Non-Soviet HSU's - Research results to date

[Taz]

Name, Country, Rank etc, Award Date, S/N.


1. Volkan S Goranov, (Zachariev, Z.S.), Col. Pilot, Bulgaria, 31/12/1936, #22

2. Primo Gibelli , (Primo Andzhellovich Dzhibelli), Italy, Pilot/Test Pilot/Instructor, 31/12/1936, Gold Star not awarded postum?

3. Otakar Jaroš , Czechoslovakia, Capt, 18/4/1943, Gold Star not awarded postum?

4. Vladislav W Wysotsky, Poland, Captain, 11/11/1943, Gold Star not awarded postum?

5. Aniela Tadeushevna Krzywo, Poland, Private (Nurse, Riflewoman, MPi Gunner) , 11/11/1943, Gold Star not awarded postum?

6. Julius Hiobner, ( Juliusz Samsonovich Hibner) , Poland, Capt, 21/12/1943, #2232

7. Antonín Sochor, Czechoslovakia, 2nd Lt, 21/11/1943, #2854

8. Richard Tesařík, Czechoslovakia, 2nd Lt, Tank Commander, 21/12/1943, #1693

9. Josef Buršík, Czechoslovakia, 2nd Lt, Tank Commander, 21/12/1943, #1692

10. Marcel Albert, France, First lieutenant, Pilot/ Normandie-Niemen, 27/11/1944, #?

11. Roland de la Poype, France, Capitain, Pilot/ Normandie-Niemen, 27/11/1944, #?

12. Jan Nálepka (Repkin), Czechoslovakia , Capt, Guerrilla Commander, 2/5/1945, Gold Star not awarded postum?

13. Jacques Andre, France, Colonel, Pilot/ Normandie-Niemen, 4/6/1945, #6656

14. Marcel Lefèvre, France, Lt, Pilot/ Normandie-Niemen, 4/6/1945, #10206

15. Štěpán Vajda, Czechoslovakia,Capt. (PM) Tank Commander, 10/8/1945, Gold Star not awarded postum?

16. Ruben Ruis Ibarruri, Spain, Captain, 23/8/1956, Gold Star not awarded postum?

17. Ramon Lopez (Merkander,Ramon), Spain, NKVD Agent, 31/5/1960,#11089

18. Fidel Castro, Cuba, President, 23/5/1963, #11124

19. Walter Ulbricht, Germany (GDR), Chancellor, 29/6/1963, #11184

20. Janos Kadar, Hungary, Head of State, 3/4/1964, #11218

21. Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria, President, 30/4/1964, #11221

22. Gamal Abdul Nasser, Egypt, President, 13/5/1964, #11224

23. Hakim Abdel Amer, Egypt, Field-Marshal, 13/5/1964, #11225

24. Fritz Schmenkel, Germany (GDR), Soviet partisan, 6/10/1964, #?

25. Ludvík Svoboda, Czechoslovakia, President, 24/11/1965, #10708

26. Vladimir Stoyanov-Zayimov, Bulgaria, General, 30/5/1972, #?

27. Todor Zhivkov, Bulgaria, Head of State, 31/5/1977, #11281

28. Vladimír Remek, Czechoslovakia, Captain, Cosmonaut, 16/3/1978, #11299

29. Miroslaw Hermaszewski, Poland, Colonel, Cosmonaut 5/7/1978, #11301

30. Sigmund Jähn, Germany (GDR), Maj.Gen, Cosmonaut, 10/9/1978, #11303

31. Georgi Ivanov, Bulgaria, Maj.Gen, Cosmonaut, 13/4/1979, #10749

32. Bertalan Farkas, Hungary, Brig. General, Cosmonaut, 30/6/1980, #11441

33. Pham Tuan, North Vietnam, Lt. Gen, Cosmonaut, 31/7/1980, #11444

34. Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, Cuba, Lt. Colonel, Cosmonaut, 26/9/1980, #11445

35. Gurragcha Zhugderdemidiyn, Mongolia, Maj. General, Cosmonaut 30/3/1981, #11454?

36. Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, Rumania, Air Fleet Gen, Cosmonaut, 22/5/1981, #11455?

