The 44 Non-Soviet Heroes Of The Soviet Union.

[Art]

I was chatting with Andrew Kuznetsov, owner of the Mondvor site (www.mondvor.narod.ru) and he offered the following:


...Otakar Jarosh was given the title of HSU posthumously. The same situation with Jan Nalepka, Stefan Vajda, and Ruben Ibarruri. For posthumous awards Gold Star medal and Lenin were not available. Only since Afganistan war Gold Stars were given to the families of dead heroes. For Stoyanov Zaimov and Fritz Shmenkel I'm not sure enough. They were also awarded posthumously, but received HSU title long time after the end of the war. Maybe for them Soviet goverment made an exception and gave them Gold Stars, but I don't know the numbers.
Also I'm negative about the other names fron the list. If I find something about, I'll share information with you.


So, there is the answer for at least three more names on our list. The were awarded posthumously, and did not receive an award.

Art

[Taz]

Art,

Thats super Info Art but a bit sad if the relatives didn't recive the Gold Stars that went with the title.
I,m still waiting for a few replys from France about the "Normandie-Niemen" Heroes but I havn,t given up hope yet ;)
Maybe Christophe,Charlet or Lapa could help as Alexei mentioned earlier.

Eddie.

[Art]

Eddie,

Indeed, but Soviet awards were required to be returned to the state upon the death of the recipent anyways ( I know for the lower awards it was sometimes not done ) so perhaps the honor was enough. Would have been nice if some of the veterans benefits were given to the widow and any surviving immediate family.

Art

Originally Posted by Taz

Art,

Thats super Info Art but a bit sad if the relatives didn't recive the Gold Stars that went with the title.
I,m still waiting for a few replys from France about the "Normandie-Neimen" Heroes but I havn,t given up hope yet ;)
Maybe Christophe,Charlet or Lapa could help as Alexei mentioned earlier.

Eddie.

[Al-muell]

As promised, here are the pics of Aniela Krywoń, Władysław Wysocki and Juliusz Hibner.
Sorry for the poor quality of the photos.

No additional info except:
Wysocki fought in 1939 ( he's in pre-war uniform on the photo)

[Taz]

Born in 1908, died 12.10.1943.
Porucznik (leutienant) since 1939.
He was imprisoned in the USSR, joined the Polish army in the USSR in May 1943.
Served in the Infantry and was promoted to Captain in October 1943.
he was wounded twice and died somewhere near Lenino on 12.10.1943.

[Taz]

- 1925-1943
Private Aneila Tadeushevna Kzhivon, Polish, (1925-12/10/43) Awarded HSU 11/11/43
Only non Soviet female HSU Sacrificed her life to save her wounded comrades
and important headquarters documents when their truck was attacked by German planes.
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Szeregowiec (riadovoy) nurse in 1st fusilier komp., 1st bat. (E. Plater) 1st Inf. Div. (T. Kościuszko). Died in the battle of Lenino trying to save documents (other source says about saving wounded) from burning car of the div. hq. during a german bombardment.

[Al-muell]

promoted to captain in october 1943. twice wounded. I also got the list of the functions he had (short), but in polish and it contains spelialistic vocabulary, so it will take some time to translate.

[Taz]

Name, Country, Rank etc, Award Date, S/N.


1. Volkan S Goranov, (Zachariev, Z.S.), Col. Pilot, Bulgaria, 31/12/1936, #22

2. Primo Gibelli , (Primo Andzhellovich Dzhibelli), Italy, Pilot/Test Pilot/Instructor, 31/12/1936, Gold Star not awarded postum?

3. Otakar Jaroš , Czechoslovakia, Capt, 18/4/1943, Gold Star not awarded postum?

4. Vladislav W Wysotsky, Poland, Captain, 11/11/1943, Gold Star not awarded postum?

5. Aniela Tadeushevna Krzywo, Poland, Private (Nurse, Riflewoman, MPi Gunner) , 11/11/1943, Gold Star not awarded postum?

