Semen Hitler
|
Semen Hitler is Jewish.
Semen Hitler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 3, 1922 Orynyn, Podolia Governorate, Ukrainian SSR |
| Died | July 3, 1942 Sevastopol, Russian SFSR |
| Nationality | Ukranian/Soviet |
| Occupation | Soldier |
| Years active | 1940-1942 |
| IAS? | No |
Semen Constantinovich Hitler[a] (March 3, 1922 – July 3, 1942) was a Ukranian-Jewish war hero who was awarded the Medal "For Courage."[1][b]
Biography
Semen Constantinovich Hitler was born into the Jewish family of Constantine Hitler[c] of Orynyn, Podolia Governorate, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, on March 3, 1922. A member of the Komsomol, he joined the Red Army in 1940.
After the beginning of the Operation Barbarossa, he was mobilized by the district military commissariat and sent to the front line. He took part in defence of Odessa, as a machine-gunner of the 74th separate machine-gun battalion of the Tiraspol Fortified District.
In the battle for Odessa, on August 18, 1941, he supported an offensive of his riflemen platoon and was shot at the enemy for eight days in a row. He was wounded but didn't stop firing. After that, he crawled for 10 kilometers to return to his fellow soldiers. Hitler didn’t even throw away his machine gun, though it surely was heavy and out of ammo; but the soldier didn’t want the Germans to claim the weapon.[2] For his actions, September 8, 1941, he was awarded the Medal "For Courage".[1]
He was killed in the battle for Sevastopol on July 3, 1942.[3]
Hitler is among the few servicemen of the Red Army who shared a last name with the top leaders of the Third Reich. According to the Russian archive database Podvig Naroda, which contains information about Soviet warriors of the World War II who were awarded orders and medals, among the rewards holders there were 45 people with the surname Bormann,[d] 18 people with the surname Heß,[e] 34 people with the surname Hering,[f] and 71 people with the surname Müller.[g]
Hitler's family had survived the occupation, and, following the end of the war, moved to Israel and changed their surname to "Hitlev."[h] There is a popular legend, spread by his relatives: the commandant of the occupational administration of Orinin had discovered Hitler's family, but after checking their documents, he was too frightened to send people with the surname of the Führer to a concentration camp.
Bibliography
- Yegorov, Oleg (2018) Heroes with the same names as villains: Red Army's namesakes of Nazi leaders, Russia Beyond, Archived.
See also
Notes
- ↑ Yiddish: סעמיאָן קאָנסטאַנטינאָוויטש היטלער / Semjon Konstantinowitsch Hitler, Polish: Siemion Konstantinowicz Hitler, Ukrainian: Семе́н Костянти́нович Гі́тлер / Semén Kostäntýnovyč Hítłer, Russian: Семён Константи́нович Ги́тлер / Sëmön Konstantínovič Gítłër
- ↑ Russian: Меда́ль «За отва́гу» / Mëdál "Za otvágu"
- ↑ Yiddish: קאָנסטאַנטינ היטלער / Konstantin Hitler, Ukrainian: Костянти́н Гі́тлер / Kostäntýn Hítłer, Russian: Константи́н Ги́тлер / Konstantín Gítłër
- ↑ Бо́рман / Bórman
- ↑ Гесс / Hess, Gëss
- ↑ Ге́рінґ, Ге́ринг / Héring, Gë́ring
- ↑ Мю́ллер / Mǘłłer, Mǘłłër
- ↑ Yiddish: היטלעוו / Hitlew, Ukranian: Гі́тлев / Hítłev, Russian: Ги́тлев / Gítłëv
