For Combat Merits,2228026,NKVD Officer,Long Service 1945

[PaulR]

I finally had this Combat Merit Medal researched. It came back as a MGB(predecessor of the KGB) Captain's award... not much of a citation though. :( But it is still a cool piece of history. I wonder what other awards he may have been bestowed... we will never know.

[PaulR]

The research

[deValcourt]

From what I'm reading now, I have a sinking feeling this guy was a member of SMERSH before he was made part of the new MGB in 1946, especially considering the dates of the awards.

The sparse documentation also supports this idea since even now many of the identities of members of SMERSH are still kept secret - and for good reason considering what they actually did to millions during the GPW.

Oh well, I'm just guessing based on my personal paranoia.:cool:

Phillip

[PaulR]

How would you be able to tell the difference between someone in the SMERSH, and the other two branches(NKVD and NKGB)? Didnt all three branches merge to form the MGB in 1946?

[CtahhR]

I doubt a "heavy" from SMERSH would only have 2 long service awards to show for their wartime contribution to depopulating Europe. From the look of things he was in service from 1931 and does not have any combat awards. More likely a desk jockey in Division K (Economic security) than someone sorting out spies on the frontline.

From experience SMERSH members usually have at least 1 combat award for rounding up and interrogating whereas the leather coated stereotypical spook stayed on the home front, shuffled paper and got the almost mandatory long service awards. SMERSH members (and NKVD/NKGB) working in military or deportation roles in the Caucasus would usually have been awarded the Medal "For The Defence Of The Caucasus" and Medal "For Victory Over Germany" by this time too. This MGB Captain in Baku may well have overseen the business aspect of oil production instead of being the fantastic romanticised character the words NKVD, MGB or KGB usually incorrectly inspire. It is just unfortunate there is not more information available to correctly direct us all to this person's role in the Soviet Union.

The 15th January 1945 Ukaz is "For long service to the NKVD".

[PaulR]

Thank you. Other than this medal, are there any others listed on this citation? Would he have been eligble for the VoG, without frontline service?

[RedMaestro2]

Called it! :D

Very nice, and great that you got research back for it. :thumbsup


I think this further confirms my claim that this other neat group is also state security:
http://soviet-awards.com/forum/sovie...h-sevumov.html


Cheers,
Alex