For Combat Merits,0298926,Welder,50th Guards Separate Motor-Rifle Scout Company

[CtahhR]

Here is a rather worn Medal "For Combat Merits" #298926. It's been "through the wars" from Stalingrad to Prague via Budapest and Vienna.

[CtahhR]

Family name, name and patronym, Shabaladze, Georgij Il'ich
Military rank, Guards Red Army Soldier
Position, unit, Welder, Repair Section, Maintenance Platoon, 50th Guards Separate Motor-Rifle Scout Company.
Presented for the Medal "For Combat Merits"

1. Year of birth, 1918
2. Party Membership, VKLSM
3. Since which time in the ranks of the Red Army, Since 1939
4. Nationality, Georgian
5. Participation in combat (Where, When) Since 22nd November 1942 Stalingrad Front
6. Has been wounded or contused, Not had.
7. Has received which awards (for which distinction), Hot had.
8. To which Regional Military Commissariat called, Poti Regional Military Commissariat

Short concrete description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

For quality and timely repair of combat and transport vehicles, for unlimited fulfilment of the orders of the command suggest awarding Comrade Red Army Soldier Shabaladze the Medal "For Combat Merits".
Commander (Chief) Guards Captain Dmitriev
11th February 1943


Notice that this is stamped "22nd Guards Rifle Division" which at this time had been reformed into the 2nd Guard Mechanised Corps (and had previously been the 363rd Rifle Division) and was part of the 2nd Guards Army.

[CtahhR]

Here is his record card. Showing him as Shubladze. Serving from 18th May 1938 to 28th June 1946 leaving as a Guards Senior Sergeant to go on to be Chief Mechanic at Farhad Auto-Construction in Tashkent Oblast.

Medal "For Combat Merits" 298926
Order "Red Star" 2129803
Medal "For The Defence Of Stalingrad"
Medal "For Victory Over Germany"
Medal "For The Liberation Of Prague"
Medal "For The Capture Of Budapest"
Medal "For The Capture Of Vienna"

[CtahhR]

According to the Stalingrad Medal Act he was in Stalingrad 18th December 1942 until 3rd March 1943 (so were all but one of the other recipients listed). Proving conclusively that this is a Stalingrad award.

I don't suppose the conditions in Stalingrad during the battle were conducive to writing two page long citations.