Glory III,248752,Sapper,8th Guards Separate Air Assault Battalion,Slovakia

[Tommy]

Record Card:





No mention of the Combat Service Medal.

He later went on to receive an Order of Glory, 2nd Class.

[Tommy]

Award sheet

Award sheet

Last name, first name and patronymic: Pugajchuk, Komstantin Sidorovich
Rank: Guards Private
Position and unit: Sapper 8th Guards independent airborne battalion, 2nd Guards airborne division Proskurovskaya??
Nominated for: Order of Glory, 3rd Class
Year of birth: 1911
Nationality: Ukrainian
Party affiliation: N/A
Participation in the Civil War to defend the USSR: 4th Ukrainian Front since 8th October 1944
Wounds and contusions received: No wounds
Since when in the Red Army: Since September 1944
Drafted by which military commissariat: Lotinskaya? Military Commisarat, Chernivtsi Oblast
Awards received previously: Medal “For Combat Services” N0138/N, 18.11.1944, 2nd Guards Air Assault Division
Permanent home address of the prospective awardee: ______________

Short, concrete description of his combat feat or merits:

In fighting for the Soviet motherland against the German invaders on the 4th Ukrainian Front, Guards Private Pugajchuk crossed the water hazard of the Latoritsa River in the district Ptruksha, showing courage and bravery.

On the night of 22 to 23 November 1944, despite the small-arms and mortar fire from the enemy infantry, the department took part in a transport operation by raft across the river Latoritsa. After the infantry entrenched on the right bank of the seized bridgehead, comrade Pugajchuk worked selflessly on the units moorings, whilst up to the waist in the icy waters with a production quota of 100% and above. The moorings were completed, the ferry was launched, the heavy materiel was put across the river in time and the mission was accomplished.

For the exemplary performance of command assignments he is worthy of the government award “Order of Glory 3rd Class”



Commander of the 8th seperate ???? ???? Guards Sapper Battalion
Guards Major [signed] /Sokolov/
December 2, 1944

Worthy of the governmental order
Glory 3rd Class

Divisional Engineer of the 2nd Guards air assault division Proskurovskaya
Guards Major [signed] /Yanovskij/

December 3, 1944

[Tommy]

Here it is.





The translation will be very shaky on this one. I think I should have sent it Aukes way haha.

Cheers,

Tom

[CtahhR]

That would be "Technicians" rather than Mechanics (first letter is a T).

Ptrukša is at the far east of Slovakia so this is just creeping out of the UkSSR and beyond the borders of the USSR westward.

Practice makes perfect. Also you have to be in the right mindset. Often I have translated a piece and then gone back to look at it some weeks or months later just to question myself on just how I ever managed to comprehend any of it...

It's a slow but fulfilling process. It doesn't help when someone is scribbling whilst being transported to or from the front. I wonder just how many of these citations were dictated or composed under bombardment.

[Auke]

Not bad Tom, practice makes perfect :thumbsup

A few remarks though if you don't mind:

air assault

In the West we would say "airborne"

Guards ?? Pugajchuk

рядовой - Private, often used as a synomym of красноармеец

the mechanics?? were redirected in time

This is actually техника, or heavy materiel (tanks and other armored vehicles), which were put across the river (переправлять)

[Tommy]

Thank you for all your help, I've edited the write up with your comments :).

Cheers!

Tom