Women tankers of World War II. Alexandra Boyko
Destinies and stories all women tankers who took part in the Great Patriotic War are unusual in their own way. The case of Alexandra Leontyevna Boyko (Morisheva) is also unique. During the war, she fought in heavy tank IS-2 with her husband. Alexandra Boyko - Soviet tanker, guard lieutenant technician, participant in the Great Patriotic War, holder of orders of the Patriotic War I and II degree, Honorary citizen of the city of Magadan.
In the difficult war years, Alexander Boyko, along with her husband Ivan Boyko, contributed personal savings to the Defense Fund. In total, they handed over 50 thousand rubles to build a tank for the needs of the Red Army. After that, they appealed to the Supreme Commander with a request to send them to the front together. In the army they went as part of the crew of a heavy tank EC-2. At the same time, Alexandra was appointed commander of the tank, and her husband - a mechanic-driver of a formidable fighting vehicle.
Alexandra Leontievna Morisheva was born in 1918 in the city of Belebey of the Bashkir ASSR. After graduating from the Kiev Chemical Technology College in 1938, she began working as a chemist at a distillery in her native Bashkiria. In the 1940 year under the contract she arrived at work in Magadan. Here she worked as a watch-keeper at the Dalstroy office of the general supply office. Then she met her future husband, and from 1940, she began to wear the name Boyko.
Boyko Ivan Fedorovich was born in 1912 in the city of Nizhyn, located in the Chernihiv region. From 1927 to 1933 he worked in Ukraine as a fitter-combiner, and then served in the naval navy in the Far East. After demobilization from the fleet, he worked at the Magadan motor depot at Yaroslavts, transporting goods along the Kolyma highway. I had to carry a lot: equipment for factories, power plants, mines, parts of machinery, industrial devices for mines. For his work he was noted with letters of appreciation and gratitude, and also had the sign "Excellent-Dalstrovets." He worked in the state trust "Dalstroy" as a driver from 1938 to February 1943.
War Young family Boyko met in Magadan. In 1942, Ivan Boyko, as the best chauffeur, included representatives of Dalstroy in the delegation, which went to the front with a train of gifts for the Red Army soldiers. Returning home from this trip, he told his wife how hard it was there at the front, on the "big land". So the young decided to make their own contribution to the victorious outcome of the war and gave 50 000 rubles of personal savings to the Defense Fund. In addition, they sent a letter to Stalin asking him to allow them to fight in a tank built on handed over money. They received a response from the Supreme Commander in February 1943 of the year. The telegram from Stalin was rather laconic: “Thank you, Alexandra Leontievna and Ivan Fedorovich, for taking care of the Red Army. Your wish will be fulfilled. Accept my greetings. ” With the permission of Stalin, the spouses Boyko were able to enter the Chelyabinsk Tank School.
In November 1943, they were able to graduate from the Chelyabinsk Tank School under the accelerated program, and in the rank of junior technician-lieutenants were enlisted in the reserve. At the same time, they again had to write letters and reports, but this time already with requests for their prompt dispatch to the front. However, they could only get there in May 1944 of the year, after they received a new Soviet heavy tank IS-2 under Tula. At the same time, Alexander Boyko became the commander of a formidable vehicle, and her husband was a tank driver. The couple were sent to the 48-th separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, which was part of the 5-th tank corps. A distinctive feature of the car they received was the inscription “Kolyma” located on board the tank. Also, according to some information, a plate with information about the name machine was even attached inside the EC-2 tank.
From May 1944 to May 1945 they took part in the regiment’s hostilities in the Baltic states, Poland, and the victory was celebrated in Czechoslovakia. The tanker couple received their baptism of fire during the Rezhetsko-Dvina operation. 25 July 1944, the crew of the IS-2 Kolyma tank managed to distinguish itself in battles near the village of Malinovka. In this battle, Boyko managed to destroy one Tiger tank and two enemy guns. At the same time, Alexander Boyko herself in the battle was slightly wounded. For this fight, the girl was presented to the Order of the Patriotic War, I degree, and her husband, Ivan Boyko, to the Order of the Red Banner.
In the order of awarding Alexandra Boyko, it was emphasized that she skillfully led the crew of the tank, gave target designation, looked for targets. In this battle, Comrade Boyko was wounded, showed courage, courage and bravery. Despite being wounded, she remained in the ranks, and a day later, during the counteroffensive of the Germans, she was able to show herself as a talent for tank ambushes. EC-2 Boyko accurate fire managed to damage the enemy self-propelled gun.
