For Bravery,0003367,Junior Commander,6th Mechanised Brigade,Halhingol 1939

[medals73]

A long story here. I acquired the medal, Medal "For Bravery" #3367, in New Delhi, India, back in 2007 for a whopping Rs. 1000 (then around $24, just over silver melt price). It came without ribbon. I asked my source to go back to the junk medal dealer from whom he has acquired it and see if there were (1) any other medals or (2) any ribbons or suspension devices. I assume any ribbons would have been stripped just prior to melting and may have made it out to India. Among the goodies that came along later was this ribbon, to which the medal has been tentatively remarried. Obviously not an original mounting, but it has had a long and difficult life, as has the medal.

[medals73]

Now (thanks, Auke!), the research:

Awarded in 1939 to Junior Commander Grigory Ivanovich Mozharov, Mechanic-driver in the 4th Tank Battalion, 6th Mechanized Brigade for Khalkin-Gol.

Record card

1. Last name: Mozharov
2. First name and patronymic: Grigory Ivanovich
3. Year of birth:
4. Military rank: Junior Commander [Lieutenant]
5. Position and unit: Mechanic-driver in the 4th Tank Battalion, 6th Mechanized Brigade
6. Name of the award: Medal for Courage
7. Date and place of feat:
8. Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet granting the award: November 17, 1939
9. Order of the People’s Commissar of Defense granting the award:

10. Order nr. 3367
11. Certificate nr.:
12. Order booklet nr.:
13. Nationality:
14. Social situation:
15. Party affiliation:
16. Service in the Red Army:
17. Other information and subsequent changes:

and

Record card

1. Last name: Mozharov
2. First name and patronymic: Grigory Ivanovich
3. Year of birth: 1901
4. Military rank: Major
5. Position and unit: Commander of the 505th Independent Automobile Battalion
6. Name of the award: Medal for Courage nr. 3367
7. Date and place of feat:
8. Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet granting the award:
9. Order of the People’s Commissar of Defense granting the award:

10. Order nr.
11. Certificate nr.:
12. Order booklet nr.:
13. Nationality:
14. Social situation:
15. Party affiliation:
16. Service in the Red Army:
17. Other information and subsequent changes:

and the translation from the "Khalkin-Gol decree"

Decree

On awarding Soviet orders and medals to officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted men of the Red Army of Workers and Peasants and the Border Guards, family members of officers, and hospital employees

For the exemplary accomplishment of combat missions and the valor and bravery displayed in the process, the following are to be decorated:

[…]

With the Medal for Courage:

[…]

5164. Junior Commander Grigory Ivanovich Mozharov

[…]

Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
M. Kalinin

Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
A. Gorkin

Kremlin, Moscow
November 17, 1939

Career record is on the way (?). He obviously made it until at least 1944, when he acquired Red Star #967719 (AWOL).

Record card

1. Last name: Mozharov
2. First name: Grigory
3. Patronymic: Ivanovich
4. Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
5. Position and unit: Chief of the Section for Registering the Troops’ Materiel Supplies and Planning Road and Air Transport, Rear Area Headquarters of the 36th Army, Transbaikal Front
6. Year of birth: 1901
7. Nationality: Belarusian
8. Party membership and period: Member of the Communist Party since 1931
9. Since which year in the Red Army: From June 1920 through April 1924 and since June 1930

Awarded:

Awarded which order of medal: Date of the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR: Awarded for what:
Order of the Red Star, nr. 967719, temporary certificate nr. 146941 November 3, 1944

[blue stamp: “Award issued”]

Nominated by: Transbaikal Front
Award documents are located in file nr.:

Awards issued:

Order or medal: Date of issue: Place of issue: Number of the order or medal: Number of the award document: Remarks:
Order of the Red Star December 31, 1944 36th Army 967719 146941

Other remarks:

As early documents are not common, I have attached images of the originals.

More should I learn more.

[CtahhR]

Not a bad find at all, saving it from destruction and also not paying over the odds.

It does of course bring up the unfortunate truth that these Medals were and are recycled. I wonder just what percentage has suffered that end. I would hope it to be very low but I am afraid it isn't.