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Sergeant Mariya Oktyabrskaya sold all her possessions to buy a T-34 tank after her husband was killed in battle in 1941. She named it "Fighting Girlfriend" and petitioned to drive it into combat herself. Given permission, she proved an exceptional tank driver and mechanic, fighting in several engagements and personally repairing her tank under fire multiple times. She was mortally wounded in January 1944 and died two months later. She was posthumously awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union. A Southampton Russian cultural group registered her story.
Biography (Russian)
Сержант Мария Октябрьская продала всё имущество и купила танк Т-34 после гибели мужа. Назвала его «Боевая подруга» и добилась разрешения сама им управлять. Отличный механик-водитель, она неоднократно ремонтировала танк под огнём. Смертельно ранена в январе 1944 года. Посмертно Герой Советского Союза.
Awards & Decorations
- ★Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumous)
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