Soviet Mikhail Semenovich Maevski

[RedMaestro]

Hi All,

This is a new group I just ordered. I don't actually have it in my hands yet, but since I won't have a chance to post when I get it, I will just post the scans I have now.

I'll email Nota Bene and see what research can be found on this. Hopefully it will be interesting.

Any comments or opinions are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

-Alex

And now to start, OGPW2 #787,351

[RedMaestro]

And document

[RedMaestro]

[Ed_Haynes]

Could be interesting. We await. He should be able to help.

[RedMaestro]

ORBL #310,385

[RedMaestro]

And doc...

[RedMaestro]

[RedMaestro]

And finally, an unnumbered Medal for Valiant Labor

[RedMaestro]

And doc

[RedMaestro]

[Ed_Haynes]

A very nice, group, especially for these days.

The OPW may crack the research on an otherwise dead-end group given present research realities.

Excited/envious anticipation . . . .

[Guest Rick Research]

The November 1947 date on the OPW2 and its 1945/47 serial number indicates that it is a late delivery for serious WW2 wounds. We've seen a small cluster of these in the Researched Awards subforum. (One reason for my decade long obsessive dated serial numbers listing-- which prints out bery neatly and which goes with me to every show. )

VERY nice Red Banner of Labor. That and the Valiant Labor are not long service awards-- well, at least not the Red Banner of Labor--

fine group of a type sadly not much seen (or at least affordable by us humans) these days. :cheers:

[RedMaestro]

Thanks for the comments! I'm glad you like the group! I'm lucky I got it, and even luckier that it was for a decent price (though it is still my most expensive medal purchase to date). Alas, there goes my Christmas money, but well spent! What I have left will go to researching this group, and then I think I am out of the game for at least the first half of 2009 (that was quick ... 2 days into the new year ).

I'll send in the research request as soon as the group actually arrives (probably in the next two days). With luck, there will be research results soon. Hopefully they'll be interesting, and maybe there will even be some info about the labor awards...a 1 in a million chance, but still worth praying for.

Thanks!

-Alex

[RedMaestro]

All right, here it is, the ARC. Apparently he was in the navy, so this was all that was available. Still, I'm quite happy with it. Better than nothing, and it came in just 10 days after my request

Any help interpreting is very, very much appreciated!

Thanks!

-Alex

[RedMaestro]

page 2

[Guest Rick Research]

:Cat-Scratch: Aha! That's very interesting indeed!

Mikhail Semenonovich Maevsky was born in 1907 in the city of Nikolaev, Ukrainian SSR. Ethnic Russian with primary education and not a Party member. He never served in the Red Army-- nor apparently in the navy, either!

He was decorated as an assembly fitter/mechanic (slesar'-montazhnik) in Factory 291 of the Black Sea Fleet.

When the ARC was filled out (25.11.47) he was an assembly fitter/mechanic at Factory 445 in Nikolaev, living at Inzhener(...) Street 16.

OPW2 # 787,351 as a belated award from one awarded by decree of the Black Sea Fleet on 8 April 1945.

He also received the Medals for the Defense of Sevastapol and Caucasus (so he was among the lucky chosen to be EVACUATED in the "Soviet Dunkirk") and Victory Over Germany.

Whatever specialized military industrial work he did, he was vital enough to have been given a seat in the evacuation fleet--

that sure would be an interesting CITATION if it can be found! :cheers:

[RedMaestro]

Thanks very much, Rick!

So he was just an average civilian? Wow! Now I really want to get that citation!

How often were civilians awarded military orders? I know they could receive campaign medals, but off the top of my head, the only similar instance I can think of was an Order of the Red Banner in Dave's collection (to a film director or newspaper editor, if remember correctly). What are the implications in terms of further archival research? Is it possible that there is more info out there?

Thanks!

-Alex

[Ed_Haynes]

Very nice and very interesting!

Also good to see that soemone is getting some research on something! Results are at zero here for over a year. We unlucky ones can live vicariously through others' results.

[Guest Rick Research]

Unless he was of what the Germans called "Beamter" status-- a civilian employee of the navy-- I'd say he was a civilian working FOR the navy in a war industry. That Victory Over Germany rather than Labor Victory suggests some sort of uniformed status the ARC doesn't reveal, but ... ?

I've never had naval research, but my understanding is that their records are someplace completely different than Podolsk, and require either another researcher or a journey across the Russian republic to get to.

I'd say you've got an interesting enough-- we've never seen the like-- result to ask Alexei if his guy CAN get naval citations with all the data that has come up so far.

For a possibly similar though far less decorated group see:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8408&hl=Sevastapol

[Ferdinand]

His rank on the ARC is reserve seaman so I guess he was in the military...

[Guest Rick Research]

:speechless: You're right-- matros zapasa. I lost that in my scribbles of the rest.

[RedMaestro]

So he WAS in the navy? I guess then it wasn't as unique a situation as it seemed. Oh well. Thanks for the translation there Auke!

I sent an email to the "other" researcher to see if he can help uncover more of this story. Awaiting his response (and research from 6 months ago too ). Alexei doesn't seem to do naval awards.

-Alex