My Wife’s Grandfathers history in Red Army

[Woolgar]

Only this week my wife’s mother discovered her father served in the Red Army 1942-45 and was the recipient of Medal of Courage and the Defence of the Siege of Leningrad awards.
He was Ukrainian and his name was Cherapan Stepan Iosifovich.
My mother in law obtained the attached documents in Russia where she lives which we still need to translate, however it appears he served with 51 Canon Artillery Regiment ( if my translation is correct)
As you will see from the map in 1944 he ended up fighting on an island off Estonia.
I believe he was wounded too.
Sadly we are unable to locate the medals.
The only thing I can’t understand I’d how he was awarded the Defence of Leningrad medal as there is no evidence to say he served around the Leningrad region.
If anyone could help I would be most grateful. Sorry about the poor standard of photos but they will expand if you double click on each one.
Once translated I will add to the post.
Regards
Nick

[Marcel Banziger]

Perhaps you can get the Record card from the archives and with that know the Bravery medal's serial number. Who knows it shows up at Ebay or a dealers website. I don't mind to help to keep an eye out on that Bravery medal to see if it shows up somewhere.

[Woolgar]

Thanks Marcel much appreciated.
Yes I will try and obtain the record card

Nick

[Woolgar]

Translated one page of the documents…..

‘August 24 1942. Whilst in the 437th Rifle Regiment in the Smolensk region in an offensive battle with fire from personal weapons , he disabled five enemy soldiers and when capturing the trenches, using grenades, destroyed up to eight Nazis in hand to hand combat. He received shrapnel wounds in the ensuing battle.

November 22-23 1944 during the cleansing of the Sorve peninsula (Estonia) in an area of continuous fire, he fixed eight breaks in the communications wire thereby ensuring continuity of communication and the ability to control fire which made it possible to neutralise three enemy artillery batteries in a timely manner and disperse two companies of enemy infantry counterattacks’.

[Marcel Banziger]

A brave man! Good to see you keeping the memory and his brave deeds alive by doing this research and sharing it here.

[Larry C]

Congratulations Nick on a great find