Soviet Red Stars, 259490 & 482257, T-34 Driver

[Bill Garvy]

Award Card

Order Booklet 658490

1. Last name: Ivchenko

2. Name and patrionymic: Vasilii Savilevich

3. Rank: Guards Senior Sergeant

4. Gender: Male

5. Birthyear: 1922

6. Birthplace: village of Dankovo, Pochinkovskii Region, Smolensk Oblast

7. Party membership: yes

8. Education: incomplete middle

9. Nationality: Russian

10. Time in Red Army: 1941

11. Place of service at awarding: 6th Guards Red Banner Brigade – T34 Mechanic-Driver, 1st Tank Battalion

12. Place of work at present: Guards Sivash Red Banner Tank Academy, T(?) Military District – Mechanic/Regulator

13. Home address: Smolensk Oblast, Pochinkovskii Region, village of Dankovo

[Bill Garvy]

Awards:

Designation Serial Number Awarding Organization

Red Star 259.490 6th Guards Tank Brigade dated 1.9.44

Patriotic War I 33.993 51st Army dated 3.11.43

Red Star 482.257 6th Guards Tank Brigade dated 13.04.44

Victory over Germany Medal

30^th Anniversary of Soviet Army and Navy Medal

Combat Service Medal n/a Edict dated 18.11.51

Verified by Chief of Operations, Guards Sivash Red Banner Tank Academy, Guards Major of Administrative Services Shapkin on 16th April, 1946

Edited January 25, 2012 by Bill Garvy

[Bill Garvy]

Award Sheet

1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Ivchenko, Vasilii Savelevich

2. Rank: Guards Senior Sergeant

3. Duty position: T-34 Mechanic/Driver – 1st Tank Battalion, 6th Guards Tank Brigade

Recommendation for the Order of the Red Star

4. Born: 1922

5. Nationality: Russian

6. Party membership: candidate member #5862113

7. Previous combat: since June, 1942

8. Wounds or shell-shock: n/a

9. In Red Army: since 11th July, 1941

10. Inducted by: Roslavl Regional Military Commissariat, Smolensk Oblast

11. Previous awards: n/a

12. Home of record: Smolensk Oblast, Roslavl Station #II, Railroad Water Pumping Station

Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

Near Ekaterinovka-Krasnodarskii Rostav Oblast on 27th-28th August, 1943 he and his crew destroyed three cannons, 20 vehicles with troop loads, and a platoon of enemy infantry.

He is deserving of the Order of the Red Star.

Signed 1st Tank Battalion Commander, Guards Major Sereda on 31st August, 1943

[Bill Garvy]

Endorsed Commander, 6th Tank Brigade, Guards Lieutenant Colonel Tidkov on 31 August 1943

Awarded the Order of the Red Star by 6th Guards Tank Brigade Order 25/N dated 1st September, 1943, signed Deputy Chief of Staff Guards Captain Shapkin on 1st September, 1943

[Bill Garvy]

Guards Senior Sergeant Vasilii Savelevich Ivchenko's Red Star, #259490. . .

Edited January 25, 2012 by Bill Garvy

[Bill Garvy]

Citation for Red Star, #482257. . .

Award sheet

1. Last name, first name and patronymic: Ivchenko, Vasily Savelyevich

2. Rank: Guards Senior Sergeant

3. Duty position, unit: Mechanic-driver of a T34 tank in the 1^st Tank Battalion, 6^th Guards Red Banner Tank Brigade

Recommended for: Order of the Red Star

4. Year of birth: 1922

5. Nationality: Russian

6. Party membership: Member of the Communist Party since 1943

7. Participation in the Civil War, the following combat actions for the defense of the USSR and the Patriotic War (where, when): Has been participating in the Patriotic War since July 15, 1942

