Soviet Vozhd Hawgs! Riding With Stalin's Wild Bunch

[Guest Rick Research]

Here is another group of documents which the Traveling Museum brought by to be scanned today-- and shared with all of you. The awards did not make the trip-- maybe in the spring of 2010. Meanwhile, given what these reveal, I reallllllllllly think Full Research from marcotk's team will be eye-opening!

Anton Aksenovich Lytyoga's last name can be transliterated several ways, depending on when one learned Russian. maybe Lytyuga. Characters which are not letters like the bI could be rendered as y or i-- Lityoga? Lityuga? Anyway, with scans posted here and the Orders Book serial number, hopefully the rest of this story will become available and this thread can go into the Researched Groups sub-forum.

Orders Books from 1946 and 1985:

Alas no photo-- we must hope for his personnel file!

The entries are difficult to read. There is a lot of hard wear on this group's paperwork!

Luckily the decorations DO survive with this group, just not here to be scanned today.

Orders Book, 1945 edition Serial number A 454859 with entries for

Military Merit Medal # 1,711,209 (= August 1944)

Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class # 196,319 May-June 1945)

Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class # 257,264 (July-August 1945)

And a long service Military Merit Medal 3,061,966 (?? 30 April 1947—no Red Star so OUT without reaching 15 years service later)

Privileges starting 1 September 1944, Book filled out 20 December 1946.

[Guest Rick Research]

All the intervening Still Breathing jubilee clutter awards are missing, but Lytyoga's 1985 Jubilee OPW 2nd is still with the group:

He had a very hard and as you will see, a widely travelled war.

Defense of Stalingrad as Guards Technical Lieutenant 28 July 1943, issued by Guards Colonel (B?)aibaov as Commander of Unit Formations & Cadres Staff of Guards Mortars Units of the Red Army!

"Guards Mortars"... aka "Stalin organs" aka "screaming meemies." :whistle:

[Guest Rick Research]

Stamp of same, High Command Reserve

Two decades later, he received the Defense of Kiev Medal, issued by Svativsky Raion MilComm (CO LtCol Barinov) on 11 July 1962

I'll list his Capture and Liberation Medals in order earned next, because this next one has the clearest amazing unit stamp.

Capture of Budapest, as Guards Senior Technical Lieutenant 8 February 1946, signed by unit commander Guards Major "D. Shevelev." (Don't think I've ever seen a first name's initial used like this before....

[Guest Rick Research]

And what WAS that unit?

Drumroll, pulllleeez.

"14th Guards Independent Motorcycle 'Mukdenskogo, Order of Kutuzov' Battalion."

[Guest Rick Research]

Next he rolled into Vienna-- this one inexplicably only issued on 12 December 1946. same rank and unit, but another commanding officer whose name I can't decipher ( ......-kov):

And after that it was just a short ride to Prague (same date etc as his Budapest award card)

[Guest Rick Research]

TWO "Defense of..." TWO "Capture of..." and a "Liberation of..." Medals!!!!

Comrade Guards Major D. Shevelev's fingers must have been getting sore, because he also issued the Victory Over Germany on 8 February 1946--

And I hope I haven't spoiled the surprise by giving away the astonishingly decorated little unit's honorific title, but last and finally--

Victory Over Japan on 10 March 1946 issued by, yes, Comrade D. Shevelev again--

To suggest that I am looking forward to seeing Lytyoga's service records and citations for his wartime MMM and two Patriotic Wars--with THIS unit, are you KIDDING me?--with as much anticipation as the owner, would be an understatement! :cheers:

[Eric Gaumann]

Wonderful stuff, Rick, like usual. :cheers: