Soviet Private Irina Martynovna Malakova

[Ed_Haynes]

To Private Irina Martynovna Malakova, 806th Tallinn Self-propelled Artillery Regiment, 59th Army.

Maybe not the most exciting Red Star ever (but at least it isn't long service). And it may say something about how these were awarded, to whom, for what.

[Ed_Haynes]

Record Card, front

[Ed_Haynes]

And back.

[Ed_Haynes]

And translation:

AWARD CARD

Order booklet A 726550

1. Last Name Mal?kova

2. Name and Patronymic Irina Martynovna

3. Military Rank Private

4. Sex Female

5. Year of Birth 1920

6. Place of Birth Krasnoyarsk Provice, Daursk District, Village Komzhikh

7. Party Membership n/a

8. Education 4 Classes

9. Nationality Russian

10. In the Red Army since 7.1943 till 8.1945

11. Place of service (name of the unit) and duty position at time of awarding 806th Tallinn Self-propelled Artillery Regiment, 59th Army ? Driver

12. Place of service and duty position at current time: Krasnoyarsk, 703th Fabrik, Senior Waiter

13. Home address of the awardee: Krasnoyarsk Kachenskaya Street 58, Apt.12

14. Record of all awards presented:

Name of Orders, Medals Serial Number Numbers of Documents Awarder

For Combat Service 1000262 Temp. Cert.

T ? 599459 Order of the 806th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment, Armored and Mechanized Forces 59th Army № 06/N of 6.12.44

Red Star 1354180 Temp. Cert.

E ? 555232 Order of the 806th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment, Armored and Mechanized Forces of 59th Army № 05/N of 23.2.45

Signature of the awardee (signed) Malkova

Correctness of the data and signature of awardee attested by:

Stalin Military District Commissariat

Senior Lieutenant of Administrative Service (signed)

20 February 1947 / Starovatov/

[Ed_Haynes]

Her MMM (#1000262) has gone missing (anyone?) and hasn't been researched.

Her Red Star recommendation:

[Ed_Haynes]

And

[Ed_Haynes]

And

[Ed_Haynes]

And the translation:

AWARD LIST

1. Last Name, name and patronymic Mal?kova Irina Martynovna

2. Rank Private

3. Position, unit Driver of the 806th Tallinn Self-propelled Artillery Regiment

4. Is recommended for the Order of the ? RED STAR ?

5. Year of birth 1920

6. Nationality Russian

7. Party membership Member of the Komsomol

8. Participation in the civil war and other military actions aimed at the defense of the USSR (where and when) Leningrad Front 01.44 ? 12.44, 1st Ukrainian Front 12.44

9. Wounds or contusions received during the Patriotic War Does not have

10. In the Red Army since 1943

11. Drafted by what district military commissariat City Krasnoyarsk

12. Previous awards Medal ?FOR COMBAT SERVICES?, 11.44

13. Permanent home address (of the prospective awardee or his/her family) City Krasnoyarsk, Perenson Street, House № 41, Apartment № 5. Father: Mal?kov Martyn Leont?evich

I. Brief description of personal feat

During the fight for the liberation of the Polish Republic from the German Invaders, Comrade MAL?KOVA, while on the position of a repair shop type ?A? driver, demonstrated herself as a brave and courageous soldier, and took care about her vehicle. Comrade MAL?KOVA followed the military frontline, delivered her car to malfunctioning military vehicles, coping with any tactically difficult situations and energetically participated in the repairing process. For the entire combat period, Comrade MAL?KOVA?s vehicle did not fall behind military vehicles due to technical malfunctioning.

For the military services to the Motherland, Comrade MAL?KOVA deserves the governmental award Order of the ?RED STAR?.

Commander of the 806th Tallinn Self-propelled Artillery Regiment

Major (Signature) / Levikov /

?10? February 1945

Awarded with the Government Award Order of the ?RED STAR?

Commander of the Armored and Mechanized Forces 59th Army

Colonel (Signed) / V.Volkov /

?23? February 1945

[Ed_Haynes]

As always, observations and comments are welcomed. Thanks!

[Guest Rick Research]

Was this just random good fortune on research results or did you already know she WAS a she?

This is an excellent citation for a young woman at the front-- the laconic understatement of the citation says to me that she was driving back and forth, back and forth, BACK and FORTH over and over and over getting repair supplies to damaged vehicles under enemy fire both ways all the time. Talk about a tin duck in a shooting gallery!

The sad thing is, everybody looking at her long after the war probably assumed she was a "headquarters chick" who got this for sleeping with the Major.

Think how fascinating endless volumes of just such "random" award citations would be for reading about real people's wartime service.

And oh to know the rest of her LIFE story!!!!!

[Ed_Haynes]

Random good luck on research. Sometimes, you luck out.

Went in the army at age 23 (unmarried). Note she was a waitress post-war.

[Guest Rick Research]

It's just too bad we never get the REST of the "afterwards" stuff. OK, so I'm a packrat by nature or I'd have never got into any of this, but think of all the usual IDs that we have lying around-- I've got my old drivers licenses back to 18, lapsed firearms permits, college diplomas lying around somewhere...

wouldn't it be great to get something like this with a Party membershop book and all those local Veterans Commissariat photo IDs etc etc that at least tell us what somebody looked like and whether they were still alive in 1975 or 2005?

When's the last time you remember seeing one of those "boring old" typical 1990s GROUPS with all the every 3 years anniversary jubilee medals' paperwork "clutter?"

What HAPPENED in her life after 1947???? Where have all the Lifetime Groups GONE?????????

[Ed_Haynes]

True, true.

But for most collectors -- especially "military collectors" -- this stuff is trash.

As I sort through materials that live with me, updating the long-untouched "catalogue", this is the sort of thing that adds the most life.

I am, after all, a FULL-GROUP whore.

Were there interest, I'd add some of these documents to the appropriate groups. But I don't want to bore or distract anyone.