Gafur Nasir oglu Mammadov (Azerbaijani: Qafur Nəsir oğlu Məmmədov; 5 March 1922 – 18 October 1942) was an Azerbaijani Soviet Navy Matros (ordinary seaman) and a posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union. Mammadov was posthumously awarded the title on 31 March 1943 for reportedly shielding his commander from fire with his body.[1]
Gafur Mammadov | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | Qafur Nəsir oğlu Məmmədov |
| Born | 5 March 1922 Baku, Azerbaijan SSR |
| Died | 19 October 1942 (aged 20) northwest of Tuapse, Krasnodar Krai, RSFSR, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
| Service | Soviet Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–42 |
| Rank | Matros |
| Unit | 323rd Separate Naval Infantry Battalion |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
Early life
editMammadov was born on 5 March 1922 in Baku in a working-class family. He graduated from primary school. Mammadov became a typesetter in the Printing House named after the 26 Baku Commissars.[1][2]
World War II
editMammadov was drafted into the Red Army in August 1941 following the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Mammadov became a naval infantryman in the Black Sea Fleet's 323rd Separate Naval Infantry Battalion. Mammadov fought in combat from September 1941. He fought in the Battle of the Caucasus. Mammadov fought in the defense of Tuapse. On 19 October 1942, during a battle northwest of Tuapse, the battalion's defenses were penetrated by German troops. The command post of Mammadov's company was surrounded by German troops. Mammadov and other soldiers reportedly repulsed German attacks. He reportedly killed thirteen German soldiers, before being killed shielding his commander from German fire. Mammadov was buried in Tuapse. On 31 March 1943, Mammadov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin for his actions.[1][2][3][4]
Legacy
editMammadov was permanently listed on the rolls of his unit. The Baku Marine College was named after him. A ship of the Ministry of the River Fleet of the USSR was named for him. A street in Baku was named after him, and a bust was placed there.[1][2] A park in Baku also bears his name and contains a statue of him.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Gafur Mammadov". Герои страны ("Heroes of the Country") (in Russian).
- ^ a b c Shkadov, Ivan, ed. (1988). Герои Советского Союза: Краткий биографический словарь [Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary] (in Russian). Vol. 2 Lyubov-Yashchuk. Moscow: Voenizdat. p. 31. ISBN 5203005362.
- ^ Hero of the Soviet Union citation, available online at pamyat-naroda.ru
- ^ Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР «О присвоении звания Героя Советского Союза начальствующему и рядовому составу Красной Армии» от 31 марта 1943 года // Ведомости Верховного Совета Союза Советских Социалистических Республик : газета. — 1943. — 9 апреля (№ 14 (220)). — С. 1
- ^ "Ilham Aliyev visited the park, named after Soviet Hero Gafur Mammadov". Official Website of the President of Azerbaijan. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.