37. Jean-loup Chrétien, France, Brig. Gen, Cosmonaut, 2/7/1982, #?

38. Erich Honecker, Germany (GDR), Chancellor, 25/8/1982, #11480?

39. Gustav Husák, Czechoslovakia, Head of State, 9/1/1983, #11490

40. Rakesh Sharma, India, Sq. Leader, Cosmonaut, 11/4/1984, #11510 or #11557?

41. Muhammed Ahmed Faris, Syria, Cosmonaut, 30/7/1987, #?

42. Erich Mielke, Germany (DDR), Stasi-General, 25/12/1987, #11565

43. Aleksandr Panayatov Aleksandrov, Bulgaria, Lt. Colonel, Cosmonaut 17/6/1988, #11578

44. Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghanistan, Colonel, Cosmonaut, 7/9/1988, #11584

[Taz]

Col. Volkan S Goranov, (Zachariev, Z.S.), Bulgaria 31/12/1936, #22
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Goranov Volkan Semyonovich (Zahariev Zahari Semyonovich)

Goranov was born in the village of Bessarabovo (Bulgaria) in 1904.
Aged 16 he joined the Komsomol and since then actively worked in underground organizations.
He was called up for military service, and because he had secondary education, was directed to aviation school. Having ended that, Zahariev was posted to a Bulgarian squadron.
For the participation in the May Day demonstrations he was expelled from the Airforce (Which is no wonder - in any state the military should be above policys and political views) and prosecuted.

In the beginning of the 1920's he emigrated to the Soviet Union, and joined the ranks of the Red Army. Here he received a passport for the name Volkana Goranova. He became an instructor at the Tambov aviation school for civil aircraft.
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Civil war in Spain 1936-39.

Having joined the International brigade, he went to war under the name of Turk Halila Ekrema. He Flew a "Potez-54" Bomber in the "Espanja" squadron voluntary aviation group in the army of Republican Spain.
In one of Ekrema-Goran's dogfights, having brought down another enemy plane, he was wounded, and with a burning engine managed to land in neutral territory. For this courage and heroism in Battle he was awarded the Hero of Soviet Union on December, 31, 1936.
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After returning from Spain, V.S.Goranov continues service in the Air Forces of Red Army, he is then appointed the head of Management of educational institutions of Civil Air Fleet of the USSR.
In 1940 Goranovs department received the task to prepare, in one year 10 thousand pilots. But by the middle of 1941 he had already trained not ten but
12 thousand pilots!
Ten ex-pupils of his received the Title Hero of Soviet Union in WWII.

After the war Goranov, already under the name Zahari Zahariev, went back to Bulgaria and became commander of the Air Forces - the deputy minister of defense of National Republic of Bulgaria. Then he was appointed to the military attache in Moscow.
In 1974 the Hero of Soviet Union, General-colonel of Bulgarian National Army Zahariev Zahari Semyonovich for the huge merits for the native land (as a matter of fact, he was the founder of the Bulgarian jet aircraft) was awarded with the Title Hero of Bulgaria.
After Zahariev-Goran's retirement he worked in Sofia in the Committee for the bulgaro-Soviet friendship, he has written his me***rs "Valour" which has not been published yet.

Once at a reception in the Embassy general Zahariev met one of his former enemies in Spain, the colonel of the Italian military-air force.
The general, having noticed a deep scar, asked, "when did that happen".
The Italian answered, "since the Civil War in Spain". As he then said, " after a
hard dogfight with a Turk called Halila Ekrema. This Turk shot down many frankish planes. However I managed to set his engine alight, so for certain he
did not make it back to base".
Here the general gave a wry smile and, having given a toast, said: " Colonel, let us lift glasses, this first toast is for that Turk who has left to you this scar for memory ". And, answering to the puzzled face of the Italian, said: " Here
he is, that Turk, he is facing you... "

Goranov died in Sofia on April, 29, 1987 where he is buried.

[Taz]

Pilot/Test Pilot/Instructor Primo Gibelli , (Primo Andzhellovich Dzhibelli), Italy, 31/12/1936 #?

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Primo Gibelli aka 'El Cordero'.

