Russia – Soviet: An excellent fighting Order of the Red Star awarded to Master Sergeant Boris Yefimovich Tsapko, an Assistant Platoon Leader in the 9th Rifle Company, 1369th Rifle Regiment for his part in repulsing a German infiltration whilst shouting ‘For the Motherland’, ‘For Stalin’, ‘Eagles, crush those rats’, this led to the death of 8 German soldiers and the routing of the rest. Subsequently he was to be first into the enemy trenches during an assault a month later which led to the death of 7 further German soldiers.
Order of the Red Star, type 2, without screwpost plate and with flared edges, numbered 1717684
Condition: Good very fine
Vasily Ivanovich Tsapko was born in the village of Yemelyanovka, Seitler Raion in the Crimea in 1912. Having attained a secondary education he was to service in the Red Army between 1934 and 1938 and again from the outbreak of the war in 1941. Serving as an Assistant Platoon Leader in the 9th Rifle Company, 1369th Rifle Regiment he was to receive his first award, a Medal for Combat Merit by Order of the 1369th Rifle Regiment on 5th August 1944, this possibly as a result of actions in the Crimea earlier in the year.
Tsapko would go on to receive this award of the Order of the Red Star by Order of the 417th Sivash Red Banner Rifle Division on 10th March 1945 on the back of the following citation:
‘Between January 21 and 30, 1945, during the regiment’s offensive operations, comrade Tsapko showed examples of true bravery, steadfastness, gumption and fearlessness.
On January 29, 1945, at a time when German infantry was penetrating our lines at the boundary between the 7th Rifle company and the neighbouring regiment, comrade Tsapko and a group of 6 men plunged into battle, shouting ‘For the motherland’, ‘For Stalin’ and ‘Eagles, crush those rats’, in order to repel the Germany infantry. Firing their submachine-guns they killed 8 German soldiers, while the others were routed.
On February 21, 1945, during an offensive near Paplaka train station, comrade Tsapko inspired his squad’s men through his personal bravery and fearlessness to perform heroic deeds. He was among the first to rush into the enemy trenches and during the trench fighting he and his squad killed 7 German soldiers.
During this engagement our fearless commander suffered a contusion, but he refused to leave the battlefield until the operation had been finished.
For his glorious feats of valour, bravery, and fearlessness, comrade Tsapko deserves the Order oF the Red Star.’
Signed by the Commander of the 1369th Rifle Regiment, Major Karas.
This was Tsapko’s final award of the war, after which he would work as a Director of Household Plots, Sanatoriums Directorate, People’s Commissariat of Construction, at the time he was living a 2 Apartment 6, Raia Street, City of Sloka in Riga Oblast, Latvia.
