Russia – Soviet: A fine ‘SMERSH’ operative Order of the Red Star awarded to Guards Sergeant A.I. Utkin, Assistant Platoon Commander, Department of Counterintelligence ‘SMERSH’, 96th ‘Ilovaisk’ Guards Order of Lenin, Red Banner Division who having fought from the beginning of the war was wounded on 11th July 1941, and then would take part in both the Defence of Moscow and the Defence of Leningrad, receiving a Medal for Combat Merits most likely for some role in the capture of Stalingrad he would go on to receive this Order of the Red Star for capturing two important criminals during the fighting in East Prussia on 29th March 1945, taking part in the Capture of Konigsberg and the Capture of Berlin he would survive the war.
Order of the Red Star, type 6, with straight 9mm mint mark, made by MMD in 1945-46, reverse numbered 2572925.
Condition: Good Very Fine
Aleksandr Ivanovich Utkin was born in the village of Kulikovskaya, Shenkursky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast during 1916. A Russian national he attained an elementary education before serving with the Red Army from October 1939.
Utkin had served from the opening days of the conflict being wounded on 11th July 1941 and going on to see action in both the Defence of Moscow in the autumn and early winter of 1941 and In the Defence of Stalingrad in late 1942, he would be decorated with a Medal for Combat Merits by decree of the 258th Rifle Division on 30th April 1943, although it is unconfirmed what this award was for, a large number of non-frontline combat decorations were still being awarded for Stalingrad and the immediate aftermath around this time.
Serving throughout the war, he would be awarded this Order of the Red Star by Order of the 96th Guards Rifle Division on 3rd April 1945 whilst serving as a Guards Sergeant and Assistant Platoon Commander, Department of Counterintelligence ‘SMERSH’, 96th ‘Ilovaisk’ Guards Order of Lenin, Red Banner Division as a result of the following citation:
‘Comrade Utkin, on the front of the Patriotic War since the month of June 1941 and presently a Red Army Soldier of the Department of Counterintelligence ‘SMERSH’ Platoon, has excellently fulfilled all assigned special tasks, displaying therein vigilance and courage.
As a Red Army soldier of the platoon, and later assistant platoon commander, Comrade Utkin, commanding patrol groups, effected the detainment of a number of dubious persons and service members who had deserted from the Red Army with the goal of evading the performance of military service.
During the period of the battles in Eastern Prussia, in part in the area of the settlement of Balga, on 29.03.1945, a group of persons, who turned out to be important state criminals, were uncovered and detained by Comrade Utkin, together with two soldiers from the platoon.’
Utkin would take part in both the Capture of Konigsberg and the Capture of Berlin during the final weeks of the war receiving both the relevant medals. He would also be awarded a Medal for the Victory over Germany.
By December 1946 he had been discharged and was working as a representative of the Ustyug Co-operatives Stores, Shenkursky District, whilst living in the village of Kulikovskaya.
