Russia – Soviet: A Baltic Offensive Order of Glory 3rd Class awarded to Starshina Grigory Semyonovich Sidorov, Gun layer, 2nd Battery, 647th Artillery Regiment, 229th Rifle Division, 3rd Baltic Front who suppressed four enemy machine guns and a mortar battery during the attack on the village of Birzhkalen, Latvia on 18th September 1944.
Order of Glory 3rd Class, reverse numbered 112369
Condition: toned, Nearly Extremely Fine
Grigory Semyonovich Sidorov was born in the village of Tvozdovo, Ostashkovsky District, Kalinin Oblast in 1918. A Russian national, he attained an elementary education before later serving in the Red Army from September 1938 until April 1941 and then again from December 1941 onwards.
He took part in the Great Patriotic War from 6th December 1941 and subsequently served with the Stalingrad Front from 15th June until 27th September 1942. He then served from 12th February 1943 until 21st March 1944 with the Southern Front, and from 28th May 1944 with the 3rd Baltic Front.
Having been decorated with the Medal for Bravery by decree of the 647th Artillery Regiment on 13th August 1944, he would then be decorated with this Order of Glory 3rd Class by decree of the 229th Rifle Division on 21st September 1944 whilst serving as a Starshina and Gun-layer 2nd Battery, 647th Artillery Regiment, 229th Rifle Division, 3rd Baltic Front as a result of the following recommendation:
‘In battles with the German fascist invaders for the liberation of the Soviet Baltic, Starshina Sidorov displayed courage and bravery. On 18th September 1944 in battle in the area of the village of Birzhkalen, Latvia, situated with his crew on a direct line of fire from his gun. As a result, 4 enemy machine guns and a mortar battery were suppressed, and up to a platoon of enemy infantry was scattered.’
This action would have formed part of the Baltic offensives that initially split German Army Group North from the rest of the army in the east, and after a counter-offensive led to it’s encirclement along with elements of Army Group Centre on the Kurland peninsula in Latvia.
Surviving the war, Sidorov was decorated with a Medal for the Victory over Germany and was working as a tanner at the ‘Radishchev’ Tannery, whilst living on Vasilevsky Island, Leningrad.