Was born 1883 on the outskirts of Milan.
Italian lyotchik(?)-Bomber Pilot,
Hero of Soviet Union (1936, posthumously).
One of the founders of the Communist Party of Italy.
Became a Citizen of the USSR in 1921
Aircraft Pilot since 1922. Since 1933 worked in the scientific research institute of the Air Forces. A participant of the civil war in Spain. The letter W was Gibelli’s personal emblem.
He was taken prisoner and tragically lost.(?)
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ESCUADRILLA MALRAUX

This Squadron made it's debut in August 1936.
In the Spanish squadron led by Malraux there were not only the
foreign fighter pilots of group 11 commanded by Getafe flying Nieuport 52's of
which the Spanish Captain, Antonio Martin-Luna Lersund was part of there were many more.
Also in this fighter squadron were the British Pilots Cartwright, Collins and
the Italian Locatelli.
The Bomber squadron was based in the aerodrome of Alcala de Henares. Stationed there were the Soviet pilots, French Pilot Maurice Moulinet, English Pilot Smith-Piggot, the Hungarian Akos Hevesi and Italian Primo Gibelli.

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Another article reports the shooting down a Potez 54 'A'. Piloted by the Italian pilot Primo Gibelli, aka 'El Cordero' who was killed in this type of aircraft.
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here some additional info from Kim.

It turns out that he was not captured and tortured. He died in a plane crash. After this he was put in a box and dropped on the republican airfield. He was then used in the propaganda war.
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Another report says that he was shot down whilst defending Madrid.
Gibelli and the crew bailed out but all apart from Gibelli were shot on the spot. He was captured by Republican infantrymen and then tortured to death.
His severed head wrapped in a cloth together with the remains of his body, clearly showing signs of torture was dropped by plane in a dark box over Madrid to serve as a warning and for propaganda.
The USSR Archives state that he did not break under Torture and for this Bravery was Awarded postumously the Titel HSU.

[Taz]

1st Lt. Otakar Jaroš , Czechoslovakia, 18/4/1943 #?
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Otakar Jaroš (1.8.1912 - 8.3.1943)
Jaros was a Slovak who distinguished himself during the 1943 liberation of Kharkiv, in which a Czechoslovak battalion took part.
Jaroš was the first foreigner to be awarded with the HSU in WW2
Awarded in memoriam for the bravery during the fight for Ukrainian town Sokolovo.
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The 1st Independent Battalion was reinforced by Czechs from the so-called "Orumky group," 95 members of the previous Polish campaign. Czechoslovak Communists made their presence felt as zamopolits, or political advisors. Most of the regular officers, however, remained apolitical. One of them, First Lieutenant Otakar Jaroš , criticized the so-called "star gazers" (i.e. Communist Party sympathizers). Ironically, Jaros later became the first foreigner to receive the Order of Hero of the Soviet Union.
The 1st Independent Battalion was committed to the front in March 1943. On April 2, it saw its first major action at Sokolov, near Kharkov. Svoboda's troops were wedged between the Soviet 62nd and 25th Guards Rifle divisions. In the subsequent advance, Lieutenant Jaros was killed. Svoboda's troops nonetheless made a significant breach in the German lines. Benes sent his congratulations from London, and the Soviets awarded Svoboda the Order of Lenin.

From the Records of the Ceskoslovensky Armadi Sbov v SSSR, 1. (First Czechoslovakian Army).

Letters of Generals Khrushchev and Valutin, in which they praise the participation of Czechoslovak soldiers in the Charkov operation, and wish further success to the Corps.

Decree of the Presidium granting the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union" to Lieutenant Otakar Jaros.

Otakar Jaroš (1 August 1912 – 8 March 1943) was a Czech officer in the Czechoslovak army of the Soviet Union. He was killed in the Battle of Sokolovo and became the first foreign soldier decorated with the highest Soviet decoration, Hero of the Soviet Union.

Place of birth. Louny, Bohemia

Place of death Sokolovo, Soviet Union (today Ukraine)

Years of service. 1937-9 1942-3

Rank. Lieutenant (1937-9; Czechoslovak Army); First Lieutenant (1942-3; First Czechoslovak independent field battalion); Captain (in memoriam)

Commands held. Commander of signal platoon in Prešov (1937-9), Commander of the First Company, First Czechoslovak independent field battalion (1942-3)

Battles/wars Battle of Sokolovo

Awards Hero of the Soviet Union

Otakar Jaroš was born in Louny, Bohemia (Austria-Hungary, today the Czech Republic) into the family of a Czech railway engineer. When he was nine months old, his father was transferred to Mělník and the family followed him. Jaroš spent his childhood in Mělník and joined the Sokol and Scout organisations. These two organisations formed his physical skills and later fighting spirit.
Following Czech independence in 1918, Jaroš studied in grammar school, but he left and attended high school in electrotechnics. After graduation, he was drafted and served his basic military service in the 3rd Signals Brigade in Trnava. He attended the non-commissioned officers school for a year and finished as a corporal. Jaroš went on to attend the school for reserve officers in Turnov. Following the advice of his uncle, Colonel František Konopásek, Jaroš entered the military academy in Hranice. On 29 August 1937 he was appointed to the rank of sub-lieutenant. He served as the commander of a signals platoon in Prešov for a year.
After the 1938 Munich Agreement, Czechoslovakia was disunited. Jaroš returned to Mělník where the municipal office asked him to be the chief of police, which he refused. Instead, he worked for the post office in Náchod.

