For Bravery,1493292,Line Operator,276th Separate Governmental Communication Battalion

[Eryk]

Just another Bravery Medal, to another Line Operator, ie, telephone lineman. But a bit more interesting than most, hence its posting here.

Submitted for research on the hope that a complete personnel file would come back, that hope was dashed when it was revealed that comrade Magarashvili (or Mocharoshvili as its translated from one doc), finished his career in as a Sergeant. Not an officer, no file. Unfortunate because the Bravery Medal is part of a small group, with documents, all to Magarashvili. It’s a wartime medal, and since one can’t research non-military awards thought that perhaps through the ‘back door’ we could get a look at the man’s career. No such luck. :(

The archive documents are interesting: Magarashvili was not only a telephone lineman, but a lineman with the NKVD. His unit was a separate battalion that maintained “governmental communications” and followed the advancing Red Army. Can’t find information on the specific unit (274th Separate Governmental Communication Battalion); it may not even have been an RKKA unit. His posting after the war is known: the 9th Border Detached Unit of the NKVD Troops, Leningrad Region. That’s the same unit that was on the border of the Leningrad District – Latvian SSR on June 22, 1941 at Pskov. It shows that he was indeed NKVD though out the war years.

Two decades later he received the Order of the Badge of Honor. Will be interesting if the State Security archives are ever cracked and be able to see if he shows up. Though of course it could be for a civilian occupation, nothing to do with the apparatus.

Two decades after that he received his OPW, 85 version, obviously as a veteran. It’s a 2nd class, though his award card says he was wounded in the war, so perhaps he should have received a 1st.

[Eryk]

AWARD CARD

Order Booklet № 563691

1. Last Name: Magarashvili

2. Name and Patronymic: Vladimir Vissarionovich

3. Military Rank: Sergeant

4. Sex: Male

5. Year of Birth: 1914

6. Place of Birth: Georgian SSR, City Borzhampark, Street International 42

7. Party Membership: Member of the VKP(b) (All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)) since 1942

8. Education: Elementary

9. Nationality: Georgian

10. In the Red Army since: in the NKVD since 20.3.41

11. Place of service (name of the unit) and duty position at time of awarding time: Line Operator, 274th Separate Governmental Communication Battalion

12. Place of service and duty position at current time: Section Commander, 9th Border Detached Unit of the NKVD Troops, Leningrad Region

13. Home address of the awardee: Georgian SSR, City Borzhompark, Street International № 42

14. Record of all awards presented:

Name of Orders, Medals Serial Number Numbers of Documents Awarder
Medal “For Bravery” 1493292 Temp. Cert. V № 470743 Order of the 18th Army № 0229/N of 10 September 1944
Medal “For the Defense of the Caucasus” – Perm. Cert. Kh № 016837 Edict of the Presidium of 1.5.44
Medal “For Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941 – 45” – Perm. Cert. G № 0133156 Edict of 9.5.1945

Signature of the awardee (signed) Magarashvili
Correctness of the data and signature of awardee attested by Chief of the 9th Border Detached Unit
Colonel (signed) 30 March 1946 / Makharin /

[Eryk]

AWARD SHEET

1. Last Name, name and patronymic: Mocharoshvili Vladimir Vissarionovich

2. Rank: Private

3. Position: unit Line Operator, 276th Separate Governmental Communication Battalion

Is Recommended for the Medal “For Bravery”

4. Year of birth: 1914

5. Nationality: Georgian

6. Party membership: Member of the VKP(b) (All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks))

7. Participation in the civil war and other military actions aimed at the defense of the USSR (where and when): since 1941 on the Northern Caucasian Front, Taman’, 1st Ukrainian Front

8. Wounds or contusions received during the Patriotic War: Wounded

9. In the Red Army: since 1941

10. Drafted by what district military commissariat: Birzhem District Military Commissariat, City Birzhem

11. Previous awards: Was not previously awarded

12. Permanent home address (of the prospective awardee or his/her family): Georgian SSR, City Birzhem, Street International 42. Family lives at the same address

I. Brief description of personal feat

Comrade Mocharoshvili V.V. from the start of the offensive operations of the Red Army units on the territory of the 1st Ukrainian and then 4th Ukrainian Front demonstrated high standards of work on the construction of the Governmental high frequency communication.

During the construction of the communication line following the advancing units of the Red Army, in the region of Proskurov-Kamenez-Podolsk, Mocharoshvili personally and by himself, in a short period of time, repaired the communication line under strong artillery fire of the enemy.

On 26 July 1944 in the region of the Shaporzy-Lesnaya village, he personally and by himself repaired 3 line breakages under artillery fire of the enemy. With this, he provided uninterrupted functioning of the Governmental communication in these regions.

Comrade Mocharoshvili deserves the governmental awards: medal “For Bravery”.

Commander of the 276th Separate Governmental Communication Battalion
Guards Major (Signed) / Badichev /

9 August 1944

II. Conclusion of the Higher Command

Deserves the governmental awards: medal “FOR BRAVERY”.

Chief of the Communication Troops of the 18th Army
General Major of Communication Troops (Signed) / Muravnev /

28 August 1944

III. Conclusion of the Army Military Council

Deserves the awarding of “For Bravery”.

Commander in Chief of the Troops of the 18th Army
General Lieutenant (Signed) / Zhuravlev /

Member of the Military Council of the Army
General Major (Signed) / Kolonin /

6 September 1944

IV. Conclusion of the Front Military Council



V. Conclusion of the Awarding Committee of the People’s Commissariat of Defense



VI. Notes on the Awarding

Awarded the Medal For Bravery by order of the Troops of the 18th Army № 0229/N of 10 September 1944.

Aid to the Chief of the 2nd Section of the Personnel Department
Captain of Administrative Services (Signed)

[CtahhR]

Here is the original citation.

The Ukaz of 2nd April 1966 was for workers of the Ministry Of Health of the GSSR so the Badge Of Honour was probably for 20 years service (Demobilisation to 1966).

[CtahhR]

Here is his OPW2'85 entry and Caucasus.