Russia ‑ Soviet: Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class, 2nd Type ‘flatback reverse’ with small Monetny Dvor mint mark, reverse officially numbered in correct hand‑engraved form: ’812903’, gold central ‘hammer and sickle’ device with silver and enamels, complete with a period back plate. Enamel work good, light wear, back plate replaced, overall good, very fine or better. (1).

Russia ‑ Soviet: Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class, 2nd Type ‘flatback reverse’ with small Monetny Dvor mint mark, reverse officially numbered in correct hand‑engraved form: ’812903’, awarded to Private I.E. Kuritsyn, 28th Guards “Debica” Airborne Rifle Regiment, 9th Guards “Poltava” Red‑Banner Airborne Division, 33rd Guards Rifle Corps and 5th Guards Army.

Kuritsyn saw service in the Red Army from December 1941 through to November 1945. Present on the Northern Caucasus Front from June to September 1942, on the Voronezh Front from July to September 1943, and on the 2nd Ukrainian Front from September 1943 to July 1944, he was on this front when awarded the Medal for Combat Merit in December 1943. He then partly earned his Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class, on the same front during the fighting in the area of the village of Pugachen (?) on 16th April 1944, before further qualifying for his award on the 1st Ukrainian Front, during the fighting in the area of the village of Katy on 8th August 1944.

For the first date, he was a Radioman with the Signals Company of his Regiment, and then for the second date, he had become the Chief of a 13R radio station and was serving with the Battalion Command post.

It was on the 16th of April 1944 that he found himself in an epic battle to survive. During fierce battles with counter‑attacking enemy tanks and motorised infantry, communication lines were severed every minute. By radio, Kuritsyn continuously informed Command about the situation.

An enemy tank then came right up to the house where the Battalion Command Post was located and set it one fire. Flames surrounded the radio set, and the radioman’s uniform caught light. At that time, the house was surrounded by German sub‑machine gunners. The courageous radioman bravely fought off counter‑attacks by the enemy sub‑machine gunners to the last bullet. With the onset of darkness, Kuritsyn with his last strength carried the radio set from the house, surrounded by Germans.

On 8th August 1944 at Katy, the 1st and 2nd Rifle Battalions were surrounded by enemy tanks and infantry, and all communication lines were severed. In spite of the danger to his life and the hail of enemy fire, Kuritsyn together with his radio set made his way through to the lines of the 2nd Rifle Battalion and until the end of the battle, provided radio communication for the Battalion Commander, calling in and correcting the fire of Battalion and Corps artillery, which facilitated a breakout of enemy encirclement.

In this battle, Kuritsyn’s partner was wounded, and the antenna was knocked out of commission; he then repaired it with makeshift materials.

He went on to receive his Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class on 2nd February 1945, and then added the Order of the Red Star on 20th March 1945.

Ivan Evdokimovich Kuritsyn was born in 1923 in the village of Pichurino in the Kurovskoi district of the Moscow Oblast, and owing to the Great Patriotic War, saw service in the Red Army from 10th December 1941 through to 2nd November 1945. He was a Candidate member of the All‑Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks from 1944 onwards.

During the war, he saw service on the Northern Caucasus Front from 28th June to 16th September 1942, on the Voronezh Front from 10th July to 23rd September 1943, and then on the 2nd Ukrainian Front from 23rd September 1943 to 15th July 1944, during which period he was awarded the Medal for Combat Merit (No.656749) in the Decree of the 28th Guards Airborne Rifle Regiment No.031/N of 3rd December 1943.

Serving as a Private and employed as a Radioman in the Signals Company of the 28th Guards “Debica” Airborne Rifle Regiment, of the 9th Guards “Poltava” Red‑Banner Airborne Division, in the 5th Guards Army, Kuritsyn was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class (No.812903) in the Decree of the 33rd Guards Rifle Corps No.03/N of 2nd February 1945. This was belatedly awarded for his actions when still serving on the 2nd Ukrainian Front during the fighting in the area of the village of Pugachen (?) on 16th April 1944, and further for his actions during the fighting in the area of the village of Katy on 8th August 1944, by which time, his Regiment had been switched to the 1st Ukrainian Front from 15th July 1944.

His award citation originally for the award of the Order of the Red Star, was made on 19th December 1944, and published on 2nd February 1945, reading as follows: ‘On 16th April 1944 in the area of the village of Pugachen (?), during fierce battles with counter‑attacking enemy tanks and motorised infantry, communication lines were severed every minute. By radio, Comrade Kuritsyn continuously informed Command about the situation. An enemy tank came right up to the house where the Battalion Command Post was located and set it one fire. Flames surrounded the radio set, and the radioman’s uniform caught on fire. At that time, the house was surrounded by German sub‑machine gunners. The courageous radiomen bravely fought off counter‑attacks by the enemy sub‑machine gunners to the last bullet. With the onset of dark, Comrade Kuritsyn with his last strength carried the radio set from the house, surrounded by Germans. On 8th August 1944, in the area of the village of Katy, the 1st and 2nd Rifle Battalions were surrounded by enemy tanks and infantry, and all communication lines were severed by the enemy. In spite of the danger to his life and the hail of enemy fire, Comrade Kuritsyn together with his radio set made his way through to the lines of the 2nd Rifle Battalion and until the end of the battle provided radio communication for the Battalion Commander, calling in and correcting the fire of Battalion and Corps artillery, which facilitated a breakout of enemy encirclement. In this battle, Comrade Kuritsyn’s partner was wounded, and the antenna was knocked out of commission. With makeshift materials, Comrade Kuritsyn repaired the damage in record quick time. He deserves to be awarded the government award of the Order the Red Star’, but this was amended to the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class by the 36th Guards Rifle Corps Commander on 29th January 1945.

Kuritsyn did later go on to be awarded the Order of the Red Star (No.2645619) in the Decree of the 9th Guards Airborne Division No.017 of 20th March 1945. As of November 1946, he was unemployed, and living back in his home village of Pichurino.

Military Medals, Decorations and Orders On Land, at Sea, in the Air

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