Russia – Soviet: A particularly interesting Stalingrad and Berlin veteran’s long service Order of the Red Banner awarded to Major Vasilij Nesterovich Globa, Squadron Chief Signals Officer, of the 155th Guards Artillery Regiment, 7th Separate Guards Rifle Brigade who received a number of other decorations for bravery including a Medal for Combat Merits for the fighting on Mamayev Kurgan in the defensive fighting at Stalingrad and an Order for the Patriotic War 1st Class for the final days of the street fighting in Berlin whilst serving with the 8th Guards Army.
Order of the Red Banner, numbered 397798
Condition: Good very fine
Vasilij Nesterovich Globa was born in Poltava in 1911, a Ukrainian, having attained an elementary education he joined the Red Army in September 1933, and served uninterruptedly until at least 1953, this would include the time of the purges of the Officer corps of the Red Army that began in 1937 and to varying degrees continued until the outbreak of the war against Germany in 1941.
Globa was an extremely well decorated officer winning a whole host of awards during the conflict, whilst serving with the famous 62nd and later 8th Guards Army, which fought its way from the centre of Stalingrad to the Centre of Berlin.
The first of Globa’s decoration was bestowed upon him by Order of the 62nd Army on 3rd February 1943 whilst serving as a Lieutenant and as the Commander of 278th Separate Wire Signals Company, it was as a result of the following citation:
‘Lieutenant Globa is the commander of the wire signals company attached to the (62nd) Army Command. He participated very actively in the (62nd) Army operation in the defence of Stalingrad City.
Even in the most dire circumstances, the company performed efficiently delivering signalling capabilities on different sectors of operations of the army. Personally comrade Globa properly organised and executed the command of his company. At the most difficult times, he himself went to the most dangerous sectors and with his personal example of courage and bravery led his men into the action. Comrade Globa deserves a special praise for his actions near the hill 102,0 and the ravine of the river Tsaritsa in October-November (1942).’
Hill 102,0 was the military designation for ‘Mamayev Kurgan’ the infamous Tatar burial mound that overlooked the whole city. The fighting on the slopes of the hill alternated back and forth for the duration of the battle as both sides looked to gain the advantage that the views the height provided. The Germans initially captured the hill on 14th September during its first attack on the city proper, but it was retaken by the 13th Guards Rifle Division commanded by later Colonel General Rodimtsev who had crossed the Volga that same night, and in a ferocious assault that led to the deaths of almost the entire 10,000 men in its ranks, recaptured the city on the night of the 16th. Launching up to 12 attacks a day, the Germans eventually captured half the hill on 27th September, but the Red Army’s 284th Rifle Division under enormous pressure held onto the key position until it was relieved by advancing forces on 26th January 1943. The hill is now the site of the ‘Motherland Calls’ memorial to the defenders of Stalingrad.
After Stalingrad the 62nd Army was rewarded for his heroic defence by being granted the title ‘8th Guards Army’ and Globa was to fight as part of this formation for the rest of the war.
In succession he was awarded an Order of the Red Star by Order of the 8th Guards Army on 8th January 1944, an Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class by Order of the 8th Guards Army on 6th April 1944, a Medal for Combat Merits for 10 years long service on 3rd November 1944, and an Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 3rd Class by Order of the 1st Belarussian Front on 5th March 1945.
Globa’s final award of the conflict was an Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class, awarded to him as a Captain, and still Commander of the 278th Separate Wire Signals Company by Order of the 8th Guards Army on 9th June 1945. This award for the fighting in Berlin was as a result of the following citation:
‘The head of the signals of the 8th Guards Army comrade Globa has assured reliable signalling capability during the course of the whole operation from 16th April to 2nd May 1945.
The army wired signalling network was being constructed immediately following the advancing combat units and assured reliable communication to the mobile positions of the headquarters and the observation posts of the corps Command. In the ferocious engagement in Berlin on 27th April, when the wire lines were severed by the enemy fire, comrade Globa personally with a group of enlisted men repaired the lines in the field, and thus provided uninterrupted signalling capability towards the army Commander’s HQ
For ensuring uninterrupted signalling capability and exhibited courage in battle, he deserves to be bestowed with the order ‘Patriotic War 1st Class’.
27th April saw 28th Guards Rifle Corps capture the key Tempelhof airfield in the south of city, the last way out of the city for the Third Reich’s elite.
During the war Globa had taken part in the defence of Stalingrad, the liberation of Warsaw and the capture of Berlin receiving the relevant medals for the these battles, he was also to receive the Medal for the Victory over Germany.
This Order of the Red Banner was awarded to Globa for 20 years long service in the Red Army in November 1953. An interesting award to an officer who had been one of the small number of individuals who had seen service in the centre of Stalingrad and then survived long enough to also see fighting in the streets of Berlin.
Globa was still serving in the Red Army in February 1954 at the time of his final award, as the Regimental Chief signals Officer, 165th Guards Rifle Regiment, he was living at apartment 25, 161 Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, in the town of Belaya Tserkov.
