Russia - Soviet: Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class, 2nd Type “flatback reverse” with large Monetny Dvor mint mark, reverse officially numbered: ’688382’, awarded to Major later Lieutenant Colonel L.N. Mikhel, Medical Service. A member of the Red Army since 1928, and an officer since April 1932, he saw service right through the Great Patriotic War when fighting the Japanese on the Russian Eastern Front. He served variously as the doctor with numerous units, and was awarded the Order of the Red Star for long service in November 1944. His award of the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class was made on 23rd September 1945 for his work when serving in the 229th Mobile Sanitary-Epidemiological Laboratory in the 30th Air Army, but covered the entirety of his wartime service when combatting the spread of infectious diseases. He went on to be awarded the Order of the Red Banner in June 1949, and the Order of Lenin in November 1953, and by March 1954, was the Chief of the Bacterial Department of the Sanitary Epidemiological Laboratory for the Baltic Military District, when living in Riga, Latvia.
Russia - Soviet: Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class, 2nd Type “flatback reverse” with large Monetny Dvor mint mark, reverse officially numbered in correct hand engraved form: ’688382’, gold central ‘hammer and sickle’ device with silver and enamels. With later back plate.
Condition: enamel work good, light wear, back plate replaced, overall Good Very Fine or better.
Leonid Nikolaevich Mikhail was born on 29th January 1910 in the city of Taganrog on the shore of the Sea of Azov, and received a higher education, qualifying as a doctor, before becoming a member of the Red Army in 1928, and seeing service as an officer from April 1932. He would later become a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1943.
With the Great Patriotic War he was present on active service from June 1941, and for his long service, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star (No.954906) on 3rd November 1944. As a Major in the Medical Service, and serving in the 229th Mobile Sanitary-Epidemiological Laboratory in the 30th Air Army, he was then recommended for the award of the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class (No.688382) on 1st September 1945, being award being published in the Decree of the 25th Army No.0125 on 23rd September 1945.
The citation reads as follows: ‘Major of the Medical Service Mikhel, has been in the ranks of the Red Army since 1928. He has served successively as a doctor of the 8th Kolkhoz Regiment, 206th Rifle Regiment, 81st Division AKRF (?), Chief of the Medical Company of the 12th Motorised Brigade (?), and since 1944 as Chief of the Laboratory at Infectious Disease Hospital 780. He is a qualified military doctor and pathologist. During the entire duration of his service in the Red Army, Major of the Medical Service Mikhel has displayed irreproachable organisation of the duties his is charged with. In the position of laboratory doctor, he conducted important work on timely diagnosis of infectious diseases, which prevented the proliferation of infection among the troops. During the war with Japan, Major of the Medical Service Mikhel skilfully organised production of complex tests under field conditions, actively facilitated timely diagnosis, treatment, and return to service of wounded and sick. For irreproachable fulfilment of his military duty, skilful organisation of laboratory studies in field conditions and for active contribution to the return of serve of wounded and sick, he is recommended for the government award, the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class.’
Mikhel, who would be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, went on to be awarded the Medal for the Victory Over Japan; the Medal for the 30th Anniversary of the Soviet Army on 22nd February 1948; the Order of the Red Banner (No.315327) on 20th June 1949, and the Order of Lenin (No.244367) on 3rd November 1953. As of March 1954, he was living in Riga in Latvia, and working as the Chief of the Bacterial Department of the Sanitary Epidemiological Laboratory for the Baltic Military District.
