A Soviet Great Patriotic War Order of Glory Third Class and Medal for Bravery group of three awarded to Guards Senior Sergeant V. S. Podkuiko, 250th Guards Artillery-Mortar Regiment, 17th Guards Cavalry Division, for his ingenuity and bravery as a Squad Leader in the Topographical Reconnaissance Section in locating enemy machine-gun and mortar positions south of Frankfurt an der Oder, April 1945, during the advance on Berlin

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Order of Glory, Third Class, 2nd type, silver and enamel, reverse officially numbered ‘472337’; Medal for Bravery, 2nd type, silver, reverse officially numbered ‘2056473’, with riband suspension, lacking red enamel; Medal for Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-45, bronze, contact marks, nearly very fine (3) £200-300

Order of Glory Third Class awarded by Order 017/N of the 17th Guards Cavalry Corps, dated 7 June 1945:
‘Guards Senior Sergeant Vladimir Sergeevich Podkuiko participated in the penetration of the deeply-echeloned enemy defence on the far western shore of the Oder River near the Briskow foothold south of Frankfurt on 15-16 April 1945. While located in the lead infantry companies’ ranks, he, with ingenuity and bravery, established the location of an enemy machine-gun and mortar position. As a result of his pinpoint determination, during the fighting a mortar battery was suppressed and a machine-gun with its crew was destroyed, thus enabling the rifle companies to accomplish their mission. The massive enemy strong point was captured.
In 1945 during the fighting for the strong point in the village of Kolpin on the southern shore, he was directly attached to the attacking cavalry squadrons, and with boldness and ingenuity discovered a machine-gun position that was hindering the forward progress of our Guards cavalry units. As a result of his accurate target indication, the machine-gun was destroyed by our battery’s fire, allowing the squadron’s successful penetration and occupation of the village.
Guards Senior Sergeant Podkuiko has no immoral vices.’

Medal for Bravery awarded by Order 03/N of the 250th Guards Red Banner Artillery Mortar Regiment, dated 23 February 1945:
‘Commander of the Topographic Reconnaissance Section, Guards Senior Sergeant Vladimir Sergeevich Podkuiko participated in the penetration of the enemy defence south of Vark on 12-13 January 1945. He personally, with ingenuity and bravery, conducted a topographic verification of the elements of the regiment’s combat formations and located certain positions with an exceptional degree of accuracy. Furthermore, he quickly adjusted the battery’s fire and supplied the regiment’s mortar battery information during the artillery barrage that significantly enabled its successful mission to be accomplished.’

Vladimir Sergeevich Podkuiko was born in Donspopentroblast, Ukraine in 1910 and served in the Red Army from April 1932 until May 1935, and subsequently in the Great Patriotic War as a Squad Leader in the Topographical Reconnaissance Section, 250th Guards Red Banner Artillery Mortar Regiment, as part of the 17th Guards Cavalry Corps, from 9 March 1942 until November 1945.

Sold together with the award booklet confirming both numbered awards.