“ Germans are here, I would have to work against them and that would not end good. ”

—Otakar Jaroš when refusing job of police chief

Jaroš did not accept the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, and in the summer of 1939 he escaped to Poland where he joined a Czechoslovak legion in Krakow under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ludvík Svoboda. When Poland was defeated by the Nazis and its eastern parts were occupied by the Soviet Union, the legion fell on 17 September into Soviet captivity.

In the Soviet internment, Jaroš led the signals platoon and also the officer's school. In January 1940 he began serving as the radio operator of the Czechoslovak military mission, Moscow. After the German assault on the Soviet Union, the situation changed radically. In the rank of lieutenant (since October 1941), Jaroš, together with other Czech officers, became a constituent member of the First Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion in Buzuluk in 1942. He was made First Lieutenant and was in command of 1st Company (February 7, 1942).

During a German counteroffensive in February 1943, the Czechoslovak battalion was ordered to defend the frozen river in the vicinity of Kharkov. Jaroš's strengthened 1st Company took position in front of the river in the village of Sokolovo; the rest of the battalion and supporting Soviet units stayed behind the river. On the afternoon of 8 March, German armored troops with at least 14 tanks launched two attacks on Sokolovo. In the ensuing battle, 1st Company was almost annihilated, and Jaroš was killed. They were ordered to remain until reinforcements could arrive, but the supporting tanks could not cross the thawing river (the battalion's commander had neglected to take into account the terrain). Not until late that night were the remnants of 1st Company ordered to retreat, the further defence of Sokolovo having lost any value, as the unfrozen river no longer provided an avenue for the Germans to advance.

For his heroism Otakar Jaroš was posthumously promoted to captain, and on 17 April 1943 he was decorated with the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, the first member of a foreign army to be so honoured.

Other decorations:

Československý válečný kříž 1939 (Czechoslovak Military Cross), 13.3.1943
Order of Lenin, 17.4.1943
Sokolovská pamětní medaile (Commemorative medal of Sokolovo), 8.3.1948

[Taz]

Captain Vladislav W Wysotsky, Poland, 11/11/1943, #?
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Born in 1908, died 12.10.1943.
Porucznik (leutienant) since 1939.
He was imprisoned in the USSR, joined the Polish army in the USSR in May 1943.
Served in the Infantry and was promoted to Captain in October 1943.
He was the 3rd Battalion Commander of the Kościusz - Division.
Captain Vladislav W Wysotsky was killed whilst leading an Infantry Assaut during the battle for Orscha near Lenino in the Vitebsk-Orscha-Mogilev
area on 12.10.1943.
He was postumously awarded the "Hero of the Soviet Union" on 11/11/1943.

[Taz]

Private Aniela Tadeushevna Krzywo, Poland, (Nurse, Riflewoman, MG Gunner) , 11/11/1943, #?
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Private Aneila Tadeushevna Kzhivon, Polish, (1925-12/10/43) Awarded HSU 11/11/43
Only non Soviet female HSU Sacrificed her life to save her wounded comrades
and important headquarters documents when their truck was attacked by German planes.
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Aniela Krzywoń - 1925-1943
Szeregowiec (riadovoy) nurse in 1st fusilier komp., 1st bat. (E. Plater) 1st Inf. Div. (T. Kościuszko). Died in the battle of Lenino trying to save documents (other source says about saving wounded) from burning car of the div. hq. during a german bombardment.

[Taz]

Capt, Julius Hiobner, ( Juliusz Samsonovich Hibner) , Poland, 21/12/1943, #2232
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Early Years Before World War II
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A Polish Jew, Juluisz Samsonovich Hibner was born in 1912 in Grzymalow Tarnopolski, Poland, and along with the general education in a Polish Gymnasium, his parents gave him a traditional Jewish education. Upon graduation from Gymnasium, he entered the Lvov Polytechnical Institute, but he was expelled for activity in the Communist movement.
During the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), he went to Spain where he joined the International Dombrowski Brigade which fought with the Republican Army against the troops of General Franco. After the defeat of the Republic in Spain, he was interred by the French authorities and interned with other foreign soldiers who had fought in Spain - first in France, then in Algiers, and he succeeded in escaping from the camp and made his way to the Soviet Union.

