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Auction: 21002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 494

A Soviet Order of the Red Star awarded Guards Private First Class A. G. Shumilov, 9th Guards Airborne Division, who served as a messenger and showed exceptional courage at the beginning of the Vistula-Oder Offensive, killing four Germans when ambushed in a wood whilst delivering a message; earlier Shumilov had been twice wounded and had been part of the Defence of Prokhorovka during the Battle of Kursk, the scene of the largest Tank Battle in history

Russia, U.S.S.R., Order of the Red Star, Type 2, reverse officially numbered '2211845', good very fine

Andrei Grigoryevich Shumilov was born in the village of Yadrino, Yadrin Raion, Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1913. He was drafted by the Military Commissariat of the Yadrin Raion, Suvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and served from May 1943 onwards in the Red Army, initially serving with the Voronezh Front, he then served with the Steppe Front, 2nd Ukrainian Front and ended the War with the 1st Ukrainian Front.

Shumilov would have seen service initially in the Staraya Russa offensive of March 1943, before his unit was moved into the Reserve Forces. After this the Division was involved in the Battle of Kursk and particularly distinguished itself in the ferocious defence of the village of Prokhorovka, the scene of the largest armoured battle in warfare, when the 9th Airborne Division was part of the force that saw off the 1st SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Division. The Division then pushed forward in the Belgorod-Kharkov offensive during which time Shumilov was wounded in August 1943.

Subsequently the Division was involved in the crossing of the Dnieper in the area of Kremenchug and the ensuing Bridgehead battles, during the latter stages of the fighting here Shumilov was wounded again in November 1943.

During 1944 the 9th Airborne Division was again involved in heavy fighting, particularly during the summer months in the Sandomierz bridgehead at the Vistula River, the scene of numerous German counterattacks in an attempt to prevent the Red Army from forming a jumping off point on the Western Bank of the Vistula for further offensives into Poland and Germany.

Shumilov's first award was received in November 1944, a Medal for Combat Merit by Order of the 9th Guards Airborne Division, most likely for his part in a defensive action in the Sandomierz Bridgehead.

By January 1945 the 9th Guards Airborne Division took part in the Vistula-Oder Offensive, and it was for an action in the early days of this that Shumilov was awarded an Order of the Red Star by Order of 9th Guards Airborne Division, later on 25 May 1945:

'Serving as a messenger from the Training Company, comrade Shumilov showed exceptional bravery and courage on 12th January 1945, during the breakthrough of the heavily fortified enemy defences near Stopnica. In a timely manner he delivered all orders and instructions to not just his own units, but other units on the front line as well.

On the night of 12th January 1945, during a reconnaissance-in-force mission, the right flank of the 28th Guards Rifle Regiment had run into a minefield. It was imperative to send an urgent message to the divisional engineer informing him that the sector needed to be cleared of mines. Despite heavy enemy artillery and mortar fire comrade Shumilov handled this assignment splendidly. He quickly conveyed the instruction, thus ensuring that swift measures were taken to clear the minefield.

On 21st January 1945 the exact position of the 28th Guards Rifle Regiment, which acted as forward element, needed to be ascertained. Along with a signal officer, comrade Shumilov was dispatched for this purpose. They needed to travel at night. As he passed through the woods leading to Hermannstal, comrade Shumilov was attacked by an enemy outfit made up of troops from destroyed and defeated units. Comrade Shumilov kept a clear head, promptly opened fire at the enemy, killing 4 Germans, and accomplished his assignment on schedule.'

The 9th Guards Airborne Division would go on to fight in the Berlin Offensive as part of the 1st Ukrainian Front, while it didn't fight in the city itself, it was involved in the fighting around Dresden and on the southern wing of the offensive which protected the offensive against German counterattacks from forces further south.

After the war Shumilov was working as Chairman of Yadrino Rural Municipality, village of Yadrino, Yadrin Raion, Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic; sold together with citation and research, including english translation.


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Sold for
£160

Starting price
£110