Russia – Soviet: A fine Aviation signaller’s PO-2 biplane pilot’s Order of the Red Banner awarded to Lieutenant Alexander Nikolaevich Vashev, 569th Separate Signals Aviation Squadron, 3rd Shock Army for his role in delivering 26,000 envelopes and 48 signalling officers to their destinations. On one mission on 14th February 1945 his biplane was subject to enemy machine-gun fire, descending to treetop level and using the forest as cover he made it back to friendly lines, albeit with 12 bullet holes in his aircraft.
Order of the Red Banner, type 3, variation 2, numbered 202829
Condition: Good very fine
Aleksander Nikolaevich Vashev was born in the village of Vasil’ki, Ovinischevsky district, Kalinin in 1916, and having attained a secondary education he joined the Red Army in April 1934 and served from the first day of the war of the Great Patriotic War.
Serving as a Pilot with the 569th Separate Signals Aviation Squadron of the 3rd Shock Army, he was to receive several combat awards during the war. The first of these was an Order of the Red Star by Order of the 9th Guards Bomber Aviation Division on 6th November 1944, this was followed by an Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class by Order of the 16th Airforce on 4th February 1945 and then by this Order of the Red Banner issued to him on 30th March 1945:
‘During the period of the winter operations, comrade Vashev has conducted 193 sorties with the purpose of establishing the operation co-ordination to the units on the Polish and the German soil. He successfully delivered 26000 envelopes with the secret correspondence and 48 signalling officers to their assignment destinations. He exhibited courage and bravery during these missions. For example: On 14th February 1945, comrade Vashev in the formation of two PO-2 aircraft executed a combat mission for operational signalling towards the HQ of 7 Rifle Corps. In the area north of the town Schniedemuhl, their aircraft were suddenly objected to enemy machine-gun fire from the forest area on the ground. One of our aircraft was shot down, but comrade Vashev managed to escape. Skilfully utilising manoeuvre, he descended behind the cover of the trees and successfully returned to his airfield. After having informed the command about the enemy force, which broke out of Schniedemuhl, he went again for the mission for delivering the information to the HQ of 7th Rifle Corps, which he successfully fulfilled and thus established the needed connection. His aircraft received 12 bullet holes.
At present, comrade Vashev is on active duty and continues his assignments faithfully and fearlessly. Flying over the German territory, his aircraft is subjected to enemy fire from the ground. He is seasoned pilot, always executes he signalling missions in time and delivers combat orders to the units.
He is worthy of the award – Order of the Red Banner’
Vashev went on to be awarded a Medal for Combat Merits for 10 years long service on 6th November 1945, after the war he was working at the Special trading school of the Dzerzhinsky district, Leningrad whilst a resident of Apartment 14, house number 426, Vasilievsky Ostrov, Leningrad.
Aviation signallers such as Vashev flew in small bi-planes such as the PO-2 at very low level and often at night. Extremely easy to hit with ground fire with a cruise speed of just 68mph these aircraft were very dangerous to fly and casualties amongst their crews were extremely high. Between 20,000 and 30,000 were manufactured and besides Aviation signals units were flown by high profile units such as the all-female night bombing squadron called ‘Night-witches.’
