Red Star,0091930,Head Of Staff,1238th Rifle Regiment

[Al-muell]

Here's an ORS to a Chief of Staff, who apparently ran out of luck only a year after recieving the award.
But let's start from the begginning.
Here's the photograph of the award itself. If I remember correctly, it was the first or second ORS I have bought in my life. It cost me an equivalent of around 20 USD (at current rates, at that time closer to 15) at that time,which was a lot of money for me. It only shows how the prices can change within few years...

The screwplate is most obviously not original to it, but I bought it this way and see no point in replacing it.

[Al-muell]

And here's the citation:
"Surname, name and patronimic: Durkin Nikolai Timofeevich
Rank: Captain
Function, unit: Assistant to the head of staff – 2 1238 rifle regiment
Is proposed to be awarded: Order “Red star”
1.Year of birth: 1922
2.Nationality: Russian
3.Since when in the Red Army: since 1941
4.Party affiliation: candidate for a member of the VKP(b)
5.Participation in fights (where and when): Patriotic War from 15.12.1941
6.Has wounds or contusions: wounded in April 1942
7.With what awarded earlier (for what): None
8.By which RVK called: Ust’-Tsemenskiy RVK Komi ASSR
9.Home address:----------

Short, concrete description of military feat or merit:
Comrade Durkin during fights for seizing the worker settlement nr. 811 on 14 January 1943 has shown virtue, courage and skill in commandin the regiment’s scouting (intelligence).
On the night of 11/12 January 1943 he personnaly organized the reconnaissance, detected firing points of the enemy which allowed the direct fire of the artillery to eliminate them and secure the advance of the infantry.
At all times he skillfully organized all the reconnaissance and in timely manner he gave exact reports about the enemy. Worthy to be awarded Order of the Red Star
Commander of the 1238 RR Lt. Colonel Petrov
Worthy to be awarded… Commander of the 372 Rifle division Major-general Yakimov
Worthy… Commander of the 2nd shock army lt-gen. Romanovskiy; Member of the military council maj.-gen. Kuznetsov
"

[Al-muell]

The ukaz. He is on page 2, under the heading "Order of the Red Star", position #3, just at the bottom of the page.

[Al-muell]

Here's the award card showing only the ORS...

"Surname: Durkin
Name: Nikifor
Patronimic: Timofevich
Rank: Captain
Function and unit: Chief of Staff’s assistant 1238 Rifle Rgt.
Awarded:
With what order or medal awarded/Date of the Ukaz of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR/For what awarded
Order of the Red Star/01-N 19.01.1943/ For fight with German Invaders
“Award Given”
Home Adress: [?]
1.Year of Birth: 1922
2.Place of Birth
3.Party membership and it’s duration: candidate for VKP(b) member
4.Nationality: Russian
5.Duration of service in the Red Army:
6.Awarding data can be found in the file nr.:
Awards given:
Order-Medal/Date of awarding/Place of Awarding/Numbers of order-medal/Remarks
Nr. 91930/20.01.43 v/u 308793
"

[Al-muell]

However, there was another award card - probably created due to an error - that reveals the sad side of the story:
"Record card
Order booklet G-588924
1.Surname: Durkin
2.Name and partonimic: Nikifor Timofeevich
3.Rank:Captain
4.Gender: male
5.Year of birth: 1922
6.Place of birth: Komi ASSR Ust’cilieyskiy Raion, Korovchyy ruchey village council, village of Korovchiy Ruchey (Cow creek)
7. Party affiliation (from which year):
8.Education: lower
9.Nationality: Russian
10.Since when in the Soviet Army: 1.09.1939
11.Place of service (name of the unit) and position held when awarded: 314 Rifle Div. 1078 Rifle Rgt. Commander of the Rifle battalion
12.Place of service and position currently: Died on the front of the Patriotic War on 8.02.1944
13.Home address of the awardee: Komi ASSR Ust’cilieyskiy Raion, Korovchyy ruchey village council, village of Korovchiy Ruchey
14.List of all awards received
Name of orders, medals/Their numbers/Document numbers/Legal base for awarding
“Patriotic War 1st class”/290178/Order Booklet G-588924/Order nr. 033/n of the 2nd shock army of 16.02.1944
Given to father Durkin Timofey Spiridionovich
Signature of the awardee /-/ [Durkin, guess it’s father’s signature]
I confirm correctness of the above data Ust’ciliyskiy Raion Military Commandant lt. colonel Rudtsov /-/
25 of November 1954
"

[Al-muell]

His last award, that he didn't live long enough to recieve. accepted by the division commander on the same day that captain Durkin died.

"1.Surname, name, patronymic: Durkin Nikifor Timofeevich
2. Rank: captain
3.Function and unit: Commander of the 3rd Rifle Battalion 1078 Rifle Regiment 314 Rifle Division
Is to be awarded : Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class
4.Year of birth 1922
5. Nationality: Russian
6. Party membership: member of the VKP(b)
7.Participation in the Civil War, Later military actions in protection of the USSR and the Great Patriotic War (where, when): In the Patriotic War since 1941
8.Has wounds or contusions in the GPW: has 4 wounds
9. Since when in the Red Army: since 1941
10.By which RVK called: Ust’ Tselenskiy RVK Komi ASSR
11.With what awarded before (for what deeds): Order of the Red Star, Medal “For the Defense of Leningrad”
12.----
Short, concrete description of feat or merits:
For the excellent fulfillment of the task during the crossing of the Narva river in the region of Rantovo settlement and succeses achieved during this – bridgehead on the left bank of Narva was captured with well-developed system of the long-term fortifications, up to 100 prisoners werecaptured and few hundreds of POWs were liberated. Comrade Durkin deserves the government award – order “Patriotic War 1st Class”
Commander of the 1078 Rifle Regiment colonel /-/ Vershchak
Chief of Staff of the 1078 Rifle Rgt. Major /-/ Kondrat’ev
Deserves to be awarded the order “Patriotic War 1st Class”
Commander of the 314 Rifle Division Major-General /-/ Aliev
"

[Al-muell]

Two docs from obd-memorial site.
"died from wounds" - likely the wounds he recieved during that crossing of Narva...

Many thanks to Auke for the research.