Description
Order of the Red Banner #505323
(source)
Awarded to Lt. Col. Grigory Mikhailovich Bondarev (Григорий Михайлович Бондарев)
For 20 year service in the Air Force
Made of solid silver and enamels. Measures 44.90 mm in height, 36.13 mm in width and weighs 24.9 grams without its suspension. The serial number and mint mark are located at the 6 o’clock position of its reverse.
The order is in excellent condition with crisp details and well preserved enamels with some minor contact marks only. A fair amount of the original gold plating is still present and the award comes with its time period double layer suspension. Its connection ring has been cut.
More information on Lt. Col. Bondarev can be found here
Also included in the picture gallery is a scan of the citation for his Order of the Red Star which he received. It reads as follows:
Participated in the Patriotic War from June 22, 1941, as part of the troops of the Southwestern Front, Western, North Caucasian, Separate Primorsky Army, and since December 3, 1944, as part of the 2nd Belorussian Front. For exemplary performance of combat missions in February 1944, he was awarded the medal “FOR COURAGE.”
After receiving his first government award, he ensured 2,700 combat sorties for the regiment. He is highly knowledgeable about the armament of the AERACOBRA aircraft and has taught his subordinates and pilots the proper care and operation of weapons. Thanks to his efforts, there were no cases of weapons failure in combat. He passed on his knowledge of aerial gunnery theory to the pilots, ensuring they could quickly defeat the enemy.
On the 2nd Belorussian Front, he provided 957 combat sorties. When the command set the task of adapting the AERACOBRA aircraft for bombing, he successfully accomplished this task, preparing and ensuring 82 bombing sorties, with a total of 20,500 kilograms of bombs dropped on the enemy. Conclusion: Worthy of the Government Award of the Order of the RED STAR.
Commander of the 66th Fighter Aviation Regiment Colonel [Signature] Semyonov
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