Red Star,0133706,Gun Commander,13th Motorised Brigade,Har'kov-Kursk 1943

[godefroy]

Order was badly damaged, front shield and all enamel was missing. Screwpost and arms were bend. Luckily serial number was untouched.
I was extremely happy as finally have my first ground dug order and it comes with rly low serial number !!!!

[godefroy]

Here are some photos....

[godefroy]

And her eis original citation.
(Many thank for Al-muell for heling with translation)

Award Sheet
1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Chamitow Sajdachmet Fejdachmetowic
2. Rank: junior sergeant
3. Duty position: gun commander, Anti-Aircradt Batallion- 13 Motorized Brigade (12 Tank Corps, 3rd Guards Tank Army)
4. Born: 1918
5. Nationality: Tatar
6. Party membership: Konsomol
7. Previous combat: no
8. Wounds or shell-shock: yes
9. Time in Red Army: since 1938
10. Inducted by: Leninsky RWK from Auma-Ata
11. Previous awards: no
12. Home of record: missing


Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment:
Junior Sergeant CHAMITOW during fighting with german ocupant prof himself as a decisive commander. His gun destrtrou 4 enemy airplanes.
In the village of Postoialova disable 100 enemy troops and officers. Educated and disciplined deserving of Order of the red star

Commander of Anti Aircraf Batalion Liutenent Poliakov.
24 March 1943

(If i make any mistake or holes in information i would be gratefull for correction)

[godefroy]

I was searching for some maps but i couldnt find place where 13th Motorized Brigade fight. I only found mpas from the first stage of Kharkow Battle February-March 1943.
(Marked position of 12 tank corps)

[CtahhR]

1918 born Guards Sergeant Sajdahmet Hamitov was KIA on 19th July 1943 at Kobjakovo (Battle Of Kursk).

How his Red Star ended up in Western Prussia is a mystery but here are some hypothesises;

#1 Although reported KIA he was actually MIA and returned to fight and die another day (unlikely)
#2 Although reported KIA he may have fallen into enemy hands (dead or alive) and his Red Star taken as a trophy by a German who then went on to lose it in Prussia.
#3 A Soviet Comrade may have held on to his Red Star as a memento, until he lost it in Prussia.
#4 It may have returned to the family, fallen into the wrong hands and ended up being abused and discarded until being unearthed more recently (not likely but not impossible)
#5 Something else.

[godefroy]

As i really want to know the history of soldier and his order i check "Memorial" site. I have found he was killed 19.07 1943. I assume it was during final stage of Kutuzov operation, his Brigade was part of advancing 3th Tank Army (???)

Enclosed documents from "Memorial".


I would be gratefull for any clues and additional information.
Kind regrds

[godefroy]

#2 Although reported KIA he may have fallen into enemy hands (dead or alive) and his Red Star taken as a trophy by a German who then went on to lose it in Prussia.
#3 A Soviet Comrade may have held on to his Red Star as a memento, until he lost it in Prussia.

My thoughts were similar, In Braniewo there was a big pocket in the beginning of 1945. Lots of Russians and Germans fight there.

I was wondering how German treat capture soviet orders ? Do they keep them as a souvenir, trophy ??? Any experience in that matter?

[CtahhR]

There have been some cases of Soviet awards being captured by Germans, staying in Germany and currently residing there (I think there are two researched pieces here). The same happened to those captured by the Finns.

Of course there was considerably more chance of Soviet awards being captured when their forces were being pushed back or encircled, so most of those that fell into enemy hands were earlier examples. !944/5 awards were very unlikely to fall into enemy hands in comparison to 1940/1 awards.

Beware of the old "combat damaged" or "captured on the battlefield" stories that are often added to post-war pieces.

[godefroy]

Ground dig orders are not so rare here in Poland. Most of soviet fronts roll-over our territory 1944-1945. From time to time such findings pop up. Its rather easy to recognise order that stay in ground for over 70 years.

Here is example of Zavarzin's Red Star found near Okuniew (Poland) in 2014. After research it occur that Zavarzin receive title of Hero of Soviet Union for this Battle.

[godefroy]

I have found intersting information about collecting trophys by Germans.
This aricel is about ground dug found in German graves.

Орден Красной Звезды № 196785

Some english translation would be good,