Soviet Ivan Andreyevich Ionychev

[Ferdinand]

From Echoes of War I knew this Bravery Medal (#117953) had to have been awarded by the Stalingrad Front. It turned out it was indeed awarded by the 64th Army, Stalingrad Front.

The citation mentions both Stalingrad and Beketovka, the Volga city a few miles south of Stalingrad. During the entire battle of Stalingrad, the 157th Rifle Division was located in the area just west of Beketovka.

First, the award itself:

[Ferdinand]

Award Record Card, obverse:

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Award Record Card, reverse:

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Award Record Card translation:

1. Last name: Ionychev

2. First name and patronymic: Ivan Andreyevich

3. Military rank: Guards Sergeant

4. Sex: Male

5. Year of birth: 1900

6. Place of birth: Chuvash ASSR, Yadrinsky Region, village of Chiganary

7. Party membership: Not a member

8. Education: Elementary

9. Nationality: Russian

10. In the Red Army since: July 1919 till July 1922 and August 1942 till September 1945

11. Place of service and duty position at the time of the awarding: 2nd Belorussian Front, 76th Guards Rifle Division, 237th Guards Rifle Regiment, gun commander

12. Current Place of service and duty position: Kolkhoz ?Parizhskaya Kommuna? [Paris Commune], Yadrinsky Region, Kolkhoz farmer

13. Home address of awardee: Chuvash ASSR, Yadrinsky Region, village of Chiganary

14. Record of all awards presented:

Bravery Medal # 117953 by order of the 64th Army of 26 October 1942

Order of the Red Star # 2211837 by order of the 76th Guards Rifle Division of 26 October 1942

Medal for the Defense of Stalingrad

Medal for the Liberation of Warsaw

[signed Ionychev]

Yadrinsky Regional Military Commissar

Captain [signature] /Vakhrameyev/

11 May 1946

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Citation, obverse, upper part:

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Citation, obverse, lower part:

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Citation, reverse:

Edited February 13, 2009 by Ferdinand

[Ferdinand]

Citation translation:

Ionychev, Ivan Andreyevich

Private

[?] Rifle Company, 633rd Rifle Regiment, 157th Rifle Division

Recommended for the Bravery Medal

Year of birth: 1900

Nationality: Russian

In the Red Army since: 1941

Party membership: Not a member

Participation in combat: Western Front from 20 December 1941 till 20 April 1942; South-Eastern Front since 19 September 1942

Wounds or contusions: No

Earlier awards: No

Which RVK: Yadrinsky RVK [Regional Military Commissariat]

Home address: Chuvash ASSR, Yadrinsky Region, village of Chiganary. Wife: Yevgenia Fyodorovna Ionycheva

Brief description of personal feat or merits:

Comrade Ionychev is in the Active Army since 20 December 1941. In combat with the German fascists on the approaches to Stalingrad, comrade Ionychev showed himself a brave, courageous and steadfast defender of the Socialist Motherland. During the attack of our units on 1 October 1942 near height 143.1, North-West of the village of Beketovka in the Stalingrad District, comrade Ionychev bravely carried ammunition chains and eliminated fascists. On the same date, while being at the command post of the company, he saw at dawn a tip-toeing enemy scout, and not disconcerted he opened fire, as a result of which an officer and three soldiers ended up killed; the rest ran away. In combat on 3 October 1942 in the same area, comrade Ionychev eliminated well-aimed seventeen German soldiers.

Conclusion: for displayed courage and bravery, comrade Ionychev deserves to be awarded the Bravery Medal.

Commander of the 633rd Rifle Regiment

Major /Mochov/ [signature]

Military Commissar of the 633rd Rifle Regiment

Senior Battalion Commissar /Sotnikov/ [signature]

6 October 1942

Is recommended for the Bravery Medal.

Acting commander of the 157th Rifle Division

Colonel /Kirsanov/ [signature]

Military Commissar of the 157th Rifle Division

Regimental Commissar /Gnilusha/ [signature]

10 October 1942

Awarded the Bravery Medal by order of the 64th Army nr. 74 of 26 October 1942

Chief of the 2nd Section of the Personnel Department of the 64th Army

Quartermaster 3rd Rank [signature] /[su???]/

[Ferdinand]

Thanks for looking. Additions and corrections are always welcome.