Russia – Soviet: An Order of the Red Star awarded to Petty Officer of the Administrative Corps Leonid Petrovich Lyubivets, Clerk of the 4thSection of the Division Headquarters, 337thRifle ‘Lyubno’ Red Banner, Suvorov and Bogdan Khmelnitsky Divisions for his wartime service from the Caucasus Mountains to the Alps, including rescuing combat documentation for a temporarily occupied observation post, and assistant a gun crew in repelling enemy armour and infantry attacks.
Order of the Red Star, type 6, numbered 1398395
Condition: Good very fine
Leonid Petrovich Lyubivets was born in the village of Kamyshnya, Kamyshnya District, Poltava Region in 1908 and having been educated at the Lubny Institute of Socialist Education served in the Reed Army from August 1942 until October 1945.
Having received his first award a Medal for Bravery by Order of the 899th Artillery Regiment on 21st January 1944, and a Medal for the Defence of Leningrad, this Order of the Red Star would be Lyubivets final award of the war. Issued to him by Order of the 337th Rifle Division on 21st May 1945 whilst serving as the Clerk of the 4th Section of the Divisional Headquarters, 337th Rifle “Lyubno” Red Banner, Suvorov and Bogdan Khmelnitsky Orders Division, it was a result of the following citation:
‘Comrade Lyubivets has been serving in the 337th Rifle Division since the day of its formation and went along its glorious route from the Caucasus mountains to the Austrian Alps.
In the operation for elimination of the Korsun-Shevchenko enemy pocket, he maintained paperwork in precise and timely fashion, while being present at the artillery squadron observation post near the settlements Hirovka, Selesche, Sidorovka, Shenderovka, others.
On 06.02.1944, in the engagement near Turkentsi, when several artillery men of the 5th battery were taken out of action, comrade Lyubivets assisted the gun crew in repelling enemy armour and infantry attacks.
On 06.06.1944 during an enemy counter attack near the town of Yassi in Romania, while under fire, he rescued combat documentation from the squadrons observation post, which was temporarily captured by the enemy.
After being assigned to the position in the 4th section of the HQ, he quickly mastered the tasks and organised exemplary recording of the combat losses. He reacts quickly and follows up to the end the requests regarding the fates of missing service men. He has exceptionally high working ethics feeling personal duty towards the missing men’s families.
For exhibited courage, exceptionally responsible attitude, and impeccable service, comrade Lyubivets deserves order ‘Red Star.’
After the war Lyubivets worked as a teacher at the Kamyshnya Secondary School, whilst living in the village of Kamyshnya in the Poltava Region.