According to the memoirs of Marshal of the Soviet Union A.I. Eremenko, tankers managed to bypass Daugavpils, they cut the railway and highway leading to Riga, which created favorable conditions for storming the city. On the night of 27 July 1944, the Soviet troops with a sudden throw were able to reach the near approaches to the outskirts of Riga. In the morning, German troops attempted a counterattack, but were met with heavy fire from ambushes. In one of these ambushes there was also a heavy tank of the spouses Boyko, who with his fire was able to disable the self-propelled gun of the Germans.
6 August 1944 in the Sovinformburo report said that the tank crew, in which the commander was junior technician-lieutenant Alexander Boyko, and the driver junior technician-lieutenant Ivan Boyko, in two weeks of continuous battles could destroy 5 enemy tanks and 2 his guns. In September of the same year, Alexander Boyko was temporarily sent to Moscow, where she was able to speak at the IV antifascist rally. At the same time, her portrait was published on the cover of the popular Soviet magazine Ogonek.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the glorified, but now former tankers, again returned to their native Magadan. At the same time, Ivan Fedorovich worked in this city 7 for years as deputy head of the 4 car depot, and Alexandra Leontievna worked as a bakery director. Twice they were both elected as deputies of the Magadan City Council of Workers' Deputies (in 1947 and in 1953).
In the middle of 1950, life was arranged in such a way that their paths diverged. However, they have repeatedly met at the general gatherings of fellow soldiers, liberators. In 1989, veterans were invited to celebrate the 50 anniversary of Magadan - the city of their eternal memory. Currently, their names are inscribed in the glorious cohort of honorary citizens of this city. The title “Honorary Citizen of the City of Magadan” spouses were awarded together 4 December 1991 of the year.
After 1954, Alexandra Boyko lived in the Krasnodar Territory in the city of Apsheronsk. She was awarded two orders of the Patriotic War of the first and second degrees (1944 and 1985 year, respectively), numerous medals. She died in 1996 year.
Information sources:
http://www.magadangorod.ru/index.php?newsid=294
http://www.tankfront.ru/ussr/nominal_tanks/crew_boiko.html
http://veche-info.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=704
http://worldoftanks.ru/ru/news/pc-browser/12/female_face_of_tank_forces
In the difficult war years, Alexander Boyko, along with her husband Ivan Boyko, contributed personal savings to the Defense Fund. In total, they handed over 50 thousand rubles to build a tank for the needs of the Red Army. After that, they appealed to the Supreme Commander with a request to send them to the front together. In the army they went as part of the crew of a heavy tank EC-2. At the same time, Alexandra was appointed commander of the tank, and her husband - a mechanic-driver of a formidable fighting vehicle.
Alexandra Leontievna Morisheva was born in 1918 in the city of Belebey of the Bashkir ASSR. After graduating from the Kiev Chemical Technology College in 1938, she began working as a chemist at a distillery in her native Bashkiria. In the 1940 year under the contract she arrived at work in Magadan. Here she worked as a watch-keeper at the Dalstroy office of the general supply office. Then she met her future husband, and from 1940, she began to wear the name Boyko.
Boyko Ivan Fedorovich was born in 1912 in the city of Nizhyn, located in the Chernihiv region. From 1927 to 1933 he worked in Ukraine as a fitter-combiner, and then served in the naval navy in the Far East. After demobilization from the fleet, he worked at the Magadan motor depot at Yaroslavts, transporting goods along the Kolyma highway. I had to carry a lot: equipment for factories, power plants, mines, parts of machinery, industrial devices for mines. For his work he was noted with letters of appreciation and gratitude, and also had the sign "Excellent-Dalstrovets." He worked in the state trust "Dalstroy" as a driver from 1938 to February 1943.
War Young family Boyko met in Magadan. In 1942, Ivan Boyko, as the best chauffeur, included representatives of Dalstroy in the delegation, which went to the front with a train of gifts for the Red Army soldiers. Returning home from this trip, he told his wife how hard it was there at the front, on the "big land". So the young decided to make their own contribution to the victorious outcome of the war and gave 50 000 rubles of personal savings to the Defense Fund. In addition, they sent a letter to Stalin asking him to allow them to fight in a tank built on handed over money. They received a response from the Supreme Commander in February 1943 of the year. The telegram from Stalin was rather laconic: “Thank you, Alexandra Leontievna and Ivan Fedorovich, for taking care of the Red Army. Your wish will be fulfilled. Accept my greetings. ” With the permission of Stalin, the spouses Boyko were able to enter the Chelyabinsk Tank School.
