Russia – Soviet: A catch-up Vistula-Oder offensive Order of the Red Star group awarded to Junior Sergeant P.T. Gurin, Squad Leader, 1st Machine-Gun Company, 998th Rifle Regiment, 286th ‘Leningrad’ Rifle Division for destroying a German light machine-gun crew in the village of Shavrotno on 21st January 1945, he would then kill three retreating Germans from the remainder of the platoon. Gurin’s unit was one of those that would be involved in the liberation of Auschwitz Concentration Camp at the end of January 1945.
Russia – Soviet: Order of the Red Star, reverse numbered 3721188; Medal for the Defence of Leningrad; Medal for the Victory over Germany; Medal for 20 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War; Medal for the 50th Anniversary of the Armed Forces of the USSR. The last four mounted for wear.
Condition: the last four mounted for wear, Good Very Fine
Pavel Timofeyevich Gurin was born in the village of Varvarovka, Karlovka Raion, Poltava Oblast in 1918. A Ukrainian national he completed an elementary education before he joined the Red Army on 18th September 1939. He would take part in hostilities on the Western Front from September 1942 until October 1943 before he was slightly wounded on 21st October 1943, during this time he would have seen fighting in the area around Rzhev near Moscow and during the advance westwards via Orel towards Smolensk.
Upon his recovery, he would be posted to the Leningrad Front where he served from December 1943 until December 1944, likely taking part in the major operation that led to the relief of the city in January 1944 and then during the invasion and liberation of Finland during the summer of that year.
In December 1944 he transferred to the 1st Ukrainian Front which formed the southern half of the major Vistula-Oder offensive that began on 12th January 1945 and led to the liberation of Warsaw and the rapid westward advance across Poland that only halted on the Oder river, approximately 60 miles east of Berlin.
It was during this offensive, and whilst serving as a Junior Sergeant and Squad Leader in the 1st Machine-Gun Company, 998th Rifle Regiment, 286th Leningrad Rifle Division, 59th Army, 1st Ukrainian Front that he was decorated with the Order of the Red Star for the following citation:
‘While supporting the advance of a platoon of riflemen in combat near the village of Shavrotno on 21st January 1945, Junior Sergeant Gurin killed a German light machine-gun crew with his heavy machine gun and suppressed another two enemy firing positions, thus ensuring the success of the platoon’s attack. Subsequently, having proceeded forward, Gurin brought down heavy fire on the retreating remainders of the German platoon defending the village and killed three Hitlerites.’
Subsequently Gurin along with his unit would be involved in the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in late January 1945 and then in the final offensive of the war towards Prague.
He would be further decorated with the Medal for the Defence of Leningrad, which does not appear on his record card, however, it is not uncommon for these awards to be listed on separate award cards within the Russian archives. He also received a Medal for the Victory over Germany, a Medal for 20 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and a Medal for the 50th Anniversary of the Armed Forces of the USSR.
Judging by the number of the Order of the Red Star, this is one of many later ‘catch up’ awards given out. His record cards last entry is dated 18th October 1972 by the Military Commissar of the Karlovka Raion, and this is mostly likely the approximate date the award was given to the recipient.
