Award Document for the Defense of Caucasus Medal, Series Kh # 019728, issued on 28 April 1945 to Lieutenant Varfolomey Gorbachev (Варфоломей Матвеевич Горбачев), Mortar Platoon Commander and previously, communications officers of the 807th Rifle Regiment, 304th Rifle Division.
Measures approx. 5˝" x 8". Shows an ink stamp of the 807th Rifle Regiment and is hand-signed by the Regiment Commander Col. Vladimir Dvali.
In very good to excellent condition, far better than typical for the award certificates of its type. As is practically always the case, the document has been folded in four for storage but unlike most, has not developed any separations along the fold lines; nor does it have any tears or wear to the edges. There are a couple of stains to the verso; one of them has transferred to the front but left only a minimal smear not affecting the
Measures approx. 5˝" x 8". Shows an ink stamp of the 807th Rifle Regiment and is hand-signed by the Regiment Commander Col. Vladimir Dvali.
In very good to excellent condition, far better than typical for the award certificates of its type. As is practically always the case, the document has been folded in four for storage but unlike most, has not developed any separations along the fold lines; nor does it have any tears or wear to the edges. There are a couple of stains to the verso; one of them has transferred to the front but left only a minimal smear not affecting the text or the artwork. The document is otherwise very clean, free of soiling or fingerprints. The hand-written entries and stamp are perfectly clear and completely legible.
According to the Russian archival websites, Varfalamey Gorbachev was born in 1904. He was probably a native or resident of the Krasnodar (Kuban Cossack) region, judging by the fact that he was drafted to military service there in August 1941. After serving in combat from December 1941 - February 1942, Gorbachev was away from the front for a year, probably while attending an officer school.
Gorbachev returned to the front in middle of January 1943 with the rank of junior lieutenant and was appointed to one of the rifle battalions of the 43rd Separate Rifle Brigade, 9th Army, Transcaucasian Front, as a liaison officer of the brigade's HQ. During the pursuit of the Germans retreating from the Caucasus in February - March 1943, he took place in repelling many enemy counterattacks. On 30 March 1943, he participated in his battalion's infantry assault that resulted in the capture of the village of Anastasievskya in the Kuban Region, a part of the infamous German Blue Line (note that there is a typo in the subsequent award commendation, showing the date of 30-4-1941, whereas in fact the village was liberated on March 30th, not April 30th). During the battle for Anastasievskya - which turned out to be extremely bloody - Gorbachev at severe risk to his own life pulled a seriously wounded Soviet colonel from the field of fire. For these feats, Gorbachev was awarded with his first decoration of the war, the "humble" Medal for Valor.
Later, while serving in the capacity of a liaison for the HQ, 304th Rifle Division, Gorbachev also earned two Orders of the Red Star, the last of them in March 1945 during the offensive in Upper Silesia and the storming of the city of Ratibor (now known as Racibórz, Poland). At the end of the war, Gorbachev had the rank of lieutenant and position of a mortar platoon commander with the 807th Rifle Regiment, 304th Rifle Division.
Research Materials: photocopy of the award commendations for the Medal for Valor and two Orders of the Red Star.
$85.00 Add to cart