For Combat Merits,0120158,Aviation Mechanic,800th Storm Aviation Regiment,"Mars"

[CtahhR]

Here is the Medal "For Combat Merits" #120158.

[CtahhR]

Aviation Mechanic 3rd Aviation Squadron, 800th Storm Aviation Regiment, 202nd Storm Aviation Division Senior Sergeant Bogdanov, Anatolij Vasil'evich, For distinct combat work in providing combat sorties and uninterrupted work of planes for 64 combat sorties, for self-disregard and bravery in preparing materiel for planes' combat sorties.
In the active army Comrade Bogdanov 13 months, for the time serving at the front has exemplary prepared his plane for combat sorties.
The plane of Comrade Bogdanov for the time serving at the front with 431st Storm Aviation Regiment made 57 combat sorties without one failure, now found in 3rd Aviation Squadron, 300th Storm Aviation Regiment his plane has made 7 combat sorties. Two times returning from combat missions the plane was damaged by fire and both times Comrade Bogdanov without sparing effort nor time worked through the night on his aircraft engine with allowed it to return to combat missions.
Year of birth - 1922 Member VKLSM since 1941, Russian, In Red Army from 1940 Called to Slutskij Regional Military Commissariat, Leningrad Oblast.

The entire prikaz only awards 3 Medals - a time when it was considerably more difficult to be awarded than in later years.

Bogdanov's Medal covers service during two giant battles;

57 Sorties in the 431st Storm Aviation Regiment, 228th Storm Aviation Division (later 2nd Guards Storm Aviation Regiment) which were flying in defence of Stalingrad 18th June 1942 to 4th September 1942 (The defensive actions around Stalingrad were so intense the 431st were unable to operate after this date due to a loss of ALL planes).

7 sorties in the 800th Storm Aviation Regiment, 202nd Storm Aviation Division (based at Andreapol' Aerodrome) supporting the failed Operation Mars.

Something can also be said about his technical skills if during the defence of Stalingrad he was transferred to maintain aircraft outside of that area of operations rather than just being given a rifle and sent into action.

[CtahhR]

His Record Card shows he served at least 17 years, serving as Squadron Mechanic, Captain-Engineer in the 840th Bombardment Aviation Regiment and also received a Red Star for actions during the war. He doesn't seem to have received the Stalingrad Medal but this may just be a bureaucratic oversight as he was transferred to a unit that did not participate in the defence. This may have been corrected after 1957.

[CtahhR]

Here is a photograph of the recipient from before he was issued his second Red Star. HE died on 9th December 1993.