Belyh, Vasilij Terent'evich, Commissar, 92nd Tank Brigade

[medals73]

Interesting, if for no other reason than that, sometimes, the tales seem to cross.

Yes, he has his medals mounted out of order.

Vasily Terent’evich Belykh was born 13 November 1916 in the village of Drabovo (or in some records, Duninovich), Drabovsky District, Poltava Province. Ukrainian of peasant class origin. Attended school in Drabovo to 10th Class in 1937—able to read and write English with a dictionary. Komsomol 1932-39. Joined CPSU April 1939 Party member number 2,761,264.

He had "family problems". This is the SHORT (!!!) version of the "suspicious family" question, gone into at great length in the Autobiography paperwork. Belykh’s widowed mother remarried in 1920, so to his one married sister of full-blood, the other brothers and sisters are actually half-siblings. (Did that make them... half suspicious?)

Mother Marfa Radchenko was under German occupation for only 6 months. But sisters Maria Terent'evna Matyokh, Yevdokiya Filippovna Radchenko, and brothers Ivan Filippovich Radchenko and Aleksandr Filippovich Radchenko in the village of Duninovich in the Drobovsky (spelled "Drabovsky" earlier in the same file-- discrepancy alert!!!) Raion of Poltava Oblast were under the Nazi heel from September 1941 to September 1943. Unfortunate Yevdokia was carted off as slave labor to Germany 1943-45 as well. All are excruciatingly "accounted for" in other parts of the files.

Served in the Red Army as a career Political Commissar 1 October 1937 to 14 March 1961:
-- Junior Political Worker (Mladshy Politruk = Second Lieutenant) 9 December 1938
-- Political Worker (Politruk = First Lieutenant) 10 June 1941
-- Senior Political Worker (Starshy Politruk = Captain) 10 March 1942
-- Kapitan (Captain, change in rank titles) per 6 November 1942
-- Maior (Major) 22 April 1943
-- Podpolkovnik (Lieutenant Colonel) 12 October 1946
-- Polkovnik (Colonel) 8 July 1958

Awards:

-- Order of the Red Banner # 223,795 on 30 May 1945 (Deputy Regimental Commander for Political Matters, 1205th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment)-- recommended for Order of Lenin.

“Participant in battles for breakthrough of defensive positions around the district of {{initial obscured by fold}}essin. As deputy regimental commander for political matters, mobilized the political apparatus of the regiment for explaining the importance of our offensive, educating the personal staff in the spirit of devotion to our Homeland. Personally participated with the batteries and by his example and enthusiasm inspired the soldiers and officers for fulfillment of combat objectives. Reached such a situation, that he was always present as a political worker among the active sub-units. Watched that in combat the military sub-units were neither tried nor found wanting. Often {{obscured by fold}} delivered food, ammunition, and gasoline in combat {{obscured by fold}}.

Greatly popularized excellent combat operations with crews {{obscured by fold and mis-typing} as friends. Thanks to his good delivery, the personal staff of the regiment was educated in the spirit of devotion to the Party of Lenin-Stalin {{obscured in fold}}. Certified in fulfillment of combat that hindered and in incurred the damage of the following: destroyed 4 guns, 50 mortars, 60 machine guns, and over 400 soldiers. Captured {{obscured by fold}} certified tank, 7 guns. Seized in captivity 503 soldiers and officers.

Deserves to be awarded the state Order of Lenin.

-- Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class # 147,605 on 28 April 1945 (Deputy Regimental Commander for Political Matters, 1205th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment)-- recommended for Red Banner.

14.1.45 in the breakthrough of defensive positions in the area of Lobetsko Stare, serving as deputy regimental commander for political matters, Comr Belykh participated with the combat command in the combat conditions of the regiment.

Directly on the field of battle, at risk of his own life Comr Belykh after plain conversation with every consideration, lifted the combat spirit of the regiment and mobilized the personal staff for fulfillment of combat objectives.
Directly in combat conditions, organized acceptance with distinction in battle of members of the Party.

Personally participated in combat for capture of the city of Zvolen’, at the head of the batteries, upholding instructions {{unknown word}} combat of the 218th Gds RifRgt.

Courageous, full of initiative, and well-delivered mass-Party work with shaping the regiment in fulfillment of instructions, in many ways by his own personal methods.

Deserves to be awarded the State Order of the ‘Red Banner.’

-- Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class # 109,370 on 28 June 1944 (Deputy Regimental Commander for Political Matters, 1205th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment)-- recommended for OPW 1st Class.

Major Belykh, V.T. on 30.4.44 in battle for the population points Kustich and Solovich, took personal combat leadership of two batteries and skillfully organized cooperation with the counter attacking 218th RifRgt of 77th GdsRifDiv and by violent counterattack of the second battery, the enemy was driven from population points Kustich and Solovich as far as the River (T?G?)ur’n.

1.5.44 4 batteries of the 1205th Self-propelled ArtRgt combined with infantry of 218th RifRgt courageously struck and drove out the enemy from the suburb of Tuzhisk.

In these actions—30.4.44 and 1.5.44—Comr Belykh personally participated in resourceful combat leadership under battle conditions.

For the successful operations of these two batteries, which were led by Comr. Belykh, the commander of the 77th GdsRifDiv, Major General {V. S.} Askalepov, in his order expressed the gratitude of his personal staff.

For initiative and skillful leadership of combat operations, Comr. Belykh deserves to be awarded the State Order of the “Patriotic War 1st Class.

-- Order of the Red Star #292,229 on 24 May 1943 (Party Secretary/Commissar of 92nd Tank Brigade)

Major Belykh V. T. took part in the battle for Nizhny {..}usany on the staff of the 92nd Tank Brigade under the command of Colonel Martynov, in the office of instructor of political matters-Secretary of the Party Commission. Present at the time of breakthrough of the enemy’s defensive lines, sharing the combat conditions of the units, where he carried out great Party-political work. Under his leadership in direct {illegible} battle he assumed the instruction of 47 men as Party candidates of the best {illegible} and commanders from the tank crews and frontline units {illegible} to him for great Party-political work in large classes, maintaining high political morale position for battle and command, fulfilling responsibilities for objectives in breaking through the defensive zones of the enemy. In the assault on Hill 98.5 he participated amidst the first unit to rush into the enemy’s trenches.

Deserves to be awarded the State Order of the ‘Red Star.’

-- Order of the Red Star #3,098,750 on 3 November 1953 (15 years long service, THIS ORDER IS MISSING, as Senior Instructor on Marxism-Leninism of 3rd Guards Mechanized Army)

-- Military Merit Medal #268,568 on13 April 1943 (Party Secretary/Commissar of 92nd Tank Brigade)

“Captain Belykh V. T. works as an instructor in political matters and holds the office of Brigade party Commission Secretary. In actions of the brigade and with the staff of 46th Army he has energetically assisted Party organization and command … to prepare the personal staff and material units for battle.

He has occupied and quickly fulfilled all assignments and instructions.

Under battle conditions he has been well organized in gaining acceptance of the Party and shaping Party matters.

He deserves to be decorated with the medal “For Military Merit.

-- Military Merit Medal #271,878 on 22 May 1943 (Party Secretary/Commissar of 92nd Tank Brigade)

“On the staff of the 92nd Tank Brigade under the command of ComBrig Colonel Martynov, Captain Belykh Vasily Terentievich worked as the instructor for political matters and the combined position of Party Mission Secretary in battles on the Northern Caucasus Front during the months of February-March 1943, undertaking the most active participation in readiness of the Party organization and {Communism?} for military service and building up military offensive spirit among the personal staff during the battles for Aushedz Station, Mogukorovskaya, Troitskaya, Svistel’-{illegible} etc, In the period of battle, carried out great work for growth of the Party in creating full-blooded companies (level) Party organization, immediate {“syvaya”} results for position among the personal staff, sub-units, and units of the brigade.

Deserves to be awarded the state-decoration Medal ‘for Military Merit.’

-- Military Merit Medal no serial # on 24 June 1948 (10 years service, Deputy Battalion Commander for Political Matters, 72nd Independent Armored Car Battalion, 43rd Guards Rifles Brigade)

-- Attended Party School of the 75th Rifles Division to 1938, Kharkov Military Political School 1939, Red Army Propaganda School in Smolensk 1941. Took academic courses for political commissars at the Tank & Mechanized Forces Academy in Moscow 1944. Gorkovsky Military Political School 1946-47. Took correspondence courses for the Military Political Academy “in the name of Lenin” 1947-50, graduating with Diploma #B 251712 (badge granted retroactively and correct pre-1957 type).