Description
Order of the Red Banner #26060 reissue
Reissue/ Victory Parade Issue
Awarded to Lt. General Dmitry Filippovich Bortnovsky (Дмитрий Филиппович Бортновский)
For his leadership of the 15th Naval Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment, which carried out continuous night reconnaissance and strike operations against enemy forces. The regiment destroyed numerous enemy targets while maintaining an exceptional record of no aircraft losses
Bortnovsky was also awarded Order of Nakhimov 1st class #15 and was involved with the flight of Churchill and Roosevelt to Moscow and Crimea
Made of solid silver and enamels. Measures 44.1 mm in height including its eyelet, 36.4 mm in width and weighs 23.5 grams without its suspension. The reissue serial number and the mint mark Monetni Dvor are located at the 6 o’clock position of its reverse.
In superb condition. The details are crisp and the beautiful red and white enamels are flawless without flaking or scratches. Most of the original gold plating is still present and the raised areas show their details perfectly well. The reverse is in equally great condition and shows an appealing toning. Its connection ring has not been cut and the double layer steel suspension is time period to the award.
Reissue awards were given by the Soviet Government to a recipient; as a replacement piece; in exchange for the same order or medal of an earlier type which was no longer authorized for awarding by new regulations. The new reissue piece retains the serial number from the original award piece. Many early suspension or screwback awards were exchanged for the new type of award; particularly during the period immediately following the end of the Great Patriotic War. During the June 1945 Victory Parade in Moscow following the defeat of Germany in World War Two, soldiers participating in the Parade were expected to have the latest type of award on their uniforms and undoubtedly many were exchanged for that parade. These pieces are extremely rare.
Brief, concrete description of his feat of arms or achievements:
Comrade BORTNOVSKY has been in command of 15 Navy airforce reconnaissance aviation regiment. The regiment employs naval flying boat aircrafts MBR-2.
Since the beginning of the war against Fascism, comrade BORTNOVSKY is always personally present in the most decisive sector of the action. Several of his subordinate units perform most important missions over the sea.Every night all the regiments aircrafts perform missions. /red. missing line/. During the course of the war, several dozens off enemy aircrafts were destroyed by the night strikes in the enemy rear.
Every night during the last 10 days, from dusk till dawn, the regiment has been striking the enemy firing positions, tanks, and motorised troops along the line of engagement.
During the whole war period, the regiment has not lost a single aircraft in a night mission. This is thanks to the effort of the regiment commander comrade BORTNOVSKY, who is always personally present among his troops and whose extensive experience educates his subordinate pilots.
The separate subordinate units under his command, which fly special missions and operate from forward airfields, perform excellently and without losses.
Colonel comrade BORTNOVSKY deserves order “RED BANNER”.
Full translation of the research can be found below:
Sgort biography of Lt. General Bortnovsky:
Bartnovsky Dmitry Filippovich was born on November 1, 1902 in the village of Tereshkovichi (now the Gomel district of the Gomel region of Belarus). In 1922 he graduated from the technical school of railways in the city of Gomel. In the same year, Bartnowski was called up for service in the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. In 1926 he graduated from the Sevastopol Naval Aviation School of Pilots. He participated in the Soviet-Finnish War.
During the Great Patriotic War, he served as Chief of Staff of the Air Force of the USSR Navy, at the same time being the First Deputy Chief of the Navy Air Force. He made a great contribution to improving the organization of combat control of units and formations of naval aviation. In the headquarters entrusted to him, Bartnovsky was able to organize systematic daily work, to establish the organization of interaction with lower headquarters. Through his efforts, the effectiveness of the combat activities of the units was significantly increased, the training of pilots was improved, and the timely delivery of aircraft to the front was established.
Bartnowski, along with a number of other representatives of the top command of the Navy Air Force, participated in the organization and implementation of the flight of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Moscow in 1944, as well as in the flight of Churchill and President of the United States of America Franklin Roosevelt to the Crimea. Under the leadership of Bartnowski, more than a hundred hydros were distilled from the USACatalina flights delivered to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease.
In the post-war period, he continued to serve in the Armed Forces of the USSR. For a number of years he was Chief of Staff and Commander of the Air Force of the USSR Navy. In 1951 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR. In April 1952, he was appointed head of the Higher Officer Flight and Tactical Courses of the Navy Aviation[1]. Since August 1954, he served in the central office of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. In January 1961, he was transferred to the reserve. He died on March 11, 1970, and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Awards
: 2 Orders of Lenin (April 21, 1940, June 20, 1949);
4 Orders of the Red Banner (2 December 1941, 31 May 1944, 3 November 1944, 3 November 1953);
Order of Nakhimov, 1st class (May 24, 1945);
Medals “For the Defense of Moscow”, “For the Defense of Leningrad” and other medals.
More info on Lt. General Bortnovsky can be found here, here and here
Also in the picture gallery:
- the citation for his Order of Nakhimov 1st class
- several scans of pictures of Bortnovsky, some showing him wearing this Red Banner
- some examples of the MBR-2 aircraft
Although there is no direct proof that Bortnovsky participated in the 1945 Victory Parade, there are strong indications that he did. For example, he received his “Victory over Germany” medal in Moscow on 22 June 1945, while the Victory Parade took place on 24 June 1945. The first recipients of this medal were the parade participants.
Therefore, either he marched on Red Square himself, or he attended the event as a guest. Given his high rank, it is highly likely that he was involved in the celebrations in some capacity.
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