- Maria Baida
Maria Baida (
February 1 ,1922 -August 30 ,2002 ) ( _ru. Мария Карповна Байда) was aWorld War II scout inCrimea . When she was surrounded byWehrmacht submachine gunners, she fought a heated gun battle against them, killing fifteen, wounding several more, and routing the rest, escaping wounded.Fact|date=December 2007 She received the military award ofHero of the Soviet Union . Her surname is sometimes spelled as "Bade" in English, but "Baida" is a more accurate spelling.Biography
In 1936, she left high school in the city of Jankoi without completing her studies. She worked on a state run farm, in a hospital, and then in a cooperative society in of the village of Voinka, near Krasnoperekopskogo. In 1941, she joined the
Red Army .Maria Baida was a
nurse in the 2nd Battalion of 514th Regiment, 172nd Shooting Division of Red Army of the North Caucasian front, the seniorsergeant . From September 1941 or was present at or near the front lines.Fact|date=December 2007The decree of Presidium of the Supreme body of the USSR from June, 20th, 1942 reads (a loose translation follows), "for exemplary performance of fighting tasks of command, both showing courage and heroism in fighting fascist aggressors, to Senior Sergeant Maria Karpovne Baida is awarded the rank of "Hero of Soviet Union," with delivery of an award of Lenin and a medal, with a Gold Star . . . "
On July, 12th, 1942, after being severely wounded, Maria Baida was taken prisoner and sent to
Slavuta concentration camp inUkraine and later Ravensbruck. She was released from captivity by the American forces on8 May 1945 .After WWII, she was discharged from military service. For many years, she headed the
Sevastopol city department of civil registration, and she was repeatedly selected the deputy of city council. In 1976, she was recognized as a Hero and an Honourable Citizen of the of town of Sevastopol.References
*Salmonson, Jessica Amanda.(1991) "The Encyclopedia of Amazons." Paragon House. Page 27. ISBN 978-1-55778-420-9
* [http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=1666 Website of Russian warheroes]
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