Russia - Soviet: A Battle of Kursk Medal for Merits and Battle of Berlin Order of the Red Banner group of 10 awarded to Captain Leonid Andreyanovich Teryaev, Captain and Head of the 1st Section of the Headquarters of the 132nd Rifle Division who was decoration with a Medal for Combat Merits for his service during the Battle of Kursk where his diligent work had allowed Commanders to draw up effective plans against multiple enemy thrusts. He would go on to fight in Ukraine being decorated during the fighting to cross the Dnieper and in the fighting in western Ukraine and Eastern Poland. Taking part in the Liberation of Warsaw in January 1945, he would also participate in the wars climactic battle in Berlin, being decorated with an Order of the Red Banner where being consistently present on the frontline he would assist in the realisation of his commanders battle plans allowing them to achieve all of their combat objectives in the first phase of the Battle for Berlin.
Order of the Red Banner, the reverse numbered 243309
Order of the Red Banner, the reverse numbered 429237
Medal for Combat Merits, the reverse numbered 386243
Medal for Combat Merits, the reverse numbered 1447130
Medal for Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War
Medal for the Capture of Berlin
Medal for the 20th Anniversary of Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War
Jubilee Medal for 40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR
Jubilee Medal for 30 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR
Jubilee Medal for 50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR
Along with:
Award Document for the Medal for the Capture of Berlin
Award Document for the second Order of the Red Banner (issued in 1954)
Award Document for the Jubilee Medal for 40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR
Award Document for the Medal for 20 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Award Document for the Medal for 25 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (medal not present)
Award Document for the Jubilee Medal for 30 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (medal not present)
Award Document for the Jubilee Medal for 40 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (medal not present)
Leonid Andreyanovich Teryaev was born in 1916, a Russian national he served in the Red Army from October 1934 and in the Great Patriotic War from June 1941 seeing action on the Central, Ukrainian, Belarussian and 1st Belarussian Fronts. He would receive a wound in November 1941 most likely in the defensive actions during the defence of Smolensk or in the fighting between there and Moscow that would take place in the following months before the onset of winter.
Teryaev would be awarded his first Medal for Combat Merits by Order of the 132nd Rifle Division on 31st July 1943. At the time of the award he was acting as a Captain and Aide to the Head of the 1st Section, Headquarters of the 132nd Rifle Division, 70th Army, Central Front, the citation reading:
‘In the battles during the period 5-12th July 1943, Captain Teryaev’s diligent work assured that the Division Commanders were fully and timely informed on the enemy’s advance routes. His effort assisted the command in drawing effective combat decisions for defending against multiple enemy thrusts, while inflicting upon the enemy extensive losses in both the personnel and equipment.’
He would next be awarded an Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class on 15th March 1944 for his fighting in late 1943 and early 1944 in the Chernigov-Pripyat operation and other battles along the Dnieper with 132nd Rifle Divisoin, 65th Army.
He would go on to Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class on 8th August 1944 whilst serving with 132nd Rifle Division with the 47th Army, this for actions during the fighting in western Ukraine and the subsequent advance towards the Vistula.
His second Medal for Combat Merits would be awarded to him for 10 years long service on 3rd November 1944, the first such mass issue of these awards.
During 1945 as part of the 1st Belarussian Front his unit would take part in the Vistula-Oder offensive which would include the Liberation of Warsaw in January 1945, the city decimated as a result of the uprising by the Polish underground and subsequent German reprisals between August and October 1944. From here Teryaev’s Division would advance to the Oder.
Taking part in the Berlin Operation,Teryaev would be awarded his first Order of the Red Banner by Decree of the 47th Army on 18th May 1945. At the time of the award he was serving as a Captain and Head of the 1st Section, Headquarters of the 132nd Rifle Division, the citation for the award reading:
‘In the period of the offensive operations from the river Oder and until the outskirts of Berlin, comrade Teryaev efficiently developed operative plans for the offensive operations of the division, especially emphasising the combined arms doctrine.
Being present right on the forward combat line, he persistently ensured practical realisation of all the combat plans of the division commanders. He also organised prompt and effective line of feedback information, keeping the division commanders fully informed of the situation on the ground. This allowed the divisional commanders to draw effective combat decisions and thus achieve all the combat objectives in the first phase of the Battle for Berlin.’
Surviving the war, Teryaev would be awarded the Medal for the Capture of Berlin, an Order of the Red Star for 15 years long service in 1950 and a second Order of the Red Banner for 20 years service in 1954.
