—— Back in the Regiment ——123own. Only I was idle; I made up for lost sleep and food and read
voraciously. I read everything that came to hand – from various
medical guides to school textbooks. Apart from me there were
only a few lying in the medical section at that time; the division
was not in any active engagements at the time.
In the evenings, when our ‘family’ gathered again in the
spacious premises, we sang songs, had heart to heart talks and even
danced. We were especially fond of listening to Military Assistant
Ivan Mikhailovich Vasilyev. He had a remarkable voice and knew
many fine songs, but the songs that had emerged from the war were
particularly popular. Those able to do so sang along with him, but
usually he sang solo to the accompaniment of an accordion played
in virtuoso style by Medical Assistant Ivan Matuzko.
But however good it was with friends in the medical section,
my heart yearned for the front line, for real work. A week later,
without waiting for the prescribed period, I convinced the head of
the section, Major Polikarpov, to let me go back to the regiment.
The same day I found myself in the 1st Company and taking on my
new responsibility – a rifle platoon.
The company commander was a native of Tambov. Senior
Lieutenant Pyotr Andreyevich Shilov had been called up from
reserve back during the Soviet–Finnish War, and had remained
in the forces of the NKVD. The garrison which he commanded
was protecting the railway bridge across the Sestra river on the
Karelian Isthmus. That was where Pyotr Andreyevich was when
the Great War for the Fatherland started. A man of rare courage,
fair and calm in service, Shilov was liked by the troops and was
on good terms with those in command over him. The political
adviser in the company was Senior Lieutenant Lapko, one of the
early Party recruits and a representative of the Kirov works, an
intelligent and daring officer. My deputy platoon commander was
a lad from Leninakan, Sergo Kazarian, who was also a sniper and
a good trainer.
Through our joint efforts Sergo Kazarian and I quickly put our
second platoon in order. We began by deepening and strengthening