8. Suffered wounds and contusions: No

9. Since when in the Red Army: Since 1941

10. Drafted by which military commissariat: Military commissariat of the Roslavl Raion, Smolensk Oblast

11. Which earlier awards (for which merits): Order of the Patriotic War 1^st Class, Order of the Red Star

12. Permanent home address of the prospective awardee and the address of his family: ______________

Short, concrete description of personal combat feat or merits:

On April 11, 1944, during the breakthrough of the heavily fortified enemy defense line near the village of Tomashevka in the Krim ASSR, while pursuing the enemy, he and his crew destroyed an anti-tank gun and crushed two machine gun nests, up to 20 hitlerites and three carts with military equipment under their tracks. With their gun and machine guns they destroyed a motorcycle and two vehicles.

He skilfully manoeuvred on the battlefield and uninterruptedly conducted observations. He reported spotted targets to his commander and corrected the fire of the tank commander. His vehicle is permanently ready for combat.

Conclusion: he deserves to be awarded the Order of the Red Star.

Commander of the 1^st Tank Battalion

Guards Major [signed] /Moiseyev/

April 11, 1944

Edited January 25, 2012 by Bill Garvy

[Bill Garvy]

I award the Order of the Red Star.

Commander of the 6^th Guards Red Banner Tank Brigade

Guards Colonel [signed] /Zhidkov/

April 13, 1944

Awarded the Order of the Red Star by Order of the 6^th Guards Red Banner Tank Brigade nr. 4/N of April 22, 1944.

Assistant chief of staff for personnel of the 6^th Guards Red Banner Tank Brigade

Guards Major of Administrative Service [signed] /Shapkin/

April 22, 1944

[Bill Garvy]

Guards Senior Sergeant Vasily Savelyevich Ivchenko's Red Star, #482257. . .

[Bill Garvy]

Patriotic War in 1st Class, #33993, is missing from the group, but here is the citation. . .

Award sheet

1. Last name, first name and patronymic: Ivchenko, Vasily Savelyevich

2. Rank: Guards Senior Sergeant

3. Duty position, unit: Mechanic-driver of a T-34 tank in the 1^st Tank Battalion of the 6^th Guards Tank Brigade

Recommended for: Order of the Patriotic War, 1^st Class

4. Year of birth: 1922

5. Nationality: Russian

6. Party membership: Candidate member of the Communist Party since 1943

7. Participation in the Civil War, the following combat actions for the defense of the USSR and the Patriotic War (where, when): Has been participating in the Patriotic War since 1942

8. Suffered wounds and contusions: No

9. Since when in the Red Army: Since 1941

10. Drafted by which military commissariat: Military commissariat of the Roslavl Raion, Smolensk Oblast

11. Which earlier awards (for which merits): Order of the Red Star

12. Permanent home address of the prospective awardee and the address of his family: ______________

Short, concrete description of personal combat feat or merits:

On October 21, 1943, during the offensive fighting for Tashenak Station in the Melitopol Raion of the Zaporozhe Oblast, he and his crew destroyed 1 tank, 3 guns, 6 mounted machine guns, 4 mortar positions and a platoon of enemy infantry. He bravery drove the tank, attacking enemy firing positions and tanks. He skilfully manoeuvred on the battlefield and corrected the fire of the tank commander. His vehicle is permanently ready to move.

Conclusion: he deserves to be awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1^st Class.

Commander of the 1^st Tank Battalion

Guards Captain [signed] /Konnov/

October 22, 1943

Edited January 25, 2012 by Bill Garvy

[Bill Garvy]

Deserves the Order of the Patriotic War, 1^st Class.

Commander of the 6^th Guards Tank Brigade

Guards Colonel [signed] /Zhidkov/

October 24, 1943

By Order of the commander of the armored and mechanized troops of the 51^st Army nr. 6/N of November 3, 1943 awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1^st Class.

Chief of staff of the armored and mechanized troops of the 51^st Army

Guards Major [signed] /Bezvidny/

November 3, 1943

[Paul R]

This man is one heck of a hero. The things he must have seen...