For Combat Merits,U/N 1986,Commander Of Communications Platoon,995th Rifle Regiment

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Here is a 1986 issue Medal "For Combat Merits". A late strike Medal with the late style kolodka. Awarded to Sergeant Mihail Semonovich Svidirov.

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His booklet - showing that this is a 42 1/2 year late catch-up award.

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Strangely there are two copies of the prikaz on "the site" - they had the paperwork in duplicate but forgot to issue the award.

Commander of the Separate Platoon Of Communications of 2nd Battalion Sergeant Svidirov, Mihail Semonovich, for that, during the battle for the populated point Semihatki 28-10-1943 risked his life repeatedly under enemy fire, reconnecting communication, ensuring uninterrupted operation of communications, destroying with his own rifle 2x Germans.

1924 born, Non-Partisan, Ukrainian, Conscripted to the RKKA by Novo-Kalitva Regional Military Commissariat, Voronezh Oblast.

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Here is a map of the Melitopol Offensive in which the unit was participating at the time as part of the 28th Army. Semihatki was c20 miles west of Melitopol but ceased to exist in the early 21st century (due to lack of population).

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Here is a photograph of the recipient.