Order of the Red Star, 497354, Combat Engineer

[Bill Garvy]

Award Card
Order Booklet A 715946
1. Last name: Pogosyan
2. Name and patrionymic: Armenak Ilichev
3. Rank: Corporal
4. Gender: Male
5. Birthyear: 1906
6. Birthplace: Tbilisi, Georgian SSR
7. Party membership: since 1946
8. Education: elementary
9. Nationality: Armenian
10. Time in Red Army: 1942-1945
11. Place of service at awarding: 12th Assault Brigade - Machinegunner
12. Place of work at present: 3rd Shoe Factory – wood worker
13. Home address: Tbilisi, Kibapgigi St. #8
14. Awards:
Designation Serial Number Awarding Organization
Red Star 497.354 417th Rifle Division dated 22nd May, 1944
Glory III 381.531 37th Rifle Corps dated 15.2.1945
Glory III 334.650 4th Guards Army dated 25.2.45
Verified by (?) Regional Military Commissariat Major (?) ON 1st June, 1947

Note the two Orders f Glory in 3rd Class!

[Bill Garvy]

How many land mines?

Award Sheet

1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Pogosyan, Armenak Ilichev
2. Rank: Corporal
3. Duty position: Assault Sapper – 57th Independent Assault Engineer Sapper Battalion, 12th Melitopol Assault Engineer Sapper Brigade
Recommendation for the Order of the Red Star
4. Born: 1906
5. Nationality: Armenian
6. Party membership: n/a
7. Previous combat: 4th Ukrainian Front since 31.10.43
8. Wounds or shell-shock: n/a
9. In Red Army: since June 1942
10. Inducted by: Molotov Regional Military Commissariat, Tbilisi
11. Previous awards: n/a
12. Home of record: Tbilisi, Ibadichevskii Crossing #8. Wife – Mariya Parsekhovna Pogosyan
Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment
While accomplishing his combat mission to clear passages for the infantry in an enemy minefield, Sapper-Assaulter Pogosyan displayed exceptional instances of courage and fearlessness. The minefield stretched 120 meters from the lead edge of the enemy’s defense and he was subjected to shelling from all types of weapons. This brave sapper low-crawled up to the minefield, reached it, and began making passages. His heroic work lasted more than five hours. Artfully dodging the explosions and bullets, the bold assaulter casually disarmed one mine after another and called his comrades forward. For three (?) he continued his continuous and danger work and made a clearing, disarming 340 PMD-6 landmines.
He is deserving of the Order of the Red Star.
Signed Commander, 57th Independent Assault Engineer Sapper Battalion, Major Bulatov on 28th April, 1944
Endorsed Commander, 417th Rifle Division, General-Major (?) on 29.4.44
Awarded the Order of the Red Star by 417th Rifle Division Order 34/N dated 22.5.44. Signed Division Chief of Personnel Senior Lieutenant (?).

[Bill Garvy]

Corporal Armenak Ilichev Pogosyan's, 57th Independent Assault Engineer Battalion, Order of the Red Star. . .

[Adrian Stevenson]

Looks like he was rightly proud of his award going by how much he polished it.

A brave man.

Thanks for sharing it and his story with us Bill.

Cheers, Ade.

[roger9344]

That is a very nice award. You can tell he was quite proud of it by how much it was worn. And he really earned it, from the looks of that award citation! Things like this help put a personal face to the history of the item, and give us a reminder of the price that was paid for them originally.

[ph3s]

Bill Garvy it's a nice award and the story is outstanding. 340 mines in 3 days.