A Soviet Great Patriotic War Order of Glory Third Class and Order of Glory Second Class pair awarded to Private P. M. Taran, 6th Guards Mechanized Brigade, for his gallantry as a heavy machine-gun layer during the Liberation of the Ukraine, 10-17 March 1944

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Order of Glory (2), Second Class, 3rd type breast badge, silver, gold, and enamel, reverse officially numbered ‘45596’, with riband suspension; another, Third Class, 2nd type breast badge, silver and enamel, reverse officially numbered ‘217449’, with riband suspension, very fine (2) £300-400

Order of Glory Third Class awarded by Order 15 of the 28th Army, dated 20 March 1944.
The Recommendation, originally for the Order of Lenin, and then downgraded to the Order of the Red Banner, before being downgraded further to the Order of Glory, Third Class, states: ‘Comrade Taran displayed heroism and courage during the crossing of Dnieper River and further fights on its west bank in the period of 10-17 March 1944. Comrade Taran positioned his machine-gun in front of our battle lines this greatly facilitating the advance of our Infantry.
On 14 March 1944 Comrade Taran suppressed two enemy machine-guns emplacements and eliminated eleven Germans near the village of [...].
On 15 March 1944 Comrade Taran eliminated four Germans during the fight for the village of Zeleny-Gai. Altogether, Comrade Taran eliminated a number of German soldiers and officers during the liberation of the Soviet Ukraine.
Comrade Taran deserves to be awarded with an Order of Lenin for his heroism displayed during the fighting for the liberation of the Ukraine.’

Petr Mikhaylovich Taran was born in the Ukraine in 1909 and served in the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War as a Heavy Machine-gun layer with the 2nd Motorized Battalion, 6th Guards Volnovakha Order of the Red Banner Mechanized Brigade, as part of the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps, from November 1943, and was awarded the Order of Glory Third Class for his services during the liberation of the Ukraine. He was subsequently awarded the Order of Glory Second Class on 26 November 1958.

Sold together with the award booklet confirming both numbered awards, and various copied research.