Page 24 - Excerpts from the diary

visible, but any German is not shown outside.
Wrote letters to mother, Lyalyushke, the father, the aunt Ania with the verse Odessa, to Tretiak a note letter
and Lapina.

05.23.1944

The first incident extraordinary at the front is parcels. For the first time for service in the Red Army I was lucky to
receive a decent parcel from peace Soviet citizens: fat piece, cookies, paper. Inhabitants about the Hospital 34
cities of Odessa sent. Answered them with the letter. But, of course, everything that inhabitants of Odessa sent,
was not in parcels. And in today's party of parcels, except paper and soap, at all nothing appeared. The first
parcels were though in unpacked, but sacks. But yesterday's had even no sacks, and paper in which they were
wrapped was torn. It is clear, that sacks or bags to whom parcels were sent were unpacked also a half if it is no
more, contents in them, is stolen. Bags were opened, is obvious, so ugly that it was impossible to hold them more.
And these bastards persons serving in rear were forced to close up them with paper, but also that was repeatedly
developed and all was torn, and contents fell out outside. Hardly it managed to me to make six more or less
decent of nine parcels and to transfer to fighters. In one of parcels there was a note in which it was written about
socks and kerchiefs nasal, sent to the fighter. Nothing it, of course, appeared one paper, envelopes and soap. So
persons serving in rear of a regiment of a division take away the last pleasure, entertainment and a joy of our
shooters, impudently plunder even parcels. So in some parcels there were small brushes, jars for soap, edges, and
razors did not turn out and so forth and so forth.
Zabortsev at himself in a company cleans too that is possible, expelling from the room of fighters, unpacks and
takes away values. In the first day it was inconvenient to him most to manage. He expelled all coherent, all who
bore parcels, having said that remain only he and the party organizer, that is I. Under the pretext of distribution of
parcels he opened everyone, took away to himself kerchiefs, pocket mirrors, hairbrushes, candies, matches,
pencils, toilet soap, tooth brushes and powder, paste and other that else survived from rear robbers. It was terribly
inconvenient to me to be present at this business, but I could not do anything. It is impossible to complain too and
there is no place. He tried to bribe me a pocket mirror, paper, pencils, etc., but I took nothing. I after all accepted
one pocket mirror from his hands all the same he would give it to someone the same rascal as.
Today he decided not to call me at all. But I understood according to fighters, from a type of parcels and from his
conversation, as today he rummaged all parcels. Now still brought. If I had an opportunity itself to accept parcels,
at least from a regiment! And today fighters will be left with nothing. 16 parcels in two days could be reduced and
even without dismantling, for five to a half, and with her and that remained less.
The second, not less important emergency disembarkation of Germans on the right flank in a defense area [...]
battalion and the address them in flight of the whole company 8. Careless people overslept and allowed Germans
on the coast, but they besides were cowards and escaped. Two soldiers of PTR which remained on the place are
presented to the Glory award. The fight finally ended two wounded from our side and two from Germans.

05.24.1944

Yesterday during my watch one machine gunner hard wounded the first lieutenant from the 88th part which again
arrived and impudently located without the consent of command. Wounded died. He, appears, threatened our
machine gunner that will shoot him and shouted «Jump in a trench. Now to you're in deep trouble!». But deep
trouble he received. The fighter selflessly protected the wood which the villain wanted to take away even if at the
price of death of the first lieutenant. All fighters and commanders, including 2 company commanders, with
satisfaction noted that the fighter because this deputy battalion commander all hated wellmade: he beat fighters
with the handle of the revolver, threatened many fighters and commanders without the reason with execution.

There was a deaf dark night. I passed a trench on arrangement of a company, checking vigilance of sentries and