Glossary of Soviet Terms and Abbreviations

[Auke]

That's the accusative case of связной: runner / orderly. Эскадрон means squadron, a battalion-sized cavalry unit. So "Runner in the 1st Saber Squadron".

[matteti]

Thanks for your post Auke.
But now I have more questions ;)

A "runner" in a cavalry unit... does it mean he was not on a horse, but was running beside the cavaliers?

What weapon should he have? a saber, a shashka, a machine gun...
I am asking because the citation mentions that "with his machine gun, he anihilated 4 german gangsters and captured one". I thought (by ignorance probably) that members of cavalry units where all on horses and didn't have machine guns.

But then I guess it's the same as with one of my other soldier who was in a Tank unit, but was "chauffeur" of a field-kitchen. Not as sexy as being a tankman!

[Auke]

Well, связной (from the word связь, which can be translated as communications, connections, relations, etc.) can best be translated into English as runner / orderly / courier I think. In German and Dutch we would call such a person an 'Ordonnanz'. You shouldn't take runner too literally here, I don't think they were necessarily on foot.

What was the word for machine gun, пулемет or автомат? If it's the latter it's a submachine gun, which can be handled on a horse I guess...

[matteti]

Ok about the "runner".. I understand now. As English is not my 1st language I took it literally.

Yes, it was avtomat.

Thanks again.