Granddads

[bnz. 42]

I would like to share with you a part of my country's and my family's history.


1. This is my granddad Petr, a father of my mom. He started to fight defending Moscow in 41, and finished the war in Berlin in 45. He survived and lived another 57 years in Volgograd(ex-Stalingrad). This picture was made in 1945 in Germany.





2. This is my granddad Michail, my father's father. This picture was made when he was 39 in 1941 just a few weeks before the war started. He will die three months later.



On the picture granddad has two rectangles - major, and infantry emblems on collar tabs. Awards: orden of Combatant Red Banner(1934 for honour at war with Turkestan rebels), medal XX years of the Red Army(1938), and badge of the Honour of NKVD-warrior. In Russia, such awards before WW2 told about serious merits.
When the war started, granddad was a commander of the 14th Red-Banner motor-infantry regiment of the of 21st NKVD infantry division. This war was already third for him: Civil war, Finnish war, and WW2; he had 20 years of military service.
He was a real hero. Today in Moscow Military museum you can find an exposition about him.







Here is about his last fight. I tried to translate a text from the book below as best as I could. To tell you the truth, it was not easy. Sorry if I did it not very well.
"On the night from August 6th to 7th, a very hard situation happened on the main site of the defense. As a result of intensive assault, enemy squeezed the regiment units and forced in our battle-arrays. After one of numerous heavy fights, a combat company with which was a commander of the regiment major Michail Vorobioff, got into encirclement. Breaking through the enemy circle, major Vorobioff led an attack, and took out soldiers from encirclement, but in one of hand-to-hand fighting was wounded to death.
For this act of bravery, Michail Vorobioff was decorated (post-mortem) the Order of Lenin."



My father is still looking for his grave. Granddad was killed on a battlefild and our troops could only take his tunic with documents and awards.
I have the same first and last names as my granddad, who gave his life for his country, people, and me.

[bnz. 42]

These fragments of pictures, which are from the Moscow Art Gallery.

1. Defenders of the Brest Fortress (frontier fortress).




2.




3. After a battle




4. ..and the last one. This is is my father. He is a military officer, and a major - same as his dad.
I am not sure if he likes German uniform, but I am sure he would like this bambino.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, thanks for starting this thread, good idea! The pics and storys of your Grandads are very interesting. Thank - you for sharing them with us. I think it is only now that the West is begining to realise or acknowledge the contribution that the Red Army made to defeating the Nazis.

I will take a few pics of my Grandads WW1 medals and pics and post them up here.
Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, here is my Grandad, Corporal Issac Stevenson, Royal Artillery, pictured with my Grandma, Hilda Elizabeth Stevenson, just after they were married in 1918. Grandad wears his .303 Lee Enfield leather rifle ammo bandolier. My Dad recalls that he used to play Army wearing it and he used to keep it under his bed, but my Grandma must have thrown it out as my Dad cannot recall what happened to it
But on a nicer note, see if you can see the Diamond engagement ring that my Grandma wears in the photo? This was given to her by my Grandad in 1914 when he left for the front and it is now worn by Lez as our engagement ring
Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is photo which I beleive was taken in either France or Belgium of my Grandads Troop. I think he is the one on his own horse in the centre of the photo. I recall him telling me that his horse drowned in the mud during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.........

[Adrian Stevenson]

His Medals. The 1914/15 Star, The War Medal and the Victory medal.
Known to the troops as "Pip, Squeek and Wilfred" after a cartoon trio in a popular daily newspaper of the time.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is a locket worn by my Grandma which contains a hand coloured photograph of my Grandad in uniform.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is a photo of some of my Grandads comrades. Sadly the photo does not give any names or the location that it was taken. My Grandads unit was part of the Third Infantry Division. I have a page from his guns log stating what time and range a shell was fired, plus a letter from the Commanding General for Christmas 1918 when his unit was station in Koln as part of the Army of Ocupation.

[Adrian Stevenson]

This is my last post about my Grandad. As he was a gunner on 18 prd's he had access to plenty of spent shell cases. Here are two that he had made in to miniature caps, using collar dogs for cap badges. This was a very popular form of "Trench Art" at the time. These now sit on my Dads fireplace. The shell cases are dated 1908 and 1915.
I have enjoyed posting about my Grandad. If you have a story or photos to share please post them up.
Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, although I did say the last post would be my last here is another item relating to my Grandads service. Being overage to serve in the Army in WW2, he instead served in the Civil Defence. He was a Sgt. in the St. John Ambulance Brigade throughout the war.
Here is a silver cup that he was presented with in recognition of his service.
Please add your stories about your Grandad's service to this thread.
Cheers, Ade.