Description
Soviet Medal for Combat Merit #408280
Awarded to Guards military doctor II rank Nikolaj Tarasovich Litoshko (Николай Тарасович Литошко)
For distinguishing himself during an outbreak of typhus providing care for 150 patients while being the only medic present. He didn’t leave the premises for several days straight
Made of solid silver. The medal itself measures 32.28 mm in diameter and 37.29 mm in height including the eyelet. It weighs 17.6 gram without its suspension and 25.6 gram with the suspension but without its screwplate. The eyelet is 5.75 mm in width and the suspension measures 25.50 mm in width at its narrowest point and 31.87 at its widest point.
The medal is in worn but decent condition with the lacquer filling the lettering lost. There are several dings and scratches on both sides and the higher laying parts like the rifle and sabre show medium to strong wear. A fair amount of details however are still visible. All parts of the suspension are original and belong to the medal; including the small nut, rectangular plate and even the ribbon. The medal comes with its original and time period screwplate and uncut connection ring.
In a nice original combat condition with all parts original and with interesting research!
I. Brief and specific description of the personal feat or merits
Military doctor LITOSHKO has been working as the chief medic of the hospitalisation platoon since 1941. In this capacity, he proved himself as a hardworking and qualified doctor, who is fully engaged in his duties. Each of the arriving sick person receives immediate proper medical aide, loving care, and attention.
He especially distinguished himself during the outbreak of typhus. Being the only medic left in the platoon, he provided care for 150 patients. He didn’t leave the premises for several days straight, dedicating all this efforts, strength, and knowledge to saving lives of the severely ill soldiers and officers.
He received multiple gratitudes from the battalion commands.
After the war Litoshko was medic in POW camp #326 near Bryansk. Below some background information on this:
Camp No. 326 for prisoners of war and internees by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR was organized by order of the NKVD of the USSR No. 00541 dated May 19, 1945. The camp administration was subordinate to the department for prisoners of war and internees of the administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Bryansk region and the district administration of military supply of the Moscow military district.
The task of camp No. 326 was to maintain and use prisoners of war for the restoration of the city of Bryansk and the enterprises of the Bryansk region.
By the time the camp was organized, it included 5 camp divisions, allocated from the camp for prisoners of war and internees No. 252.
Until the end of 1945, 11 camp departments were additionally organized. The total number of prisoners of war on January 1, 1946 was 11458 people.
The camp management structure looked like this:
– secretariat;
– political department;
– operational department;
– production planning department;
– department of protection and regime;
– accounting department;
– financial department;
– supply department;
– sanitation department.
There were lager departments in Bryansk, Bezhitsa, the villages of Uritskiy, Star, Bytosh, Ivot.
By order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR No. 00735 of August 4, 1949, camp No. 326 was disbanded.
The institution was part of the system of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs..
More info on Litoshko can be found here
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