Excerpt from order to award Semyon Nezhynski an Order of the Great Patriotic War

This is an excerpt from an order issued by the artillery commander of the Karelian Front to award an Order of the Great Patriotic War, 2nd class to me, Major of Guards Nezhynski. It is dated 3rd December 1944 and reads: 'On behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for excellent completion of combat tasks fighting against German fascist occupants and expressed valor and courage I AWARD: this Order of the Great Patriotic War, 2nd class' After the battles in Northern Caucasus in October 1943 I was promoted to the rank of major and was appointed chief of headquarters of the 305 Guards Navy Mine Firing Regiment. It was a Navy unit, but the commanding officer of the regiment and chief of headquarters were from artillery units. There were 'Katyusha' units in the land and navy forces. The regiment where I was chief of headquarters participated in the elimination of German troops in Taman' [Northern Caucasus]. We participated in battles for Novorossiysk. Then our regiment sent landing troops to the Crimea: they landed in Chushka spit near Kerch. In March 1944 our regiment was sent to the Karelian Front where we participated in battles against German troops from summer 1944 through September 1944 until we beat them all and freed Finland from the Germans. For battles in Zapoliarie I was awarded an Order of the Great Patriotic War, 2nd class. This was my third award: the first was a medal 'For courage', the 2nd one was a 'Red Star' and the 3rd one was the Order of the Great Patriotic War' for battles in Zapoliarie.