This group belonged to Senior Lieutenant Konstantin Vladimirovich Vasiliev of the Soviet Army Logistics Corps.  Born in 1908, he joined the Army in 1930. specializing in combat-unit resource allocation.  

He arrived on the Front in June of 1942, with the units of the 23rd Tank Corps, shortly after the battle of Kharhov.  Immediately upon their arrival, they were thrust back into combat, fighting on the South-Western Front, and in July, transferring to what would become the infamous Stalingrad Front.  

Here, the Brigade became a 'Headquarters Unit' for tank brigades which had been destroyed in combat.  It would reform the existing units, and send them back out in combat.  By October 1942, the Corps consisted of five tank Brigades- with no tanks!

That month, they were evacuated across the Volga River, and were reformed.  In December, the 23rd Corps went back to the front, serving on the South-Western Front.

At this point, Lieutenant Vasiliev was transferred to the 3rd Tank Brigade, where he would remain for the remainder of the War. 

On the South-Western and Donbass Fronts, the Corps saw heavy fighting as part of the 3rd Guards Army.  Taking heavy losses, the Corps went into the Reserve of the Southwestern Front in March 1943.  

By August 1943, they had been reformed, and took part in the advance on the Dnepr River.  

In October 1943, they were transferred to the Western Ukraine Front, and in June 1944, were transferred to the 2nd Ukrainian Front, fighting the Germans through the Ukraine and into southeast Europe. 

While here, Lieutenant Vasiliev was awarded his medal "For Military Merit", with the following citation:

    "While serving in the Brigade's logistical support unit, he has demonstrated himself as an industrious and dependable officer.

    "He has maintained the unit's combat material inventory at top levels.  As a result, there has never been a shortage of material within the Brigade. 

    "He is intuitive and acts with great foresight, meeting the material needs of the unit's soldiers and officers without delay.  He has an excellent reputation among his subordinates.  He takes an active part in the unit's morale and political life..."

From July through October 1944, the 23rd Corps was paired with the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps in Gorshkov's Cavalry Mechanized Group for the Iasi-Kishinev Operation, and the advance through Romania into Hungary.  Through these battles, the unit was awarded the titles of "Chaplinskii" and the awards of the "Order of Kutuzov Second Class" and "Order of the Red Banner".  

While advancing, he was awarded his second award, the Order of the Red Star:

    "For his work in the Technical Materiel Company, Third Tank Brigade, he has demonstrated himself as an outstanding specialist.  During the unit's combat actions, he has maintained the uninterrupted supply of allocations to the soldiers and officers of the unit.  

    "Comrade Vasiliev continually submits his required reports on time, whatever the battle conditions the Company was in at the time.  The inventories of the units materiel are in top order.

    "For his excellent work, he deserves to be awarded the Order of the Red Star."

The unit continued with their push, through Budapest, and up through Vienna.  Here, they ended the war in May 1945 in the Reserves of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.  

During their combat history, the Third Tank Brigade was awarded twelve personal commendations from the Supreme Commander, Comrade Stalin.  While on occupation duty in Austria after the War, they printed small booklets out of 'liberated' paper, each page a miniature representation of the commendation from Stalin.  Each of these commendations were individually filled out for each member of the unit, and were presented to him by name. 

Additional photos of Vasiliev's Group