Russia – Soviet: A Vienna Street-fighting Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Guards Senior Sergeant Vasily Ivanovich Yakimenko, Assistant Platoon Commander, 75th Guards Independent Signals Battalion, 1st Guards Mechanised Corps, 3rd Ukrainian Front. A veteran of the Defence of Moscow and the Capture of Budapest where he had won an Order of the Red Star, he would be decorated for his bravery in providing wire communications under enemy artillery and mortar fire in the city of Vienna between 8th April and 14th April 1945 as well as another similar act in Hungary on 8th March 1945.
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, flatback reverse, numbered 572956
Condition: Good Very Fine
Vasily Ivanovich Yakimenko was born in the village of Golovino, Chernyakovsky District, Zhitomir Oblast in 1921. A Ukrainian national he completed 5 grades of education before joining the Red Army, where he served from September 1940 until May 1946.
Yakimenko would see the majority of his service at the southern end of the Eastern Front, but initially had taken part in the Defence of Moscow, receiving the medal for the defence of the city. During the winter of 1942-1943 whilst the tide of the war was changing around Stalingrad and the Caucasus, Yakimenko would be attached to the 1st Guards Mechanised Corps as part of the Southwestern Front, and he would be awarded a Medal for Combat Merits by decree of the front on 19th January 1943.
It would be a further two years before Yakimenko would receive another award, this time an Order of the Red Star by decree of the 1st Mechanised Corps on 3rd February 1945, given the recipients entitlement to the Medal for the Capture of Budapest, the Red Star would likely have been for actions in and around the city, which had been encircled and been the site of several relief attempts by large German armoured formations during January 1945. Along with the rest of his unit, Yakimenko was involved in the advance across Hungary and onto Vienna after the defeat of the last significant German attack of the war around Lake Balaton in mid-March 1945.
Yakimenko’s final numbered award would be this Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class issued to him by decree of the 1st Guards Mechanised Corps on 8th June 1945. Issued to him whilst serving as a Guards Senior Sergeant and Assistant Platoon Commander, 75th Guards Independent Signals Battalion, the recommendation reads:
‘In battles against the German-Fascist invaders, he has displayed courage and fearlessness. Serving in the capacity of signals squad commander during the entire period of combat operations, at the head of his squad, he has excellently handled all assigned tasks to provide Command with communications.
On 8th March 1945 in the area of the manor house Heinrich (Fejer County, Hungary) under enemy artillery fire, Comrade Yakimenko laid a line to the observation point of the 18th Tank Regiment and supported it until the tank regiment accomplished its assigned mission.
In street battles for the city of Vienna from the 8th to the 14th April 1945, Comrade Yakimenko, under enemy artillery and mortar fire, during the entire duration of street fighting, scorning the danger to his life, provided wire communications for the Corps Commander with the 1st Guards Mechanised Brigade.
For exemplary fulfilment of missions from Command on the front of the struggle with the German invaders, displaying therein courage and bravery, he deserves the government award the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class.’
The recipient would go on to receive the Medal for the Capture of Vienna and the Medal for Victory over Germany in the Patriotic War later being discharged in May 1946.
He would subsequently live on Stalin Street, Poltava and work in the Poltava Machine-Tractor Section.
