Just another Bravery Medal, to another Line Operator, ie, telephone lineman. But a bit more interesting than most, hence its posting here.
Submitted for research on the hope that a complete personnel file would come back, that hope was dashed when it was revealed that comrade Magarashvili (or Mocharoshvili as its translated from one doc), finished his career in as a Sergeant. Not an officer, no file. Unfortunate because the Bravery Medal is part of a small group, with documents, all to Magarashvili. It’s a wartime medal, and since one can’t research non-military awards thought that perhaps through the ‘back door’ we could get a look at the man’s career. No such luck. :(
The archive documents are interesting: Magarashvili was not only a telephone lineman, but a lineman with the NKVD. His unit was a separate battalion that maintained “governmental communications” and followed the advancing Red Army. Can’t find information on the specific unit (274th Separate Governmental Communication Battalion); it may not even have been an RKKA unit. His posting after the war is known: the 9th Border Detached Unit of the NKVD Troops, Leningrad Region. That’s the same unit that was on the border of the Leningrad District – Latvian SSR on June 22, 1941 at Pskov. It shows that he was indeed NKVD though out the war years.
Two decades later he received the Order of the Badge of Honor. Will be interesting if the State Security archives are ever cracked and be able to see if he shows up. Though of course it could be for a civilian occupation, nothing to do with the apparatus.
Two decades after that he received his OPW, 85 version, obviously as a veteran. It’s a 2nd class, though his award card says he was wounded in the war, so perhaps he should have received a 1st.
Submitted for research on the hope that a complete personnel file would come back, that hope was dashed when it was revealed that comrade Magarashvili (or Mocharoshvili as its translated from one doc), finished his career in as a Sergeant. Not an officer, no file. Unfortunate because the Bravery Medal is part of a small group, with documents, all to Magarashvili. It’s a wartime medal, and since one can’t research non-military awards thought that perhaps through the ‘back door’ we could get a look at the man’s career. No such luck. :(
The archive documents are interesting: Magarashvili was not only a telephone lineman, but a lineman with the NKVD. His unit was a separate battalion that maintained “governmental communications” and followed the advancing Red Army. Can’t find information on the specific unit (274th Separate Governmental Communication Battalion); it may not even have been an RKKA unit. His posting after the war is known: the 9th Border Detached Unit of the NKVD Troops, Leningrad Region. That’s the same unit that was on the border of the Leningrad District – Latvian SSR on June 22, 1941 at Pskov. It shows that he was indeed NKVD though out the war years.
Two decades later he received the Order of the Badge of Honor. Will be interesting if the State Security archives are ever cracked and be able to see if he shows up. Though of course it could be for a civilian occupation, nothing to do with the apparatus.
Two decades after that he received his OPW, 85 version, obviously as a veteran. It’s a 2nd class, though his award card says he was wounded in the war, so perhaps he should have received a 1st.
Steiner: "Why do you want it so badly? It's just a worthless piece of metal. Look."
