A few months back I saw this OPW II on a vendor's table in Afghanistan. The vendor told me that he got it in Kabul and he wants $30 for it. He thought it was a common 1985 award like the others on his table. I looked at him and said, "Nah, I am not going to pay $30 for it ..... I will give you $100." He looked really confused, but happy. I have purchases many items from him so I may as well give him a fair price for that order. Looks like I got myself a nice one.
I asked Auke to research the order and by coincidence he provide me with the documents for this award on May 9th ... Fitting for an award for the battle of Berlin.
1. Last name, first name, and patronymic: Ibragimov, Yuri Ibragimovich
2. Rank: Lieutenant
3. Position and unit: Sapper platoon leader in the 418th Independent Sapper Battalion, 250th Bobruisk Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division
Nominated for: Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class
4. Year of birth: 1915
5. Nationality: Osettian
6. Party affiliation: Not a member
7. Participation in the Civil War, the subsequent combat actions to defend the USSR, and the Patriotic War (where and when): Did not take part in the Civil War. In the Patriotic War since 1941, serving on the Western and Belorussian Fronts
8. Wounds and contusions received during the Patriotic War: Wounded twice, on December 7, 1943 and October 12, 1943. Severely wounded on the 1st Belorussian Front and slightly wounded on the 2nd Belorussian Front
9. Since when in the Red Army: Since June 22, 1941
10. Drafted by which military commissariat: Military Commissariat of the Voroshilov Raion, city of Baku
11. Previous awards: Order of the Red Star by Order of the 250th Bobruisk Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division nr. 375/N of February 5, 1945
12. Permanent home address of the prospective awardee and his family’s address:
Short, concrete description of his feat of arms or accomplishments:
Comrade Ibragimov displayed courage, bravery, and the ability to lead his subordinates during the defeat of the German pocket east of Berlin. Starting on April 22, 1945, comrade Ibragimov and his platoon were attached to the 918th Rifle Regiment. Under enemy fire he ensured that the rifle units were able to cross the Spree River and the Oder-Spree Canal on rafts and boats.
Thanks to comrade Ibragimov’s personal initiative, the rifle units and the regimental artillery were put across on schedule.
For the initiative, courage, and bravery he displayed, he deserves to be awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class.
Commander of the 418th Independent Sapper Battalion
Guards Major [signed] /Shulgin/
May 12, 1945
He deserves to be awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class.
Chief engineer of the 250th Bobruisk Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division
Major [signed] /Reznichenko/
desantnik Wrote:And one has to wonder how it made its way to Kabul...
It is amazing to see some of the militaria that appears at the local bazaar here. There were some Soviet WW2 stuff but never any high end items. I have seen bravery medals, combat medal and red stars, but this is the first OPWII that have seen.
One vendor try to sell me 90 of the 1985's OPW.
This OPWII only had to cross over Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan or via Iran to get to Kabul .... now it is in Texas.