World War II
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In May 1943, the Union of Polish Patriots-emerges first in Poland then in the USSR, they undertook with the aid of the Soviet Union, the formation of the Tadeusz Kosciuszko 1st Polish Division, under the command of General Z. Berling.
Hibner joined this division on Aug.15, 1943 and was appointed deputy commander of the first infantry regiment, and the combat training of the division was completed at the end of August.
Leading the division into battle, the command assigned it the task of breaking through the German defense in the Sysoyevo-Lenino region on the Byelorussian border, commanded by Captain Hibner, the 1st regiment launched an offensive on October 12, 1943, fighting their way across the Mereya River and occupying the enemy's first trench, and then the village of Tregubovo.
German fire rained down on one of the battalion's regiments causing considerable losses, and forcing them to his the dirt. Captain Hibner was the first to rise from the ground and rally his forces behind him. This surprise attack culminated with bayonet combat, and driving the Germans from the positions they had occupied. During the capture of Tregubovo, Capt. Hibner was seriously wounded in both legs, but refused to leave the battlefield, and continued to direct the attack until its completion.

Receiving the Award
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The Soviet government awarded honors and medals for courage and heroism to 243 officers and soldiers of the Kosciuszko First Infantry Division, and by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 11, 1943, three soldiers were awarded the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union." One of them was Captain Juliusz Samsonovich Hibner.

After the war, having reached the rank of Brigadier General, he retired and settled in Warsaw.

Article from April 2, 2000.
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Juliusz Hibner, who died six years ago, was also unwilling to talk about his order and title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Even his obituary didn't mention it. This was partly because he had supposedly received this highest Soviet distinction posthumously. In the Battle of Lenino, Polish forces established in the Soviet Union by Polish communists fought side by side with the Red Army. The event later became part of communist Poland's state mythology, and Stalin decided to honor three people killed in the battle: a woman (riflewoman Aniela Krzywoń was chosen), a prewar Polish Army officer (Capt. Władysław Wysocki) and a prewar communist (Hibner). The news of Hibner's death, who did sustain heavy injuries in battle, was premature. Through the rest of the war, Hibner had to put up with teasing from his colleagues. This has been confirmed by Col. Józef Światło, a high-ranking security official who escaped to the West in 1953 and passed on a lot of top-secret information to U.S. intelligence.

[Taz]

General Antonín Sochor, Czechoslovakia, 21/11/1943, #2854
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Antonín Sochor (16.7.1914 - 16.8.1950)
After the anexation of Czechoslovakia he was sent to work in Germany, he ran away and joined a Czech military unit.
He Fought near Zhashkov
He was awarded on the 21th December 1943 with Bursik and Tesarik for bravery during the liberation of Kiev.
After the Communists took power (1948) he died in strange circumstances ("car accident")

[Taz]

Tank Commander Lt. Richard Tesařík, Czechoslovakia, 21/12/1943, #1693
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Richard Tesařík (3.12.1915 - 27.3.1967)
Awarded his HSU on the 21th December 1943 with Bursik and Sochor for bravery during the liberation of Kiev.
After the Communists took power he was forced to leave the Army.

Richard Tesařík (December 3, 1915 - March 27, 1967) was a Czechoslovakian general and war hero. Holder of the Hero of the Soviet Union medal.

Czech athlete Štěpán Tesařík is his grandson.

Tesařík during WWII and the bust of Major-General Tesařík in Příbram

[Taz]

2nd Lt Josef Buršík, Czechoslovakia, 21/12/1943, #1692
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Josef Bursik (11.9.1911 - 30.6.2002)
Was awarded his HSU on 21th December 1943 with Sochor and Tesarik for bravery during the liberation of Kiev.
After 1948 he was persecuted by the Communists, and 1949-1955 in prison
In 1955 went into exile.
In 1968 he returned his Soviet awards at Soviet embassy in London as protest against the Soviet Occupation of Czechoslovakia in August 1968.
In books published in Communist Czechoslovakia till 1989 his name was not mentioned in the list of Czechoslovak HSU's.