Russia – Soviet: An interesting Long Service award of the Order of the Red Banner to Leningrad and Stalingrad veteran awarded to Colonel of the Reserves Ivan Timofeevich Sivers, Chief of the Operational Department of the Staff of the 101st ‘Lvov’ Rifle Corps, unusually for a long service award this carries a citation, Sivers received a less than glowing review, although it was noted he had performed well in his previous positions and thus was recommended for the Order of the Red Banner.
Order of the Red Banner, type 4 (rounded), reverse numbered 160508, replacement aluminium suspender
Condition: replacement aluminium suspender, enamel work in overall good order, Nearly Extremely Fine
Ivan Timofeevich Sivers was born in Leningrad in 1903 and having attained a middle school education would join the Red Army in October 1923 just after the cessation of the Russian Civil War.
Having survived the great purges of the late 1930s he would still be serving at the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War where he would take part in the defence of Karelia with the 71st Rifle Division. He would receive an Order of the Red Banner by decree of the Supreme Soviet on 16th January 1942 for gallantry in early September 1941 during the initial defence of Leningrad.
Sivers would later fight in the defence of Stalingrad, receiving the campaign medal and an Order of the Red Star by decree of the Central Front on 30th March 1943. During the initial stages of the fighting between June and November 1942 he had been employed as the Senior Assistant Chief of the Operational Department of the Staff of the 8th Reserve Army, subsequently the 66th Army, Stalingrad Front. In November 1942 he would be transferred and would then be employed as the Chief of Staff of the 24th ‘Berdichev-Samaro-Ulyanov’ Twice Red banner Order of Suvorov Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky ‘Iron’ Rifle Division.
From February to June 1944 he would be employed as the Chief of Staff of the 395th ‘Taman’ Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Rifle Division, 1st Ukrainian Front. Receiving a light wound he would be recuperating in the Army Hospital for the Lightly Wounded No.5289 from June to August 1944, when he would return to a front line unit, serving as the Chief of the Operational Department of the Staff of the 101st ‘Lvov’ Rifle Corps, 1st Ukrainian Front.
This Order of the Red Banner would awarded to Sivers by decree of the Supreme Soviet on 3rd November 1944 for 20 years long service. At the time of the award he was employed as the Chief of the Operational Department of the Staff of the 101st ‘Lvov’ Rifle Corps. Unusually for an Army Long Service award, a citation exists:
‘As of 7th November 1944, his length of service in the Red Army is 21 years, 1 month. During his time working in the position of the Chief of the Corps Operational Department, he has proven himself to be a staff officer lacking in initiative.
He is incapable of organising the work of the Operational Department in a practical manner. He does not manage his subordinate officers. He does not accomplish out the assignments delegated to him in a timely fashion, and he does not know how to organise officers to carry out the tasks. He is rarely among the troops. He constantly requires reminders in his work.
Considering that Comrade Sivers received positive reviews in his previous positions, on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 4 June 1944, Comrade Sivers, as someone who has served in the Red Army 21 years and 1 month, deserves awarding of the Order of the Red Banner.’
Sivers left the Red Army in March 1946 and was then unemployed due to illness, he was a resident of Apartment No.23, Gulyarnaya Street No. 17, city of Leningrad.
