Russia - Soviet: A good Carpathian Mountains Operations Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Captain of the Medical Service Valiko Zinovevich Dzhobava, Commander of the Medical-Sanitary Battalion, 53rd ‘Novoukrainsky’ Rifle Division for rendering first aid to wounded soldiers in the Carpathian Mountains and then later along with personnel of the Medical-Sanitary Battalion defended against enemy saboteur groups destroying up to 40 Fritzes and captured another 20.
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, type 2, reverse numbered 260995
Condition: Good Very Fine
Valiko Zinovevich Dzhobava was born in the city of Ochamchire, Abkhazia in 1920. Having attained a higher education he served in the Red Army from 1941 and initially on the Stalingrad Front from August 1942 where with his unit he took part in the Defence of the city and then the encirclement of the German forces within it, being awarded an Order of the Red Star on the 2nd December 1942 as well as a Medal for the defence of the city. This Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class would be awarded to him by decree of the 7th Guards Army, 2nd Ukrainian Front on 10th October 1944, with the award being issued to him alongside a temporary certificate whilst in the field in January 1945. At the time of the award Dzhobava was serving as a Captain of the Medical Service and Commander of the Medical Sanitary Battalion, 53rd ‘Novoukrainsky’ Rifle Division. It was granted as a result of the following recommendation:
‘During offensive battles since 20.08.1944, Comrade Dzhobava did well organising the work of the medical-sanitary battalion in the roadless conditions of the Carpathian Mountains.
Situated in immediate proximity to the front lines, he rendered expert aid to the wounded. He skilfully organised transport of wounded across the Carpathians to hospitals.
During the Medical-Sanitary Battalion’s deployment in the Carpathians, enemy saboteur groups that had broken out of the Chisinau group of forces attacked the battalion several times, as a result of repeated battles the personnel of the Medical-Sanitary Battalion under the leadership of Comrade Dzhobava destroyed up to 40 Fritzes and captured 20.
He deserves the Government award of the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class.’
Surviving the war he would go on to receive a Medal for the Victory over Germany, as well as a 1985 Jubilee award of the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class issued to him by the Peoples Republic of Bulgaria and presented to him in Moscow on 4th July 1985.
