Red Banner,290033,Squad Leader,1052nd Rifle Regiment,Berlin

[Norm Braddock]

Not mine-wish it was.


Award Sheet
1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Vandanov, Dondok Yundunovich
2. Rank: Sergeant
3. Duty position: Squad Leader – 8 Rifle Company, 1052 Order of Suvorov III Class Rifle Regiment, 301 Stalin Order of Suvorov II Class Rifle Division
Recommendation for Order of the Red Banner
4. Born: 1922
5. Nationality: Buryat
6. Party membership: Comsomol member since 1943
7. Previous combat: Southern Front 1.1.44-8.3.44 and 1 Belorussian Front since 25.02.45
8. Wounds or shell-shock: wounded 8.3.44 and 28.4.45 and evacuated to a hospital for recuperation
9. Time in Red Army: since 6.02.42
10. Inducted by: Selenginskii Regional Military Commissariat, Buryat-Mongol ASSR
11. Previous awards: n/a
12. Home of record: Buryat-Mongol ASSR, Selenginskii Region, “Communism” Collective Farm. Father – Vand Anov, Yundun Ayushievich
Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment
During the penetration of the enemy, prepared defense near the city of Goltsow, Sergeant Vandanov destroyed four machinegun positions and as many as 25 enemy soldiers with his accurate fire.
On 12 April 1945 near Hermersdorf when the enemy counterattacked with a heavy infantry force supported by tanks, Sergeant Vandalov, displaying exceptional resolve and courage, killed as many as 30 Hitlerite soldiers which almost singlehandedly permitted the occupied line to hold.
On 24 April 1945 during street fighting in Berlin, he destroyed as many as twelve enemy panzerfaust gunners, which greatly enabled the successful attack in the downtown portion of Berlin.
He is deserving of the Order of the Red Banner.
Signed Commander, 1052 Order of Suvorov III Class Rifle Regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant Colonel Peshkov on 13 May 1945
Recommended downgrade to Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky III Classy by Commander, 9 Brandenburg Red Banner Rifle Corps, Hero of the Soviet Union General-Lieutenant Roslii on 25 May 1945
Awarded the Order of the Red Banner by Order 165/N of the 5 Shock Army dated 4.6.45, signed Deputy 2 Branch Chief of the Personnel Section, Administrative Services Captain Kharolskii
Order Excerpt
SECRET
5 SHOCK ARMY ORDER 165/N DATED 4 JUNE 1945
On behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet USSR, I award the following decorations for exemplary mission accomplishment on the frontlines against the German invaders and for displaying valor and courage:
The Order of the Red Banner
9. Sergeant Dondok Yundunovich VANDANOV Squad Leader, 8 Rifle Company, 1052 Rifle Regiment, 301 Rifle Division

Signed Commander, 5 Shock Army, General-Colonel Berzarin, Member of the Military Council, 5 Shock
Army, General-Lieutenant Bokov, and Chief of Staff General-Major Yu(?)shev



Award Card
Order Booklet 469121
1. Last name: Vandanov
2. Name and patrionymic: Dondok Yundunovich
3. Rank: Sergeant
4. Gender: Male
5. Birthyear: 1922
6. Birthplace: village of Enkor, Selentinskii Region, Buryat-Mongol ASSR
7. Party membership: candidate member since 1946
8. Education: elementary
9. Nationality: Buryat
10. Time in Red Army: 2.42-12.46
11. Place of service at awarding: 1052 Guards Rifle Regiment, 301 Guards Rifle Division, 5 Shock Army, 1 Belorussian Front – Squad Leader
12. Place of work at present: “Communism” Collective Farm, Selenginskii Region, Buryat-Mongol ASSR – collective farm worker
13. Home address: Enkhor village, Selenginskii Region, Buryat-Mongol ASSR
14. Awards:
Designation Serial Number Awarding Organization
Red Banner 290.033 5 Shock Army dated 4.6.45

Verified by Selenginskii Regional Military Commissariat on 31 January 1947

Abbreviated Award Card
Indicates Buryat-Mongol Sergeant Dondok Yundunovich Vandanov received a Bravery Medal by Order
239/N of the 5 Shock Army dated 7.8.45. He was a Comsomol member born in 1922 and in the Red
Army since 1942. At the time of receipt he was squad leader in a sentry company in the military
commandant of the Sherya(?)genburg Region, in Berlin. Stamp on the reverse reads “Forwarded to the
missing section.” [trans: I’ve never seen such a stamp before].

[trans: some of the German place names may be slightly different than actual due to transliteration]

[Eryk]

Would be a great award to own: RB to an NCO squad leader for street fighting in Berlin. Hard to get more in-the-trenches than that.

301st RD was in 9th Corp, fought into Berlin from the east, south of the Spree, heading roughly west/north-west along the river.

[CtahhR]

Here is the original citation.