Russia – Soviet: A Romanian Offensive Order of the Red Star awarded to Senior Lieutenant Ivan Filippovich Kachur, 2nd Assistant Chief of Staff for Reconnaissance, 117th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment, 7th ‘Nikopol’ Red Banner Independent Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for correcting the batteries fire and allowing the successful breaching of the enemy’s defences and then pursuing the retreating enemy, he later also was involved in the uncovering of guns and troops via reconnaissance work. He would serve on the southern sector of the Eastern Front until the end of the war, later taking part in the Liberation of Belgrade as well as in the capture of both Budapest and Vienna.
Order of the Red Star, the reverse numbered 767887
Condition: Good Very Fine
Ivan Filippovich Kachur was born in the village of Lomachintsy, Vinkovetsky District, Khmelnitsky Oblast in 1922. A Ukrainian national he attained a middle school education he joined the Red Army in November 1940 and would become a candidate for membership in the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks in 1942. He would initially see service on the Southwestern Front from February to August 1942, before moving to the Northwestern Front and fighting there until October 1943. He would later see service in the recapture of Ukraine and the Crimea with both the 4th and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts, suffering burns on 29th January 1944.
This Order of the Red Star would be Kachur’s first award for gallantry being issued to him by decree of the Commander of Artillery of the 3rd Ukrainian Front on 18th September 1944. Awarded as a Senior Lieutenant, 2nd Assistant Chief of Staff for Reconnaissance, 117th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment, 7th ‘Nikopol’ Red Banner Independent Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command the citation reads:
‘In battles to breach the defences in the area of the lower Dniester, encircle, and liquidate the enemy’s Chisinau grouping, he did a good job organising the reconnaissance service in the regiment.
On 20th August, breaching the enemy’s forward line in the area of Plop-Stiubei and Leontina, he advanced with two scouts, and following along with the infantry reconnaissance, gave targeting designations and corrected the batteries’ fire, thereby facilitating the regiment’s successful fulfilment of its mission to accompany our infantry and tanks in breaching the enemy’s defences and pursuing the retreating enemy. In subsequent battles to surround the enemy, he also successfully completed missions to reconnoiter the enemy and uncover the locations of their guns and troops.’
After the successful completion of the operations near Chisinau and in Moldova, Kachur would go on to see action during the Liberation of Belgrade in October 1944, the Capture of Budapest in February 1945 and finally the Capture of Vienna in April 1945 as the Red Army successfully rolled up the German forces in the Balkans and advanced into Austria before the end of the war.
He would go on to receive a second Order of the Red Star on 17th May 1945 by decree of the Commander of Artillery of the 4th Army as well as the Medal for the Victory over Germany. Continuing to serve after the war he would receive the Medal for the 30th Anniversary of the Red Army and Navy in 1948 and then a Medal for Combat Merits for 10 years long service on 17th May 1951, before finally receiving his third order of the Red Star for 15 years long service on 30th December 1956.
In March 1957 he was working as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Mobilisation in the 378th Artillery Regiment, 6th Rifle Division.