6. Julius Hiobner, ( Juliusz Samsonovich Hibner) , Poland, Capt, 21/12/1943, #2232

7. Antonín Sochor, Czechoslovakia, 2nd Lt, 21/11/1943, #2854

8. Richard Tesařík, Czechoslovakia, 2nd Lt, Tank Commander, 21/12/1943, #1693

9. Josef Buršík, Czechoslovakia, 2nd Lt, Tank Commander, 21/12/1943, #1692

10. Marcel Albert, France, First lieutenant, Pilot/ Normandie-Niemen, 27/11/1944, #?

11. Roland de la Poype, France, Capitain, Pilot/ Normandie-Niemen, 27/11/1944, #?

12. Jan Nálepka (Repkin), Czechoslovakia , Capt, Guerrilla Commander, 2/5/1945, Gold Star not awarded postum?

13. Jacques Andre, France, Colonel, Pilot/ Normandie-Niemen, 4/6/1945, #6656

14. Marcel Lefèvre, France, Lt, Pilot/ Normandie-Niemen, 4/6/1945, #10206

15. Štěpán Vajda, Czechoslovakia,Capt. (PM) Tank Commander, 10/8/1945, Gold Star not awarded postum?

16. Ruben Ruis Ibarruri, Spain, Captain, 23/8/1956, Gold Star not awarded postum?

17. Ramon Lopez (Merkander,Ramon), Spain, NKVD Agent, 31/5/1960,#11089

18. Fidel Castro, Cuba, President, 23/5/1963, #11124

19. Walter Ulbricht, Germany (GDR), Chancellor, 29/6/1963, #11184

20. Janos Kadar, Hungary, Head of State, 3/4/1964, #11218

21. Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria, President, 30/4/1964, #11221

22. Gamal Abdul Nasser, Egypt, President, 13/5/1964, #11224

23. Hakim Abdel Amer, Egypt, Field-Marshal, 13/5/1964, #11225

24. Fritz Schmenkel, Germany (GDR), Soviet partisan, 6/10/1964, #?

25. Ludvík Svoboda, Czechoslovakia, President, 24/11/1965, #10708

26. Vladimir Stoyanov-Zayimov, Bulgaria, General, 30/5/1972, #?

27. Todor Zhivkov, Bulgaria, Head of State, 31/5/1977, #11281

28. Vladimír Remek, Czechoslovakia, Captain, Cosmonaut, 16/3/1978, #11299

29. Miroslaw Hermaszewski, Poland, Colonel, Cosmonaut 5/7/1978, #11301

30. Sigmund Jähn, Germany (GDR), Maj.Gen, Cosmonaut, 10/9/1978, #11303

31. Georgi Ivanov, Bulgaria, Maj.Gen, Cosmonaut, 13/4/1979, #10749

32. Bertalan Farkas, Hungary, Brig. General, Cosmonaut, 30/6/1980, #11441

33. Pham Tuan, North Vietnam, Lt. Gen, Cosmonaut, 31/7/1980, #11444

34. Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, Cuba, Lt. Colonel, Cosmonaut, 26/9/1980, #11445

35. Gurragcha Zhugderdemidiyn, Mongolia, Maj. General, Cosmonaut 30/3/1981, #11454?

36. Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, Rumania, Air Fleet Gen, Cosmonaut, 22/5/1981, #11455?

37. Jean-loup Chrétien, France, Brig. Gen, Cosmonaut, 2/7/1982, #?

38. Erich Honecker, Germany (GDR), Chancellor, 25/8/1982, #11480?

39. Gustav Husák, Czechoslovakia, Head of State, 9/1/1983, #11490

40. Rakesh Sharma, India, Sq. Leader, Cosmonaut, 11/4/1984, #11510 or #11557?

41. Muhammed Ahmed Faris, Syria, Cosmonaut, 30/7/1987, #?

42. Erich Mielke, Germany (DDR), Stasi-General, 25/12/1987, #11565

43. Aleksandr Panayatov Aleksandrov, Bulgaria, Lt. Colonel, Cosmonaut 17/6/1988, #11578

44. Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghanistan, Colonel, Cosmonaut, 7/9/1988, #11584

[Taz]

Col. Volkan S Goranov, (Zachariev, Z.S.), Bulgaria 31/12/1936, #22
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Goranov Volkan Semyonovich (Zahariev Zahari Semyonovich)

Goranov was born in the village of Bessarabovo (Bulgaria) in 1904.
Aged 16 he joined the Komsomol and since then actively worked in underground organizations.
He was called up for military service, and because he had secondary education, was directed to aviation school. Having ended that, Zahariev was posted to a Bulgarian squadron.
For the participation in the May Day demonstrations he was expelled from the Airforce (Which is no wonder - in any state the military should be above policys and political views) and prosecuted.

In the beginning of the 1920's he emigrated to the Soviet Union, and joined the ranks of the Red Army. Here he received a passport for the name Volkana Goranova. He became an instructor at the Tambov aviation school for civil aircraft.
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Civil war in Spain 1936-39.

