Russia – Soviet: A Vienna offensive Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Guards Red Army Soldier Viktor Tikhonovich Bakushev, a Scout in the Foot Reconnaissance Platoon of the 299th Guards Rifle Regiment, 99th Guards Rifle Division for his part bravery in in the battles for the Shtikler Hotel, a depot and in scale cliffs considered unassailable in the process of which he destroyed 2 enemy light machine guns. The following day acting with a group od scouts he captured prisoners, while capturing them, with fire from his submachine gun he killed 6 Germans.
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, flatback reverse, the reverse numbered 399611
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Viktor Tikhonovich Bakushev was born in 1925. A Russian national he joined the Komsomol and saw service on the Karelian Front from June 1944 until August 1944 having been wounded on 7th July 1944. After recuperation he would serve on the 3rd Ukrainian Front on 14th March 1945.
He would be awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class by decree of the 37th Rifle Corps on 6th May 1945. Issued to him whilst serving as a Guards Red Army Soldier and Scout in the Foot Reconnaissance Platoon of the 299th Guards Rifle Regiment the citation reads:
‘On 8 April 1945 in battles for the Shtikler Hotel, during the storming of the depot to the left of it, Comrade Bakushev displayed exceptional courage and initiative. He was one of the first to scale the cliffs, which had been considered unassailable, and with fire from his sub-machine gun destroyed 2 enemy light machine gun crews. On 9 April 1945, acting with a group of scouts to capture an identification prisoners, Guards Red Army Soldier Bakushev displayed exceptional resourcefulness and boldness. 2 enemy ID prisoners were captured. While capturing them, with fire from his submachine gun, Comrade Bakushev destroyed 6 Hitlerites.’
The decoration would be awarded to him in the field with a temporary certificate, which notes that the recipient was living in Leningrad. However, these temporary certificates offer limited personal information and we thus have no further information regarding his service or post-war life.
