Womens Rank in the Great Patriotic War

[DougD]

I know that women served in quite large numbers in the Red Army in WWII...does anyone know the highest rank that one of them got? Colonel? Would Major be a very rare rank for a female during the 2nd half of the war?

DougD

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by DougD

I know that women served in quite large numbers in the Red Army in WWII...does anyone know the highest rank that one of them got? Colonel? Would Major be a very rare rank for a female during the 2nd half of the war?

DougD

Yes, major would have been an exceptional rank for a woman. The best place to look for this answer would be at some of the female aviaition units. If I remember a few of the battalion and/or even regimental commanders were woman requiring at least major, maybe even LTC.

[DougD]

Thanks Desantnik, i'll ask Tod Rathbone about the Red Air force...but what about the regular army, would a Female Major be unheard of or just rare? Impossible by 1945?

DougD

[Al-muell]

Ia m not sure, but I think I have seen a photograph of Ludmila Pavlichenko in kontradmiral's or mjr.-genera's of the Navy uniform.
On the other hand - no regulations show women's uniforms for generals

[DougD]

That would be a great photo to see!

[Al-muell]

Originally Posted by DougD

That would be a great photo to see!

The picture was offered long time ago on a well-known commercial site. But as I think of it now - I could have mistaken general-major for major.

Cadet Biegler's mistake...

[Lapa]

Originally Posted by Al-muell

Ia m not sure, but I think I have seen a photograph of Ludmila Pavlichenko in kontradmiral's or mjr.-genera's of the Navy uniform.
On the other hand - no regulations show women's uniforms for generals

Al-muell,

Are you sure that it was Ludmila Pavlishenko? The one I know of (Людмила Михайловна Павличенко) was a WW2 sniper with 309 kills. She climbed up to the rank of Major, and was made a HSU.

Marc

[DougD]

Thanks to all for the info..if anyone comes up with any women in senior rank (Major, Lt.Col,Col.) in non-medical ground forces (Artillery, Armor, Engineering, Signals, etc.), I'd love to hear about it!

DougD

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by Lapa

Al-muell,

Are you sure that it was Ludmila Pavlishenko? The one I know of (Людмила Михайловна Павличенко) was a WW2 sniper with 309 kills. She climbed up to the rank of Major, and was made a HSU.

Marc

Was the rank of major attained during the war or post-war?

[UQWozza]

In a book I have "Russia's Heroes 1941-45" by Albert Axell it says the following:

• 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment - Lilya Litvak HSU- Flight Commander (amongst others).
• 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment - commander Kladiya Fomicheva HSU
• 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment - commander Major Yevdokia Bershanskaya.

So as Desantnik suggested these units would have had a full spectrum of female ranking officers and NCOs from the commander downwards.

Simon