Russia – Soviet: Medal for Combat Merits to Private of the Reserves Fyodor Iosifovich Polyakov, a Musician of the 262nd Rifle Regiment for saving the life of a severely wounded comrade as well as destroying a number of enemy firing positions with a mortar before launching an attack with his submachine-gun.
Medal for Combat Merits, type 2, reverse numbered 755600.
Condition: Enamel missing on lettering to the obverse, Very fine
Fyodor Iosifovich Polyakov was born in Moscow in 1902 and served in the Red Army from April 1942 until October 1945, this Medal for Combat Merits was his sole award issued to him on 4th May 1944 by decree of the 262nd Rifle Division on the back of the following recommendation:
‘In the Patriotic War since 23.04.1943, comrade Polyakov was lightly wounded by German bandits while serving in the 950th Rifle regiment in the mortar company in the role of loader. During the Red Army’s offensive, Comrade Polyakov showed love for his duty to destroy fascists. During the liberation of the city of Demidov Cormade Polyakov destroyed a fair number of enemy firing positions, and when the mortar shells were expended he readied a sub-machine gun for himself and went on the attack to destroy the enemy. Being lightly wounded, he rendered aid to a severely wounded Red Army soldier, passed him to a nurse, and thereby saved the soldier’s life. He deserves the government award the Medal for Combat Merits.’
Polyakov’s record card indicates he was a musician within the 262nd Rifle Division, and after the war was unemployed, living at Tomilino Station, 28 Nikitin Street, Ukhtomsky District, Moscow Oblast