Soviet Victory Medal Document Translation - Female Recipient?

[TomP73]

Hi all

 

Could anybody assist me in translating the attached award document and confirming whether the recipient is in fact female? And also is there any mention of their rank and unit potentially?

 

I picked them up some time ago along with a photo supposedly of the recipient (the medal and document were a good price so didn't authenticate the linked photo at the time) but even if this was just put together to assist the sale I would like to know whether the medal was for a female soldier or not. 

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

Tom

 

 

 

[Marcel B.]

Her name is Maria Andreevna Yankina (янкина мариа андреевна) in the rank of junior lieutenant.

[TomP73]

Thank you Marcel I really appreciate it.
 

Is it possible to distinguish at all which unit she was part of or is that not clear enough?
 

Also based on the rank would this make the photo plausible? Looks like 2 stars on the shoulder boards from her right shoulder. I believe it was 2 for Lieutenant and 1 for Junior Lieutenant so either they’ve been jumbled together or she was possible promoted post-war. I suppose it’s a bit of a guessing game anyway since I can’t research her based on the medal as there is no serial number. 

[Marcel B.]

Or it's a service/branche symbol on the shoulderboard apart from one star. That is most plausable to me. Not certain about the unit she served in. I couldn't find her on Pamyat Naroda and here it is complicated to decipher for me due to the abbreviations. Perhaps some anti aircraft unit?

[TomP73]

On 10/02/2024 at 09:26, Marcel B. said:

Or it's a service/branche symbol on the shoulderboard apart from one star. That is most plausable to me. Not certain about the unit she served in. I couldn't find her on Pamyat Naroda and here it is complicated to decipher for me due to the abbreviations. Perhaps some anti aircraft unit?

Hi Marcel

 

Thanks for your reply. That is slightly re-assuring then RE the photo I have, even though its not conclusive obviously. Your help it greatly appreciated. I am about to post 2 further docs I have for the Liberation of Prague and Capture of Koenigsberg if you could possibly assist with those as well! No worries if not. 

 

All the best

Tom

 

[Ferdinand]

Her rank is 'Police Junior Lieutenant' and the document is signed by the deputy head of the MVD bureau in Izmail Province, Colonel Zavgorodny. The police was traditionally placed under the MVD (the successor of the NKVD), the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Her police affiliation is likely why there's no trace of her on Podvig Naroda.

 

Izmail Province, in the far southwest of Ukraine, was dissolved in 1954 and incorporated in Odessa Province.

[TomP73]

On 17/02/2024 at 14:53, Ferdinand said:

Her rank is 'Police Junior Lieutenant' and the document is signed by the deputy head of the MVD bureau in Izmail Province, Colonel Zavgorodny. The police was traditionally placed under the MVD (the successor of the NKVD), the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Her police affiliation is likely why there's no trace of her on Podvig Naroda.

Hi 

 

Thanks for the clarification. If this was signed by a Colonel in the MVD, does this mean that her wartime service (given that this is a Victory in the GPW medal) would likely have been with the NKVD?

 

Cheers
Tom

[Ferdinand]

Yes. The Victory over Germany was awarded to all NKVD personnel (the NKVD was renamed to MVD in March 1946) who "through their duties contributed to the victory", as per the medal's statutes.

[Egorka]

Hello, Tom.

OK, so you are not sure the photo is of the same recipient... 
On the photo, she has victory medal and Warsaw liberation medal. 
Presence of a Warsaw medal indicates she was present in the sector during second half of 1944 - beginning 1945... 

 

Now about the document. Mind, that it is from July 1946. By that time general demobilisation was already conducted and women were among the first to be dismissed. 

Now, there was a signals servicewoman with the same full name, who incidentally also had Warsaw medal too (but she also had ORS, FCM and Berlin medals). 
 

So, on one hand it is not too far fetched, that it is the same woman, who by July 1946 ended up in Izmail serving in the police... 
On the other hand, I am not 100% sure she would get Jr. Lieutenant rank so quickly... 

 

Edited February 19 by Egorka

[TomP73]

@Egorka @Ferdinand Thank you both for your replies. 

 

Very interesting. So as far as we can tell, the card is to a female police Lieutenant who served with the NKVD  during the war and we can be sure (as sure as we can with conjectural evidence) of this?

 

But regarding the photo, it is certainly possible but not guaranteed as there are concerns about possible time needed for her promotion, but also its likely she would have been pictured with her other medals ORS, Combat Merit & Berlin etc? 

 

Thanks again
Tom

[Egorka]

It was very often the case that people would get in hand their awards moths or even years after they were officially bestowed. 
Her FCM is from 27.11.1944. ORS from 14.06.1945. It is a bit of a stretch, but it in theory possible she didn't actually get her awards until sometime in 1946... 

Regarding the rank of Jr.Lt. of Police... it is the first officer rank... I am guessing here, but MAYBE there was a similar system in the Police like in the army, that the female medics would get sergeant rank for the purpose of outranking formally their male co-servicemen. May there was a similar system , so that she got the entry officer rank. 

Ok. so it not a direct confirmation, but neither is a direct contradiction that these 2 items a related.