Russia – Soviet: An Artillery Telephone Operators Medal of Courage to Senior Sergeant Boris Karlovich Karklin, Leader of Signal Squad in the 483rd Army Mortar Regiment, 2nd Guards Army for repairing wires under fire enabling the artillery to accurately disperse a German counterattack.
Medal for Bravery, type 2, variation 1, numbered 1374990
Condition: Red enamel missing from lettering on obverse, pitting, Very fine
Boris Karlovich Karklin was born in the city of Konstantinovka, Konstantinovka Raion, Stalin Oblast during 1925. He joined the Red Army in September 1943, and became a member of the Komsomol in 1944. This Medal for Bravery awarded whilst serving as a Leader of a signal squad in the 483rd Army Mortar Regiment, 2nd Guards Army, was awarded to him by Order of the 483rd Army Mortar Regiment on 21st August 1944 with the following citation:
‘Telephone operator in the 1st Battery of the 1st Battalion, Private Boris Karlovich Karklin, for the fact during the fighting near Deiva and Podvornika on August 17, 1944, while located at the battery’s observation point amid the infantry’s combat formations, quickly provided clear artillery corrections to the battery of the commander of the headquarters platoon. The enemy then counterattacked. An infiltrating group of submachine gunners started to cut behind the observation point. At this moment the communications were broken. Risking his life, comrade Karklin repaired five breaks at a distance of 200 metres from the enemy under machine gun, artillery, and mortar fire. Fire was opened in time and the counterattack was repulsed.’
After this award Karklin was to receive an Order of Glory 3rd Class on 30th March 1945 by Order of the 2nd Guards Army.
Continuing to serve in the same unit Karklin was later awarded the Order of Glory 3rd Class by Order of the 2nd Guards Army on 30th March 1945, his unit being involved at that time in the drive towards and capture of the city of Konigsberg in East Prussia, for which he was later awarded.
Karklin’s final award was an unnumbered Medal for Combat Merit awarded to him for 10 years long service on 30th April 1954, his home address was given as 110 Kirov Street in the city of Brest.
