Russia – Soviet: An unusual Naval Minesweeping award of the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Senior Starshina Titarenko, a Specialist in Secret Coded Signals for the 8th Division of Small Coastal Trawlers for his excellent signals work whil

Russia – Soviet: An unusual Naval Minesweeping award of the Order of the Patriotic War 2^nd Class awarded to Senior Starshina Titarenko, a Specialist in Secret Coded Signals for the 8^th Division of Small Coastal Trawlers for his excellent signals work whilst sweeping the channels of Kolberg-Swinoujscie and Swinoujscie-Szczesion.

Order of the Patriotic War 2^nd Class, type 2, reverse numbered 551996

Condition: Nearly extremely fine

Andrei Mikhailovich Titarenko was born in the city of Kharkov in 1919, and became a member of the Communist Party in 1939, joining the Red Navy in 1939>

Titarenko was to be awarded a Medal for Combat Merits and a Medal for the Defence of Leningrad, prior to being awarded this Order of the Patriotic War 2^nd Class on 11^th September 1945, by decree of the Commander of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, this was as a result of the following recommendation:

‘Senior Starshina Titarenko, Andrei Mikhailovich, specialist in Secret Coded Signals for the 8^th Division of Small Coastal Trawlers. While the division was carrying out a government mission to sweep the channels Kolberg-Swinoujscie and Swinoujscie-Szczecion, Comrade Titarenko, A.M. was continuously with the Division’s commander. He worked daily with great intensity from 04:00 to 24:00. At sea during the minesweeping, scorning the danger, risking his life, in challenging conditions for normal signals work – a shortage of cypher documents in the division, sudden changes in the composition of forces dispatched for minesweeping, dispersal of the division to separate standalone units – Comrade Titarenko provided the Division’s command with uninterrupted communications with higher command and with Division’s ships, which made it possible to take timely, precise decisions in directing the division. Thanks to his excellent knowledge of his speciality and love of the job he is entrusted with, during the entire period of Comrade Titarenko’s work, while the Division carried out important government missions, there was not a single instance of a request for a repeat radiogram, which provided command with definite clarity about the division’s positioning and the execution of minesweeping works. Well organised communications while carrying out the government mission facilitated the timely and high quality execution of work and the precise control of the division.

For courage, bravery, and heroism, excellent organisation of signals in combat control while carrying out governmental missions to sweep the channels of Kolberg-Swinoujscie and Swinoujscie-Szczesion, comrade Titarenko Andrei Mikhailovich deserves the government award the Order of the Patriotic War 1^st Class.’

Signed by the Commander of the 8^th Division of Small Coastal Trawlers, 3^rd Trawler Brigade, Captain 3^rd Rank Bogulavsky, Aleksandr Alekseevich.

After the war he would work as a Specialist in Secret Coded Signals, 8^th Division of Small Coastal Trawlers, 3^rd Trawler Brigade, Ostrovsky Naval Defence Region, Northern Baltic Fleet, whilst living at apartment 22, building 64, 17^th Line, Leningrad Military District.