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Ilya Melenevsky, my brother, who was called up in 1939, survived the war and returned home (to Leningrad) only in 1947, because after the end of the war his regiment was sent to Japan, in Manchzhuria. During the war we got no news about Ilya and only in 1945 we received a letter from him with a photo (rusme006.jpg) made in Mongolia, in a photographic studio. In this photo he is sitting at the table with a friend of his. On the back side of the photo he wrote: «There is nothing else to relieve the monotony here - sometimes we have to resort to cognac and champagne, though we dream about something else. Ilya. Moukdek. 1945».
During the war he was at Byelorussian at first, then at the 3rd Ukrainian and at the 4th Ukrainian fronts. Later, when Germans approached Ukraine, they retreated through Kerch, across that very strait, which is now talked over so much. And this is the way they fell back: at first my brother was a tankman, and later he became a driver of a «Willis» car. When retreating, he and his comrade (a guy from Eysk city) were ordered to take out all money from Kerch bank and hide it under water. While they were getting the money, while they were drowning it, our troops had already left Kerch. Then they unearthed two electrical poles, strapped them up and used them to sail acroos the Kerch strait to come up with their regiment.
On their way across the strait they were caught in a fishing net (the day before it was used by fishermen). Germans nipped at them, and our guys (several boats) got them out to save. And they saved them. But later our troops recaptured Kerch, and my brother found himself in Kerch again, and then they had to fall back from this city for the second time. Later he was at the 4th Ukrainian Front, in Romania and in Czechoslovakia. He finished war in Czechoslovakia. And that guy from Eysk they served together and sailed across that strait, was killed.
During the war he was at Byelorussian at first, then at the 3rd Ukrainian and at the 4th Ukrainian fronts. Later, when Germans approached Ukraine, they retreated through Kerch, across that very strait, which is now talked over so much. And this is the way they fell back: at first my brother was a tankman, and later he became a driver of a «Willis» car. When retreating, he and his comrade (a guy from Eysk city) were ordered to take out all money from Kerch bank and hide it under water. While they were getting the money, while they were drowning it, our troops had already left Kerch. Then they unearthed two electrical poles, strapped them up and used them to sail acroos the Kerch strait to come up with their regiment.
On their way across the strait they were caught in a fishing net (the day before it was used by fishermen). Germans nipped at them, and our guys (several boats) got them out to save. And they saved them. But later our troops recaptured Kerch, and my brother found himself in Kerch again, and then they had to fall back from this city for the second time. Later he was at the 4th Ukrainian Front, in Romania and in Czechoslovakia. He finished war in Czechoslovakia. And that guy from Eysk they served together and sailed across that strait, was killed.
Period
Location
Russia
Interview
Alexandra (Shifra) Melenevskaya