Tag #148240 - Interview #95316 (Rahil Shabad)

Battles in the vicinity of Kursk [Kursk battle] [24] laid an imprint on me as there was a large flow of the wounded. We hardly ate and slept as there were constant operations. My legs were swollen because I had been standing by the operating table for a long time. I will always bear in mind forced crossing of Dnestr in fall 1943. Our troops were attacking. Our army was supposed to undergo forced crossing. We turned out to be in Rechitse [about 1500 km to the South-West from Moscow]. By that time I was acting chief of the department. We settled at school, not far from the river. I still remember the school building, where our hospital was positioned. I vividly remember the layout.  The entire 4-storied building was occupied with numerous wounded. The battles were fierce. Our troops managed to cross Dnestr, but could not go further as they were besieged. We operated on the school desks. We used kerosene or gasoline lamps instead of operation lamps. Suddenly one of the lamps fell and desks were on fire. I did not think of myself at that moment. I tried to admonish the wounded from knowing about the fire but they were panic-mongers. We tried hard to put out the fire by using our jackets and some of the convalescing patients were helping us. We managed to quench the fire and at that time the commandment came over to see us - army commander, front commander, several generals. I made the report on the situation. They looked at me and burst into laughter. I did not understand what was happening. It turned out that they were laughing at my face, dirty with soot. I was conferred Great Patriotic War Order of the second class [25] for quenching the fire.