Soviet Interesting Little 2 Red Star Group to Sgt Ivanov

[Digger Doug]

Here's the front side of an award card to Sgt Ivanov along with my attempted translation thus far:

[attachmentid=13363]

1) Ivanov

2) Evgenii Timofeevich

3) Sergent - _________

4) Male

5) 1918

6) Birth Place - Leningrad Oblast

7)

8)

9) Nationality - Russian

10) In Red Army since 10.1938 - 10.45

11) Place of Service and duty at time of award - 132nd Rifle Division 498th Rifle Regiment 47th Army 1st Belorussian front - ___________

12)Present Duty Location - Leningrad 3-D Egorova ____________

13) Home Address - Leningrad ___________________

[Digger Doug]

Here's the back side of Sgt Ivanov's award card:

[attachmentid=13364]

OK, so just a couple of Red Stars, not too interesting you might say. But look at the serial numbers - they're consecutive - 2123417 & 2123418. Both were awarded by the 132nd Rifle Division but the first on January 27, 1945 and the second on May 8, 1945. Hmmm, May 8th 1945 rings a bell........

[Digger Doug]

Here's the top half of the citation for his first Red Star:

[attachmentid=13365]

1) Ivanov, Evgenii Timofeevich

2) Sergeant

3) Unit Commander, Independent First Platoon Counter-Intelligence Unit NKO "SMERSH" 132nd Rifle Division

Recommended for "Order of Glory 3rd Class"

4) Born in 1918

5) Nationality - Russian

6) Party member since 1936

7) At the front in the GPW since January 1943 at the _________ and Belorussian Fronts.

8) Not wounded

9) Member of the Red Army since 1938

10) Called up for service from the _____________ RVK in Leningrad

11) No other awards up to that time

[Digger Doug]

Here't the bottom half of the first page of his first Red Star citation:

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Here's my first draft of the citation:

Comrade Ivanov has been at the front in the Great Patriotic War since 1943 as a Red Army Man in the First Ski Brigade at the Central Front. In battles with the enemy, he has shown himself to be a courageous and brave soldier of the Red Army, personnaly destroying more than 10 German soldiers and officers.

Repeatedly, Comrade Ivanov was victorious despite trying conditions and the superior forces of the enemy.

During the forced crossing of the River Visly (Vistula??), and the breakthrough of the enemy's defenses on January 14-15 1945, Comrade Ivanov, operating with the advance units of the division under orders from command also delivered important documents seized from the enemy.

Under orders of command, Comrade Ivanov arrested 3-X (don't understand this) persons of the enemy element and made his way to the rear and delivered them to the Red Army.

Comrade Ivanov deserves the award of governmental order "Glory IIIrd Class"

[Digger Doug]

The recommendation for a Glory 3rd Class was made by a Major assigned to the SMERSH unit of the 132nd Rifle Division. It was subsequently changed to a Red Star by a non-SMERSH Colonel assigned to the staff of the 132nd Rifle Division.

[Digger Doug]

Here's the top half of Comrade Ivanov's second Red Star citation:

[attachmentid=13367]

Pretty much the same as the previous citation except:

6) Candidate for VKP

7) I can now make out that his first front was the Central Front along with the 1st Belorussian Front

[Digger Doug]

Here's the bottom half of Ivanov's second Red Star citation:

[attachmentid=13368]

Here's my rough draft translation (any edits or improvements would be greatly appreciated):

Sergeant Ivanov is assigned to an independent rifle platoon of the counter-intelligence unit of "SMERSH". 132nd Rifle Division. While guarding rather important state criminals (?), he has no infringements.

Comrade Ivanov was a member of an operations group who, with other fighters, detained tens of persons for interrogation(?) (this word isn't in my dictionary) under the control of the unit.

Independently carrying out the tasks of the command involving security sweeps and searches in the liberated territories with his unit, he has proven himself to be a brave commander.

Comrade Ivanov deserves award of the government order "Red Star."

He was recommended for the award by a Lt. Colonel Grigor'jan of the SMERSH unit of the 132nd Rifle Divison. The award was approved by HSU Ivan Vladimirovich Solov'ev who in 1946 moved to the MVD according to his hero bio.

[Guest Rick Research]

Ho ho!!!! SMERSH!!!!

In posted order--

From the Award Record Card that says Sergeant "of the Reserve" (Zapasa) i.e. discharged but not age 60 yet. , #7 is "not a Party member, #8 is "lower/primary" education (like your Lenin recipient), #11 this line is always last unit and position, and position was "squad commander" #12 Leningrad "Z-d" which is the universal abbreviation for "Zabod" (Factory)-- he was a fitter/mechanic/locksmith at the "Yegorov" factory. #13 home address was Zastavskaya Doma, Apt 21

Top of first citation: not Party member, but Komsomol member 5,341,049 in 1936. Since January 1943 on "Central" and White Russian Fronts. His home address then seems virtuially the same as it was in 1947-- Leningrad at Zastavskaya Ulitsa, House 9a, Apt. 22. His next of kin was his mother, Matrena Akimovna Ivanova.

The conclusion of that first citation is

"On orders of the command, Com. Ivanov arrsted 3 persons of the enemy's 'elements" operating in the rear of the Red Army." That is, he nabbed three purported spies behind Red lines.

The second cotation ( I don't find that word either) seems to be "tens of

persons of interest..."

which, if one of our native Russian speakers can confirm, would put that very current jargon euphemism for "really a suspect but we're not calling the person a suspect but he is a suspect" BACK some 60 years in origin!!!

[Dudeman]

The word "desyatok" means "ten", but would best be translated as "dozens of" something.

[Digger Doug]

Spasibo Rick and Dudeman! I need all the help I can get with my translations. I'm working on a couple more right now including a Glory 2nd Class to a Jr. Lt. pilot for shooting down a German fighter. So far, it's looking pretty interesting. I just finished up a translation on some research I got back on a beat up valor medal that I just knew was going to be great. Turns out he got it for delivering hot food to the front. No doubt a dangerous occupation but not too exciting. With research, you win some and you lose some.

Besten,

Doug