Red Star to a "head of radio station"

[Egorka]

Hello, 

This is an interesting front line award. it is also a little illustration of the subject covered in the thread "Paperwork discrepancies".

Please, meet Guards Master Sergeant MISHKIN NILKOLAJ EMILYANOVICH, Ukrainian born 1922 in the village Pokrovsky of Artemovsk district, Stalingrad region. VKP(b) member since April 1943, secondary school, in service 1940-1945. Service position: 1 Gu. Mechanised Red Banner Brigade, Head of Radio Station. He was working in a coal mining enterprise as head of electricians team after the war (April 1946). Lived in the town Lisichansk.

So in the award register card written in in 1946 at the local Military commissariate he is called a "head of radio station". Do you have mental picture what he did? Well, lets see.

The citation will help (Red Star # 293568 awarded 14.10.1943). It is written closer to the events and by the people actually involved (in this case). MISHKIN's position is described as "Car Commander of Reconnaissance Company 1 Gu. Mechanised Brigade". It is somewhat different to "head of radio station". 

RS 293568 citation: "During liberation of town Druzhkovka, comrade Mishkin's crew rushed into town centre and discovered 3 enemy firing position, two of which were destroyed and 10 hitlerites killed by his machine-gun fire. The left tire was hit by fire. Despite the damage, the vehicles was safely evacuated from the battle field.

During liberation of town Nikolaevka comrade MISHKIN's crew was ordered to rush into Nikolaevka and draw enemy fire for revealing enemy positions. The crew reached Nikolaevka  and was subjected to enemy artillery, mortar and tank fire. Despite the hail of enemy fire, comrade MISHKIN after 30 minutes long barrage returned to the company position with valuable documents."

Here are Druzhkovka and Nikolaevka marked on German map of 1941.

to be continued...

Edited July 24, 2017 by Egorka

[Egorka]

Mishkin was commanding armoured car BA-64. 
It has a crew of two people, one of which was Mishkin himself. 
The car commander was also the radio operator. In facts of his award citations describes him as "car commander and radio operator".

 

[Egorka]

Here is a very interesting page describing BA-64 restoration project. Very informative!

And here is some information in English. Also quite good.

Edited July 27, 2017 by Egorka