur, Chief of Western Front A-A Branch Military Council, Major General "Orlov" "

[Guest Rick Research]

Service Record also quite clear. Born 27 September 1907. Educated to 8th Class, 1922. 1931 Communist Party member number maybe you can read better in original-- looks like 2,475,007. Attended Divisional Party School in city of Orsha, 1936. "reads German with a dictionary." (just like my Russian!!! )

Wife Mariya Timofeevna born 1909: two daughters-- Larisa, b. 1934, and Leonardiya (yuck!!!) b. 1937.

"Defense of White Russia" 17.9.-17.10.39 before moving into Eastern Poland until June 1940.

Lt (no date)

Senior Lt June 1938

Captain November 1940

Major 21.12.42

Lieutenant Colonel 16.6.44

Colonel 22.6.51

30.11.29 Private 20th Independent Anti-Aircraft Battery

9.30 Section commander 20th Indep. AA Bty.

1. 33 Cadet at Sevastapol School of Anti-Aircraft Artillery

2.34 Platoon commander 4th A-A Regiment

1.12.36 Platoon commander 35th Indep. A-A Battalion

1.1.37 Courses for anti-aircraft command staff

6.37 Battery Commander, 35th Indep. A-A Btn.

6.38 Assistant Staff Commander, 16th Indep. A-A Btn.

8.38 Commander of Instruction Battery, 19th Independent A-A Battalion

13.11.40 Commander of Cadet Battery, Sevastapol School of AAA

30.8.41 Commander 80th Independent Anti-Aircraft Battalion

8.7.43 Commander 1574th Anti-Aircraft Regiment "MK" ("MK" = ?)

there is an "X" here and out of sequence notation which I am not sure if it is an INSERTION or a CORRECTION--

"12.5.43" "Commander 1573rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment"

23.9.44 Commander 1934th Anti-Aircraft Regiment

1.3.45 Commander of (abbreviations baffle me presently) A-A of the Southern Front

25.4.46 Commander 453rd Independent Anti-Aircraft Battalion (served outside the Soviet borders in Hungary and Czechoslovakia)

18.7.46 Commander District Target Range, Yevpatoriya District Anti-Aircraft Target Range and 7th Section Commander 45th Anti-Aircraft "SK" (= ?) Battalion School

3.2.54 Commander "2nd work" 274th Anti-Aircraft Target Range

14.10.55 (at disposition ?) of commander of "nii-2" (= ???) Anti Aircraft Defense Forces of the Nation

14 January 1956 retired (placed in reserves)

This is ABOUT everything. Couple of stray lines defeat my reading at first pass through. The stamp on the 1955 Awards Record Card, for instance, looks like "NII-2" (perhaps "KII-2" for "Kategory-2" as mentioned in his target range command, whatever "Category 2" WAS)... "AKADEMI... ERIISK... (NAUK???) (VM?) SSSR."

A marked change from your LAST research results!!!

Here are what his shoulder boards would have looked like when he got this LATE screwback ORB:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=932&...findpost&p=5840

And typical of 1944 officers' hats, a "flat" type artillery and armor officers' visor cap, with plush black band and red piping around the TOP of that and the top of the green-khaki crown:

[attachmentid=10702]

[Gerd Becker]

Yes, indeed.

Thanks so much, my friend. You are my Hero

Gerd

[Gerd Becker]

Rick,

here is the reverse of the Citation.

Gerd

[Guest Rick Research]

Nothing else on the back of the Red Banner Citation? That is only the lower guy who recorded and issued the decoration from Headquarters.

Colonel-General Gromadin is NOT listed on the WW2 Generals website No way to tell WHICH Orlov the Commissar was.

Here's a badge your Colonel would probably have worn in the 1930s, "Ready For Civil Defense"--

[attachmentid=10703][attachmentid=10704]

[Steen Ammentorp]

Having just sent Rick a PM with information on the officer Gromadin mentioned in this thread and I should remember to say that I am missing a few PVO-officers in my database (so many and so little time) and just after sending the PM I noticed a mistake I had made concerning the dates. So Rick please forget the PM.

Gromadin, Colonel-General Mikhail Stepanovich (08.11.1899-03.06.1962):

05.06.40: Major-General

28.10.41: Lieutenant-General

19.11.43: Colonel-General

40-41: Commanding Officer I Air Defence Corps

41 : Commanding Officer Moscow Air Defence Area

00.11.41-00.05.42: Assistant People's Commissar of Defence

29.06.43-29.03.44: Commander in Chief Western Air Defence Zone

29.03.44-24.12.44: Commander in Chief Northern Air Defence Zone

24.12.44-00.00.45: Commander in Chief Central Air Defence Zone

50-54: Inspector at Ministry of Defence

54 : Retired

I said there was no way to know who the Orlov was but on second thought I have a gut feeling that is the one below (another of those that I haven't had the time to add yet).

Orlov, Lieutenant-General Ivan Alekseevich (10.11.1902-00.08.1980):

06.12.42: Major-General

18.11.44: Lieutenant-General

41 : Political Commissar IV Fighter Aviation Corps

26.06.43-29.03.44: Political Commissar Western Air Defence Zone

29.03.44-24.12.44: Political Commissar Northern Air Defence Zone

24.12.44-00.01.45: Political Commissar Central Air Defence Zone

Though I have no information on either being attach to the Southern Defence Zone or Southern Front but considering their other whys corresponding careers I think it would unlikely to be any other Orlov.

What puzzles me a bit is that is the date and let me be quick to say that I know nothing on awards or citations but isn't the citation dated 25th April 1944? At a date where both Gromadin and Orlov is supposed to have been elsewhere? Maybe I have missed something.

Kind Regards

Steen Ammentorp

The Generals of World War II

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup. that's why such original documentation is important! "Official" biographies may have errors, but we have time-and-place signatures on there. My tired-brain error too (corrected, thanks!!), WESTERN and not "Southern." Fixed that on my translation of the citation approval!

Thanks for the amazing information. Before Kim told us about your website, I had written off Soviet generals as "impossible" to ever research!

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks, Steen Ammentorp for the information provided.

Your help is very much appreciated.

best regards,

Gerd

[Gerd Becker]

there is an "X" here and out of sequence notation which I am not sure if it is an INSERTION or a CORRECTION--

"12.5.43" "Commander 1573rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment"

[attachmentid=10702]

←

Rick,

this date looks on the original like 12.05.1944

That would put it in line again, right?

Gerd

[Gerd Becker]

14.10.55 (at disposition ?) of commander of "nii-2" (= ???) Anti Aircraft Defense Forces of the Nation

I don?t understand this entry, Rick. What was Shashel?s position at this time?

Thanks

Gerd

[Guest Rick Research]

I cannot read or interpret that line

[Paul R]

Very interesting grouping Gerd!! You are right about the story overshadowing the actual item!! Thank you for this interesting thread!

[Gerd Becker]

Very interesting grouping Gerd!! You are right about the story overshadowing the actual item!! Thank you for this interesting thread!

Thanks, Paul. I am glad, you liked it.

I hope, other people will post their researched screwbacks (hint, hint)