In November 1943, they were able to graduate from the Chelyabinsk Tank School under the accelerated program, and in the rank of junior technician-lieutenants were enlisted in the reserve. At the same time, they again had to write letters and reports, but this time already with requests for their prompt dispatch to the front. However, they could only get there in May 1944 of the year, after they received a new Soviet heavy tank IS-2 under Tula. At the same time, Alexander Boyko became the commander of a formidable vehicle, and her husband was a tank driver. The couple were sent to the 48-th separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, which was part of the 5-th tank corps. A distinctive feature of the car they received was the inscription “Kolyma” located on board the tank. Also, according to some information, a plate with information about the name machine was even attached inside the EC-2 tank.
From May 1944 to May 1945 they took part in the regiment’s hostilities in the Baltic states, Poland, and the victory was celebrated in Czechoslovakia. The tanker couple received their baptism of fire during the Rezhetsko-Dvina operation. 25 July 1944, the crew of the IS-2 Kolyma tank managed to distinguish itself in battles near the village of Malinovka. In this battle, Boyko managed to destroy one Tiger tank and two enemy guns. At the same time, Alexander Boyko herself in the battle was slightly wounded. For this fight, the girl was presented to the Order of the Patriotic War, I degree, and her husband, Ivan Boyko, to the Order of the Red Banner.
In the order of awarding Alexandra Boyko, it was emphasized that she skillfully led the crew of the tank, gave target designation, looked for targets. In this battle, Comrade Boyko was wounded, showed courage, courage and bravery. Despite being wounded, she remained in the ranks, and a day later, during the counteroffensive of the Germans, she was able to show herself as a talent for tank ambushes. EC-2 Boyko accurate fire managed to damage the enemy self-propelled gun.
According to the memoirs of Marshal of the Soviet Union A.I. Eremenko, tankers managed to bypass Daugavpils, they cut the railway and highway leading to Riga, which created favorable conditions for storming the city. On the night of 27 July 1944, the Soviet troops with a sudden throw were able to reach the near approaches to the outskirts of Riga. In the morning, German troops attempted a counterattack, but were met with heavy fire from ambushes. In one of these ambushes there was also a heavy tank of the spouses Boyko, who with his fire was able to disable the self-propelled gun of the Germans.
6 August 1944 in the Sovinformburo report said that the tank crew, in which the commander was junior technician-lieutenant Alexander Boyko, and the driver junior technician-lieutenant Ivan Boyko, in two weeks of continuous battles could destroy 5 enemy tanks and 2 his guns. In September of the same year, Alexander Boyko was temporarily sent to Moscow, where she was able to speak at the IV antifascist rally. At the same time, her portrait was published on the cover of the popular Soviet magazine Ogonek.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the glorified, but now former tankers, again returned to their native Magadan. At the same time, Ivan Fedorovich worked in this city 7 for years as deputy head of the 4 car depot, and Alexandra Leontievna worked as a bakery director. Twice they were both elected as deputies of the Magadan City Council of Workers' Deputies (in 1947 and in 1953).
In the middle of 1950, life was arranged in such a way that their paths diverged. However, they have repeatedly met at the general gatherings of fellow soldiers, liberators. In 1989, veterans were invited to celebrate the 50 anniversary of Magadan - the city of their eternal memory. Currently, their names are inscribed in the glorious cohort of honorary citizens of this city. The title “Honorary Citizen of the City of Magadan” spouses were awarded together 4 December 1991 of the year.
After 1954, Alexandra Boyko lived in the Krasnodar Territory in the city of Apsheronsk. She was awarded two orders of the Patriotic War of the first and second degrees (1944 and 1985 year, respectively), numerous medals. She died in 1996 year.
Information sources:
http://www.magadangorod.ru/index.php?newsid=294
http://www.tankfront.ru/ussr/nominal_tanks/crew_boiko.html
http://veche-info.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=704
http://worldoftanks.ru/ru/news/pc-browser/12/female_face_of_tank_forces
Information