Red Star,0334179,Gunner,1071st Light Artillery Regiment,4th Guards Cavalry Corps

[Bill Garvy]

Award Card

Order Booklet B 873289

1. Last name: Elkin
2. Name and patrionymic: Vladimir Kuzmich
3. Rank: Junior Sergeant
4. Gender: Male
5. Birthyear: 1922
6. Birthplace: Smolensk Oblast, Medynsk. Region, village of Kukamoka
7. Party membership: candidate member 1943
8. Education: elementary
9. Nationality: Russian
10. Time in Red Army: December 1942
11. Place of service at awarding: Gunner – 1071st Light Artillery Regiment, 4th Guards Cavalry Corps
12. Place of work at present: temporarily unemployed
13. Home address: Moscow, Metroaperoevskaya 7, Apt. 39

14. Awards:

Designation/Serial Number/Awarding Organization
Glory III 120.783 4th Cavalry Corps dated 27th August, 1944

Red Star 334.179 63rd Army Artillery Commander dated 24.9.43

Verified by Frunze Regional Military Commissariat official on 20th May, 1947

[Bill Garvy]

Unit Award Order

SECRET

[trans: “2nd Baltic Front 9.11.43” and other administrative data written in pencil]

63rd Army Artillery Commander Order 023/N dated 24th September, 1943
On behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet USSR, I award the following decorations for exemplary accomplishment of the Command’s missions in the struggle against the German invaders and for having displayed valor and bravery:

Order of the Red Star

4. Private Vladimir Kuzmich Elkin – Gun Commander, 1071st Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment, Supreme Command Reserve

Signed Artillery Commander, 63rd Army, General-Major of Artillery Semenov(?)

5 Copies
1-4 to 63rd Army Artillery Personnel Section
2-3 to 63rd Army Personnel Section
4 to (?) Artillery Personnel Section
5 to 1071st DATR
Compiled by Stefanovskii on 17.9.43

[Bill Garvy]

Award Sheet

1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Elkin, Vladimir Kuzmich
2. Rank: Private
3. Duty position: Gun Commander – 1071st Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment, 63rd Army
Recommendation for the Order of the Red Star
4. Born: 1922
5. Nationality: Russian
6. Party membership: n/a
7. Previous combat: since 24th April, 1943 on the Bryansk Front
8. Wounds or shell-shock: n/a
9. In Red Army: since 1942
10. Inducted by: Molotov Regional Military Commissariat, Kazan
11. Previous awards: n/a
12. Home of record: [trans: entry intentionally obscured]

Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

As a gunner under enemy mortar and machinegun fire Comrade V.K. Elkin suppressed three bunkers during fighting for Semenovo. As a member of the battery he participated in the repulsion of three enemy counterattacks, destroying nearly 70 enemy soldiers and two heavy machineguns with crews, thus supporting the advance of our infantry.

He is deserving of the Order of the Red Star.

Signed Commander, 1071st Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment, Major Ivanov on 24th April, 1943

Endorsed Artillery Commander, 63rd Army, General-Major of Artillery Semenov on 15th August, 1943

Awarded the Order of the Red Star by 63rd Army Artillery Commander Order 023/N dated 24.9.43.

Signed 63rd Army Artillery Chief of Personnel Major Anokhin on 29th September, 1943.

[Bill Garvy]

Private Vladimir Kuzmich Elkin's Order of the Red Star, #334179.

My thanks to Auke and desantnik for their invaluable assistance.