Russia – Soviet: A good former Parachutists Order of Glory 3rd Class awarded to Guards Senior Sergeant S.F. Konenkov, 116th Guards Anti-Tank Artiller Battalion, 103rd Guards Rifle Regiment, who was parachuted behind enemy lines on 25th September until 29th November 1943 during which time he would be wounded near Cherkassy on 5th October 1943. He would go on to be decorated for his role in spotting and reporting of enemy firing positions near the town of Sarvar leading the destruction of 2 observation posts, 7 vehicles, 3 machine guns and 50 ‘Hitlerites’, 2 Mortar batteries were also suppressed.
Order of Glory, 3rd Class, type 2, the reverse numbered 332457
Condition: overall, Good Very Fine
Sergei Filippovich Konenkov was born in the city of Leningrad in 1923 and having completed 7 grades of education would join the Red Army in September 1941.
He is noted as having parachuted behind enemy lines from 25th September to 29th November 1943 whilst serving with 3rd Ukrainian Front and would be lightly wounded in the area of Cherkassy on 5th October 1943. He would then later serve with the 3rd Ukrainian Front from 15th March 1945. This Order of Glory 3rd Class appears to be Konenkov’s sole award, being issued to him by decree of the 103rd Rifle Division on 26th April 1945.
Serving at the time of the award as Guards Senior Sergeant and Reconnaissance Squad Commander, Headquarters Platoon, 116th Guards Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion, 103rd Guards Rifle Division the citation reads:
‘In battles in the area of Sarvar (Hungary), situated at the battalion observation post under intense enemy fire, Comrade Konenkov spotted enemy firing positions and gave timely report of their locations to the battery. As a result of this, 2 enemy observation posts were destroyed, 7 vehicles were set on fire, the fire of 2 mortar batteries was suppressed, 3 machine guns with their crews were destroyed and up to 50 Hitlerites were exterminated.’
By the time of the likely issue of the award on 30th October 1946 the recipient was employed as the Head of the Officers Club at the Headquarters of the Commandant of the City of Leningrad and was living on Stachek Prospekt 104, building 8, apartment 19, Leningrad.
The town of Sarvar is in northwest Hungary near the borders with Austria and Slovakia.
