Russia - Soviet: An interesting Long Service Award of the Order of the Red Star to ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ Major General of Aviation E.G. Turenko, decorated for his role as a fighter pilot in the 1939-40 Winter War against Finland where he flew in 35 sorties against enemy troops. He would later go on to see service near Leningrad during the first year of the war against Germany, before later seeing action against Japan in the Manchurian Offensive of August 1945.
Order of the Red Star, reverse numbered 967479
Condition: Good Very Fine
Evgeny Georgievich Turenko was born in the village of Saltykovo, Starosokolsky District, Belgorod Region on 13th December 1905 into a peasant family. A Ukrainian, he graduated from an elementary school before working on a collective farm.
Drafted into the Red Army in 1926, he graduated from the Leningrad Military-Theoretical Pilot School, and in 1928 from the Higher Military Pilot School. He became a member of the Communist Party in 1931, and in 1933 he graduated from the advanced training courses for command personnel at the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy.
He participated in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-40 as the Commander of the 7th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 59th Fighter Aviation Brigade of the Air Force of the 7th Army of the North-Western Front. By March 1940, had had made 35 sorties to destroy enemy troops. He was awarded the Title of Hero of the Soviet Union by the Supreme Soviet on March 21st 1940.
In May 1940, Turenko was appointed head of the Borisoglebsk Red Banner Military Aviation School of Pilots named after V.P. Chkalov.
On June 18, 1941, Colonel Turenko was appointed commander of the 59th Air Defence Figher Division, The formation of the division began shortly before the war – in the capital of Belarus, the city of Minsk. The manning of the formation was 70-80% and there was no equipment at all.
A few days after the start of the Great Patriotic War , Minsk was captured by the enemy, so it was decided to send the ‘horseless’ 59th Fighter Aviation Division for further formation and staffing deep into the country.
On September 3, 1941, on the basis of the 59th Air Defence Fighter Aviation Division, the 3rd Reserve Aviation Group was formed, and Colonel Turenko was appointed commander of the 2nd Reserve Air Group of the Leningrad Front. This air group was formed on August 18, 1941 on the basis of the 56th Fighter Aviation Division. At first, the pilots of the air group operated on the Volkhov and Bryansk fronts, and in May-June 1942 on the Leningrad Front. In August 1942, the 2nd Reserve Air Group was transformed into the 278th Fighter Aviation Divisoin.
From September 17, 1942 until September 3, 1945, Colonel Turenko commanded the 246th Fighter Aviation Division of the 12th Air Army of the Trans-Baikal Front. The Division was stationed in Mongolia.
Since August 15, 1945, the 246th Fighter Aviation Division took part in the Soviet-Japanese war. There was no enemy resistance in the air, so the fighters were mainly engaged in attacking Japanese troops and reconnaissance.
In August 1945, the division was named Mukdenskaya for distinctions in battles during the Khingano-Mukden operation. 8th September 1945 Colonel E.G. Turenko was awarded the Military rank of Major General of Aviation, he continued in this role within the air force of the USSR until 1951, when he moved into the reserve. He lived in the city of Petrozavodsk in the Karelian region. Died on October 24, 1963 he was buried in the Peski Cemetery at Petrozavodsk.
He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, two Order of the Red Banner, the Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class, this Order of the Red Star and other medals.