Having joined the International brigade, he went to war under the name of Turk Halila Ekrema. He Flew a "Potez-54" Bomber in the "Espanja" squadron voluntary aviation group in the army of Republican Spain.
In one of Ekrema-Goran's dogfights, having brought down another enemy plane, he was wounded, and with a burning engine managed to land in neutral territory. For this courage and heroism in Battle he was awarded the Hero of Soviet Union on December, 31, 1936.
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After returning from Spain, V.S.Goranov continues service in the Air Forces of Red Army, he is then appointed the head of Management of educational institutions of Civil Air Fleet of the USSR.
In 1940 Goranovs department received the task to prepare, in one year 10 thousand pilots. But by the middle of 1941 he had already trained not ten but
12 thousand pilots!
Ten ex-pupils of his received the Title Hero of Soviet Union in WWII.

After the war Goranov, already under the name Zahari Zahariev, went back to Bulgaria and became commander of the Air Forces - the deputy minister of defense of National Republic of Bulgaria. Then he was appointed to the military attache in Moscow.
In 1974 the Hero of Soviet Union, General-colonel of Bulgarian National Army Zahariev Zahari Semyonovich for the huge merits for the native land (as a matter of fact, he was the founder of the Bulgarian jet aircraft) was awarded with the Title Hero of Bulgaria.
After Zahariev-Goran's retirement he worked in Sofia in the Committee for the bulgaro-Soviet friendship, he has written his me***rs "Valour" which has not been published yet.

Once at a reception in the Embassy general Zahariev met one of his former enemies in Spain, the colonel of the Italian military-air force.
The general, having noticed a deep scar, asked, "when did that happen".
The Italian answered, "since the Civil War in Spain". As he then said, " after a
hard dogfight with a Turk called Halila Ekrema. This Turk shot down many frankish planes. However I managed to set his engine alight, so for certain he
did not make it back to base".
Here the general gave a wry smile and, having given a toast, said: " Colonel, let us lift glasses, this first toast is for that Turk who has left to you this scar for memory ". And, answering to the puzzled face of the Italian, said: " Here
he is, that Turk, he is facing you... "

Goranov died in Sofia on April, 29, 1987 where he is buried.

[Taz]

Pilot/Test Pilot/Instructor Primo Gibelli , (Primo Andzhellovich Dzhibelli), Italy, 31/12/1936 #?

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Primo Gibelli aka 'El Cordero'.

Was born 1883 on the outskirts of Milan.
Italian lyotchik(?)-Bomber Pilot,
Hero of Soviet Union (1936, posthumously).
One of the founders of the Communist Party of Italy.
Became a Citizen of the USSR in 1921
Aircraft Pilot since 1922. Since 1933 worked in the scientific research institute of the Air Forces. A participant of the civil war in Spain. The letter W was Gibelli’s personal emblem.
He was taken prisoner and tragically lost.(?)
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ESCUADRILLA MALRAUX

This Squadron made it's debut in August 1936.
In the Spanish squadron led by Malraux there were not only the
foreign fighter pilots of group 11 commanded by Getafe flying Nieuport 52's of
which the Spanish Captain, Antonio Martin-Luna Lersund was part of there were many more.
Also in this fighter squadron were the British Pilots Cartwright, Collins and
the Italian Locatelli.
The Bomber squadron was based in the aerodrome of Alcala de Henares. Stationed there were the Soviet pilots, French Pilot Maurice Moulinet, English Pilot Smith-Piggot, the Hungarian Akos Hevesi and Italian Primo Gibelli.

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Another article reports the shooting down a Potez 54 'A'. Piloted by the Italian pilot Primo Gibelli, aka 'El Cordero' who was killed in this type of aircraft.
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here some additional info from Kim.

It turns out that he was not captured and tortured. He died in a plane crash. After this he was put in a box and dropped on the republican airfield. He was then used in the propaganda war.
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Another report says that he was shot down whilst defending Madrid.
Gibelli and the crew bailed out but all apart from Gibelli were shot on the spot. He was captured by Republican infantrymen and then tortured to death.
His severed head wrapped in a cloth together with the remains of his body, clearly showing signs of torture was dropped by plane in a dark box over Madrid to serve as a warning and for propaganda.
The USSR Archives state that he did not break under Torture and for this Bravery was Awarded postumously the Titel HSU.