01-11-2014, 11:46 PM
And the document. Awarded to Smirnov A.I., the Chief conductor of ORKP-17 in November, 1944.
It is interesting, that on the photo on the document he is already wearing this badge:
And here is an article about ORKP-17 (sorry for possible mistakes in English :) )
Operational Record of Engine column No. 17
Military transportations, since the first day of war, were increasing every day. In September, 1942 in Danilov depot the formation of a column of engines of a special reserve (ORKP) No. 17 of NKPS began. By the order of the National commissariat of railroads (NKPS) engine-drivers, firemen, conductors from depot of Sharya, Buoy, Ivanovo, Babayevo, Tikhvin, Kiev, Slyudyanka, Mogzon and some others there went. The frame of collective of a column consisted of employees of Danilov locomotive depot.
Within a month the depot workers have revitalized the engines of a series "Э" taken from side-tracks of the Northern railroad. The warm commodity car for rest was also fastened to each locomotive. And on October 27, 1942 the delivery of equipment and ammunition to the front has begun.
On January 1, 1943 ORKP No. 17 was sent to the Stalingrad front. Together with the Red Army railroad workers overcame all dangers and difficulties. Their work became complicated by frosts, there were no coal and firewood, there was no place to refuel water. And they burned everything that could be burned in the tender, and the water was extracted from the snow. The staff of the column did all the necessary to bring military echelons to the Volga stronghold.
When tens of fascist planes flew on Kachalin, everything was in fire. The shells in the cars began to explode. The engine-driver Alexey Polunin has driven up the train with ammunition, clung to it and brought the train on a high speed to the stretch of railroad track.
Fascist aircraft often chased sanitary trains. Once they began to bomb the station where there was a train with seriously injured soldiers. Nikolay Syromyatnikov instantly has fastened the engine and brought the train to the stretch. The wounded were rescued.
At the end of February, 1943 the engines returned to Danilov depot for repair. Soon the column was ready for the next task: it was necessary to work at the direction Volkhov – Babayevo.
The mass raids of enemy aircraft became regular already. During one of them in March, 1943 at the station of Tikhvin the headquarter of the column was destroyed. Five men were killed, eight got wounds. The engine was damaged. During this bombardment the driver Polunin and the conductor Kovrigin have brought two trains with wounded soldiers and commanders from the station to the stretch of railroad track, so thousands of lives were saved.
In July, 1943 the column of ORKP No. 17 was sent to the region of the Kursk arch. Workers of a column nicely worked there though their life constantly was exposed to danger.
So, on October 25, 1943 in Belgorod a bomb has destroyed the engine, the engine-driver and his assistant were wounded.
Since November, 1943 ORKP was ordered to go to the 1st Ukrainian front. It was very often, when the trains were brought directly to the places of battles. There were cases when the motors of tanks were started directly on platforms and as soon as the train stopped, tanks went into battle. Enemy saboteurs mined railroad tracks. On January 20, 1944 about station Olevsk of Kovalskaya Railroad one engine was undermined, the wheels were destroyed and the driver Butenko was wounded. German daily air raids have stopped only after the defeat of Korsun-Shevchenkovsky enemy troops.
Then the column has moved to Litovskaya railroad and served the transportations of the 3rd Belorussian front.
Then ORKP No. 17 worked in East Prussia up to the Victory over Hitler's Germany.
After the victory the engines were handed over to Shaulyai depot. And the staff was ordered to go to Chita where they have arrived on July 3, 1945. Next day the staff of ORKP No. 17 was alarmed. The column has received the task to recieve 15 engines from Amur railroad depot and to go for work on Zabaykalskaya Raiload at the direction Karymskaya – Olovyannaya. Since the beginning of military operations against Japan the column served transportations of Zabaykalskiy front in Mongolia and Manchuria.
For dedicated work 208 workers were awarded to 660 medals, 121 Excellent worker (Otlichnik) badges, 105 Shockworker (Udarnik) badges. 12 people only for their work in the Far East became honourable railroad workers.
But some employees of Danilov depot didn't come back home. The engine-driver M. I. Solodovnikov, the assistant driver P. I. Getman, firemen N. I. Sitanov, A. I. Vasilyev, E. G. Verbkina, the carriage master N. M. Bukhtayev were killed during enemy aircraft attacks.
This was difficult, heroic and glorious story of a column of engines of a special reserve No. 17.
