Russia – Soviet: An excellent Vistula-Oder Offensive Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class to Reserve Private First Class Ivan Ivanovich Belov, a Gun layer in the 75th Guards Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment, 12th Guards Tank Corps, 2nd Tank Army, 1st Belarussian Front for his role in shooting down two German aircraft.
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, type 2, flatback reverse, numbered 702313
Condition: Good very fine
Ivan Ivanovich Belov was born in the village of Nikolayevsk, Oslipsky Raion, Leningrad Oblast in 1906, and served with the Red Army from September 1941 until October 1945
Belov served with 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts between January and June 1944, before transferring to the 1st Belarussian Front, where he was to receive his first award, an Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class by Order of 16th Tank Corps on 15th August 1944, with whom he had been involved in the advance to the Vistula in the Warsaw area.
Belov’s second award, this Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class came in April 1945, whilst serving as a Gun layer in the 75th Guards Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment, 12th Guards Tank Corps, 2nd Tank Army, 1st Belarussian Front. The citation for this award was as follows:
‘Between January 14 and March 10, 1945, during the fighting with the German invaders, gun layer Guards Private First Class Belov and his fellow crew members shot down 2 enemy aircraft. For his bravery, courage, and military skill he deserves the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class.’
Signed by the Commander of the 75th D_blin Order of Kutozov Guards Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment, Guards Major Mytsik.
Nothing further is known of Belov’s service, but by 8th March 1947 he was employed as a Woodworker at Factory nr.272 and living at Apartment 44, 10 Ferzin Street in the city of Leningrad.
