I just paid off this beautiful posthumous OGPW1. It was sent to an officer who was killed in the final days of the Battle for Festung Pozen, in 1945.
I am getting the research translated. I hope that you all like this. I cannot wait to see what details lay within the documentation. I will not be upset if someone were to post what they see in the documents here!
Award Card
[trans: stamped “Decoration Awarded”]
Order Booklet
1. Last name: Valeshvili
2. Name and patrionymic: Aleksei Shelvovich
3. Rank: Guards Lieutenant
4. Gender:
5. Birthyear: 1924
6. Birthplace:
7. Party membership: n/a
8. Education:
9. Nationality: Ossetian
10. Time in Red Army:
11. Place of service at awarding: Platoon Leader – 177 Guards Rifle Regiment, 60 Guards Rifle Division
12. Place of work at present:
13. Home address: Georgian SSR, Kaspii Region
14. Awards:
Designation Serial Number Awarding Organization
Patriotic War I 135.061 32 Rifle Corps dated 3.02.45
Verified by:
[trans: stamped “Checked by Section (?) Lost”]
Award Sheet
1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Valeshvili, Aleks Shalvovich
2. Rank: Guards Lieutenant
3. Duty position: Machinegun Platoon Leader – 177 Guards Kishinev Rifle Regiment
Recommendation for the Order of the Patriotic War II Class
4. Born: 1924
5. Nationality: Ossetian
6. Party membership: n/a
7. Previous combat: since November 1943 on the Leningrad, 3 Ukrainian, and 1 Belorussian Fronts
8. Wounds or shell-shock: n/a. [trans: “In this engagement he was killed heroically”]
9. In Red Army: since 1942
10. Inducted by: Lenin Regional Military Commissariat, Tbilisi
11. Previous awards: n/a
12. Home of record: Georgian SSR, Kaspii Region, Rgvalichada
Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment
While clearing a minefield and “Bruno” double-stranded wire obstacle during the penetration of the long-prepared, deeply echeloned enemy defense near Bule Augustovka* (Gruiets*, Warsaw Principality) on 14 January 1945, Comrade Valeshvili was one of the first to charge into an enemy trenchline, entered into hand-to-hand combat, and on the approaches to the population area of Nove Stakhuv* fell valorously.
He is deserving of the Order of the Patriotic War II Class.
Signed 177 Guards Rifle Regiment Commander Guards Colonel Kosov on 24 January 1945
Endorsed 60 Guards Division Commander Guards General-Major Sokolov on 21 January 1945
Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War I Class according to 32 Rifle Corps Order 09/N dated (?).1945, signed Chief of Personnel Guards Major (?) on 4.2.45
*Geographic place name is an approximation based off of transliterated Russian from Polish translated into English
Unit Award Order
SECRET
32 Rifle Corps Order 09/N dated 3 February 1945
On behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet USSR, I award the following decorations for exemplary accomplishment of the Command’s missions in the struggle against the German invaders and for having displayed valor and bravery:
Order of the Patriotic War I Class to:
2. Guards Lieutenant Aleks Shalvovich Valeshvili – Machinegun Platoon Leader, 177 Guards Kishinev Rifle Regiment, 60 Guards Pavlograd Red Banner Rifle Division
Signed 32 Rifle Corps Commander Guards General-Major Zhereb(?), Chief of Staff General-Major Plokhov, and Chief of Personnel Guards Major Andreichenkov
Festung PoSen actually. Currently Poznań
The other names:
Bule Augustovske - the only thing that comes to my mind is Budy Augustowskie - a village, currently in Mazowieckie Voivodeship, it would fit, because:
Gruiets - Grójec - a city, same voivodeship, same area.
Nove Stakhuv - Nowy Stachów, also smae area.
Note that this is quite far away from Poznań, so the dates just coincide.