(Translated from the newspaper article authored by Sergei Iovlev, 2007)
It is interesting, that on the photo on the document he is already wearing this badge:
And here is an article about ORKP-17 (sorry for possible mistakes in English :) )
Operational Record of Engine column No. 17
Military transportations, since the first day of war, were increasing every day. In September, 1942 in Danilov depot the formation of a column of engines of a special reserve (ORKP) No. 17 of NKPS began. By the order of the National commissariat of railroads (NKPS) engine-drivers, firemen, conductors from depot of Sharya, Buoy, Ivanovo, Babayevo, Tikhvin, Kiev, Slyudyanka, Mogzon and some others there went. The frame of collective of a column consisted of employees of Danilov locomotive depot.
Within a month the depot workers have revitalized the engines of a series "Э" taken from side-tracks of the Northern railroad. The warm commodity car for rest was also fastened to each locomotive. And on October 27, 1942 the delivery of equipment and ammunition to the front has begun.
On January 1, 1943 ORKP No. 17 was sent to the Stalingrad front. Together with the Red Army railroad workers overcame all dangers and difficulties. Their work became complicated by frosts, there were no coal and firewood, there was no place to refuel water. And they burned everything that could be burned in the tender, and the water was extracted from the snow. The staff of the column did all the necessary to bring military echelons to the Volga stronghold.
When tens of fascist planes flew on Kachalin, everything was in fire. The shells in the cars began to explode. The engine-driver Alexey Polunin has driven up the train with ammunition, clung to it and brought the train on a high speed to the stretch of railroad track.
Fascist aircraft often chased sanitary trains. Once they began to bomb the station where there was a train with seriously injured soldiers. Nikolay Syromyatnikov instantly has fastened the engine and brought the train to the stretch. The wounded were rescued.
At the end of February, 1943 the engines returned to Danilov depot for repair. Soon the column was ready for the next task: it was necessary to work at the direction Volkhov – Babayevo.
The mass raids of enemy aircraft became regular already. During one of them in March, 1943 at the station of Tikhvin the headquarter of the column was destroyed. Five men were killed, eight got wounds. The engine was damaged. During this bombardment the driver Polunin and the conductor Kovrigin have brought two trains with wounded soldiers and commanders from the station to the stretch of railroad track, so thousands of lives were saved.
In July, 1943 the column of ORKP No. 17 was sent to the region of the Kursk arch. Workers of a column nicely worked there though their life constantly was exposed to danger.
So, on October 25, 1943 in Belgorod a bomb has destroyed the engine, the engine-driver and his assistant were wounded.
Since November, 1943 ORKP was ordered to go to the 1st Ukrainian front. It was very often, when the trains were brought directly to the places of battles. There were cases when the motors of tanks were started directly on platforms and as soon as the train stopped, tanks went into battle. Enemy saboteurs mined railroad tracks. On January 20, 1944 about station Olevsk of Kovalskaya Railroad one engine was undermined, the wheels were destroyed and the driver Butenko was wounded. German daily air raids have stopped only after the defeat of Korsun-Shevchenkovsky enemy troops.
Then the column has moved to Litovskaya railroad and served the transportations of the 3rd Belorussian front.
Then ORKP No. 17 worked in East Prussia up to the Victory over Hitler's Germany.
After the victory the engines were handed over to Shaulyai depot. And the staff was ordered to go to Chita where they have arrived on July 3, 1945. Next day the staff of ORKP No. 17 was alarmed. The column has received the task to recieve 15 engines from Amur railroad depot and to go for work on Zabaykalskaya Raiload at the direction Karymskaya – Olovyannaya. Since the beginning of military operations against Japan the column served transportations of Zabaykalskiy front in Mongolia and Manchuria.
For dedicated work 208 workers were awarded to 660 medals, 121 Excellent worker (Otlichnik) badges, 105 Shockworker (Udarnik) badges. 12 people only for their work in the Far East became honourable railroad workers.
But some employees of Danilov depot didn't come back home. The engine-driver M. I. Solodovnikov, the assistant driver P. I. Getman, firemen N. I. Sitanov, A. I. Vasilyev, E. G. Verbkina, the carriage master N. M. Bukhtayev were killed during enemy aircraft attacks.
This was difficult, heroic and glorious story of a column of engines of a special reserve No. 17.
(Translated from the newspaper article authored by Sergei Iovlev, 2007)
