CSM 143.741 Junior armourer, 836 Long Range Bomber Regiment

[David]

AWARD REGISTER CARD

Surname : MELNIKOV
First name : GAVRIL
Middle name : PAVLOVICH
Rank : Junior armourer
Unit and position : Junior armourer, aviation squadron, 836 ling range bomber regiment.
Awarded : For Combat Merits
Date of the decree of the Supreme Soviet USSR : 31-12-1942
Ground for award : For fight against German FASCISM
Home address : Long Range Aviation Corps Ryazan region, town Pronsk, Vtoraya Kooperativnaya str., 233.


PERSONAL RECORD

1. Birth year : 1914
2. Place of birth
3. Party membership seniority : VKP(b) member 1940
4. Nationality : Russian
5. Red Army service seniority :
6. Award documentation is file in :


AWARD CITATION

Surname, name and middle name : MELNIKOV GAVRIL PAVLOVICH
Rank : Junior armourer Position and unit Junioir armourer, aviation squadron, 836 long range bomber aviation regiment is recommended for medal “For Combat Merits”

1. Birth year : 1914
2. Nationality : Russian
3. In Red Army service since : 1936
4. Party membership : VKP(b) member since 1940
5. Participation in the civil war and later in defence of USSR : In Patriotic war In Patriotic war since 07 July 1942
6. Wounds and contusions : None
7. Previous awards : None
8. Drafted by which induction station : Regular troops
9. Awardee’s and his family permanent home address : intentionally obscured


Brief and specific description of the personal feat or merits :

He is the Patriotic war participant against the German invaders since 07 July 1942. During this period, he serviced 120 night combat sorties. There has never been any equipment malfunctions (failed bomb release or machine-gun jamming) due to his fault. Of the total 120 serviced combat sorties, 23 were conducted in the series of 2-3 per night. Armourer MELNIKOV ensures proper functions of all the weapon systems by thorough checks after each mission and quick repairs of the found flaws. He established a system, where each technician is assigned to a specific aircraft. MELNIKOV delegates the technicians with specific technical tasks and then conduct personal quality control, at the same time training them and sharing with them his experience. His enthusiasm and skill ensures, that the new bomb load is installed quickly after the first mission, and the aircrafts are ready for a new take off without any delay. After the new “Berezin” BT machine-gun arrived for deployment, comrade MELNIKOV arranged the training sessions involving not just he technicians, but also the aerial gunners. The technical specifics of the new machine-gun have been quickly studied and it is now in combat operations. With his meticulous control, junior armourer MALNIKOV ensures both the normal combat operations of the flying crews, as well as efficient performance of the technical personnel. He is worthy of medal “FOR COMBAT MERITS”.

Commander of 836 long range bomber aviation regiment Lt. Colonel signature /NOVIKOV/18 September 1945

Commissar of 836 long range bomber aviation regiment. Bat. Com. signature /PLETNIKOV/


II. Conclusion of the superiors

HE IS DESERVES MEDAL “FOR COMBAT MERITS”
COMMANDER OF 113 LONG RANGE AVIATION DIVISION COLONEL signature /OCHERETNY/

COMMISSAR OF 113 LONG RANGE AVIATION DIVISION REG. COMM. signature /BOYARSKY/ 26 September 1942


III. Conclusion of Army Military Council

HE IS DESERVES MEDAL “FOR COMBAT MERITS”
On behalf of COMMANDER OF LONG RANGE AVIATION CORPS LT. GENERAL OF AIRFORCE signature /GOLOVANOV/
MILITARY COUNCIL MEMBER OF LONG RANGE AVIATION CORPS DIVISIONAL COMMISSAR signature /GURIANOV/ 30-November-1942

[David]

Register card, citation and temporary award certificate.

[David]

Csm 143.741

[David]

In 1945 he received the Order of the Red Star. Which I don't own, unfortunately. This translation was done by me, patiently. I hope I didn't make too many mistakes.


"He came to the regiment in July 1944. During that period he developed his work as an aeronautical weapons technician, he proved to be a capable and competent specialist. It has participated in the Patriotic War since 1941. It served in 512 sorties, and after the last award it served 237 more sorties.
For his excellent service in combat missions, he was awarded the Combat Service Medal in 1943.
During his service in the Caucasus and on the Stalingrad Front, he is awarded the Medal for the Defense of Stalingrad. And for his service on the Karelian front he is awarded the Medal For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic.
He is disciplined with his subordinates. It is dedicated to the cause of the Party of Lenin and Stalin and the socialist homeland. He deserves the Order of the Red Star."

[David]

I would like to ask for help with the 836 long range bomber aviation regiment. I have found some things, but all in Russian.


Regimental commanders

Major Ivan Ivanovich Avtonomov 04.42 - ?
Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Ivanovich Pobochin ? - 08.24.43
Major Ivan Semenovich Bukhanovsky
Major, Lieutenant Colonel Pavel Mironovich Nikiforov 02.44 - 05.45

They were equipped with Il-4 bombers. They operated on the Stalingrad and Karelia front lines. He also participated in the war with Japan with an air base in Mongolia.

I found the 836 personnel roster in 1943. It appears at 216 on the list :
216. Техник вооружения Мл. лейтенант Мельников Гавриил Павлович

836-й бомбардировочный авиационный полк


Berezin BT machine gun :

[Leaftree]

David,

Excellent post. We tend to forget those that toiled in the rear to keep the front line forces going.

Have you tried using Google translate for the Russian web sites?

I plug the english spelling of a unit into Google translate to get the Russian spelling, then I take the Russian spelling and put it into Yandex.ru, take those results and plug them back into Google translate to get the english translation.

[David]

Yes, I use the translator and then I google it. But what you say about Yandex.ru, I have never done. Thank you !