Soviet Order of Glory First Class

[James T]

This is one of the few items that I purchased back in 1996 that was not part of a group. It also is one of the few items that I have that is researched. It appears that two different individuals researched the medal and there are two slightly different explanations for the award listings.

This OG first class was awarded to Corporal Mikhail Alexandrovich Shapiro of the 507th Exterminating Antitank Artillery Corps. What originally caught my eye was he is credited with eliminating as many as 121 German soliders. I have not seen any other group or individual medals listing so many Hiterlites killed by an individual, other than some snipers.

I only have research work on the 1st class and the researcher did not provide the serial numbers for his other awards.

An interesting award and one that I have kept over the years.

The research and copies of the Russian files are listed below.

Jim

[James T]

Reverse of OG

[James T]

Documents

[James T]

documents

[James T]

Documents

[James T]

document

[James T]

document

[James T]

Document

[Guest Rick Research]

Aside from the award itself and his almost supernatural good luck (all that and only wounded once!!!) what strikes me here is that we assume an Exterminator Anti-Tank unit fought in tracked-cannon vehicles. Shapiro seems to have spent his war on foot and out in front of the unit!

[Wild Card]

Hello James T,

I think that you will find that Corporal Shapiro?s second class Glory was #2161 and his third class was #67221.

There is one thing that I think I should mention. My Russian is hardly existent, but going by what I can make out from my sources, Shapiro matches but Mikhail Alexandrovich might be questionable.

Plesae correct me if I am wrong.

Regards,

Wild Card

[Paul R]

That is a beautiful award! Congratulations!

[James T]

Thanks for the information on the first and second award serial number.

In regards to the name I am only going by what was given to me by the research. I know nothing about the Russian spelling and its all Greek to me, if you pardon the pun.

Hopefully someone will be able to interperate the original doucments.

Regards

Jim

[Guest Rick Research]

The recommendation citation and Awards Record Card give "Mikhail Aleksandrovich" Shapiro as well. Igor's tranlsation has everything found there.

The Full Cavaliers does list him as "Shmuel' Ziskovich" Shapiro.

Doesn't seem sensible to me to "Russify" first and patronymics when last name and the ever present What Are You designation so beloved of Soviet bureaucracy would plainly leave his Jewish identity anyway. Perhaps some sort of Russification program at that time that was later abandoned?

The ARC shows he didn't get his Glory 1st until 12 May 1946.

[Ed_Haynes]

Interesting Russifying reshaping os his name. I have seen this also with the names of Central Asian Muslims.

Another lovely item , James.

[NavyFCO]

Very nice!

I have had several groups to Jewish veterans and I also encountered various spellings of their names....the Hebrew version and then their "Russian" version. I have primarily seen it during WW2, and then the vets reverted to their original names in the postwar years. I'm sure something happened at some point to make them change their names...one of Stalin's grand ideas to make everyone "Russian" to be certain!

Dave

[Gunner 1]

His name is given as Shmuel' Ziskovich Shapiro in Kavalery Ordena Slavy Trekh Stepenei and the information appears to be the same as that given in the documentation for "Mikhail Aleksandrovich Shapiro. His photo is attached. Gunner 1