Russia – Soviet: Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Guards Lieutenant Nikolai Stepanovich Koralyov, leader of an anti-tank rifle platoon in the 85th Guards ‘Sebastopol’ ‘Order of Suvorov 3rd Class’ Rifle Regiment, 32nd Guards ‘Taman’ ‘Red Banner’ ‘Order of Suvorov’ Rifle Division awarded for being wounded six times whilst carrying out combat missions during the Great Patriotic War.
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, type 2, numbered 914215
Condition: Nearly extremely fine
Nikolai Stepanovich Koralyov was born in the village of Verkhnyaya Akhtuba, Srednyaya Akhtuba Raion, Stalingrad Oblast in 1912, and having attained an elementary education he served in the Red Army from June 1941 until February 1946.
Serving as a Platoon leader in the 32nd Rifle Division, Korolyov was to be awarded an Order of the Red Star on 15th June 1944 by Order of the 32nd Rifle Division, and would go on to take part in the fighting around Konigsberg for which he was to receive the Medal for the Capture of Konigsberg, before being awarded this Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class by Order of the 11th Guards Rifle Corps on 31st May 1945 on the back of the following citation:
'He has been participating in the Patriotic War since June 1941. During the bitter fighting against the German-fascist invaders for the liberty and independence of our socialist motherland he was wounded six times while carrying out combat missions. His feats have been recognised by just one award.
For skilfully carrying out his combat missions and showing the ability to command a unit, comrade Koralyov rose from the ranks of the enlisted and climbed up to Lieutenant’
During the course of the war Koralyov had been wounded six times, having seen service on the North Caucasian Front between July 1941 and November 1943, and with the Independent Coastal Forces from November 1943 to May 1944, the 1st Baltic Front from 15th May 1944 until December 1944 before seeing service with the 3rd Belarussian Front until the end of the war.
