Patriotic War I,0058412,Battery Commander,1438th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment

[medals73]

Not quite posthumous, but close.

AWARD CITATION

1. Last Name, First Name, Middle Name: Tskhavrebov Iosif Evstifeevich.

2. Position, Unit: Commander of the 3rd Battery of the 1438th Znamenski Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment.

3. Military Rank: Junior Lieutenant.

Recommended for: The Order of Great Patriotic War 1st Class

4. Year of Birth: 1916.

5. Nationality: Georgian.

6. Party Membership: VKP(b), Candidate Member.

7. Service in the Civil War, in later Battles in Service of the USSR and in the GPW (when and where): Since 1.5.1942 to 5.11.1942 on the Voronezh Front.

8. Have any Wounds or Contusions in the Great Patriotic War: Killed in Action on 10.12.1943

9. From Which Time with the Red Army: Since 1941.

10. Which Call-Up Station:

11. Received Which Awards (from which order): No other awards.

12. Home Address: Tbilisi, Mariyski 2nd Pereulok No. 3. Place of birth is the same.

Short Concrete Description of Excellent Military Action or Service.

Is devoted to the Party of Lenin-Stalin and the Socialist Motherland. In fights for the Socialist Motherland he has shown bravery and courage. During the battle for town of Znamenka on ___ 12.1943 he was the first to enter the town with self-propelled guns under his command. He destroyed 3 lorries, 7 machine guns, one armored vehicle, and captured one tank T-IV. On 10.12.1943 in the area of Sakharnaya station his battery destroyed two enemy tanks of type T-VI and one T-IV.

By personal example he led his troops into battle, first crossing the railway line with his self-propelled guns and then led the charge into Znamenka station.

He is worthy to be awarded with the governmental award, Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class.

Commander of the 1438th Self Propelled Artillery Regiment.

Lieutenant Colonel /Zatylkin/
20 December 1943

[Kirchgoens]

Is this one really posthumous, or was that a unit error in item 8? I guess an error, or we'd not see a numbered award associated with it? Maybe he was reported killed, then later found?

I once found a set of docs in a bazaar that had a copy of the casualty notification cable to the family, along with all the man's later jubilee awards. It appears he was erroneously reported KIA, and then later made it home to die as an old man in Tashkent.

My wife's grandfather was awarded an OPW1 as an infantry LT company commander, but was medevac'd for heavy leg wounds before it was actually given to him (I think maybe awarded for the act in which he was wounded). He never received the award, and the family didn't know he had it until I got the research some 38 years after his death. An earlier OPW2 he did have, but the OPW1 didn't even show up in his orders book because he wasn't there to get the temp certificate I guess. It was listed on his AC, but with no serial number since no physical award was ever given to him. It just slipped through the cracks, and I'm told he was very quiet and humble about his service. The family said there was a rumor that he had received another award, but it appears the man simply never sought it out. He died of a heart attack at age 46, and of all his many photos, none show him wearing ribbons or awards at all.

[medals73]

Tbe OPW was awarded posthumously. Uniquely (?) so. I have posted some other similar awards here.

[Kirchgoens]

Since he died that day, who do you think received the physical award such that it made it home and eventually here? It seems it wouldn't have been given to the family given that medium-low number? In the US Army, it would have been given to the family if the soldier who was KIA, but I don't know the GPW period process for that sort of thing in the USSR. Any ideas?

[medals73]

I know Dave Schwind had worked out the entire situation, but he has now moved onto other things. Not sure he ever detailed it is print (even ePrint). So sad.

[Auke]

Very interesting. Except for a couple awards you have posted here (Puzan and this one) I have not yet seen posthumous awards that were not HSU stars. They must be pretty rare, since before 1977 most awards had to be returned to the state once the awardee died. The OPW1 was the only award that could be kept by the next of kin of the awardee. Awards to servicemen that were KIA AFTER the awarding must be pretty rare too, for the same reason. I only have two of those awards, a Red Banner and BM.

[CtahhR]

Here is the original citation. Some elaborate writing on the reverse.

Also his listing as KIA.