User:EX690662/sandbox/Pyotr Desnitsky

Pyotr Pavlovich Desnitsky (Пётр Павлович Десницкий; 13 July 1911 19 September 1993) was a Soviet aviator awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his actions in the Spanish Civil War.

Biography
Desnitsky was born on 13 July 1911 to a Russian peasant family in Novenkoye village. He had 9 years of education in school and in school of factory and plant apprenticeship. After entering the Red Army in 1933 he went on to graduate from a school of junior aviation specialists before being sent into combat.

He participated as volunteer in Spanish Civil War. He flew in Zachari Zachariev's crew in a Potez 542 bomber. On 30 October 1936, the bomber was damaged during a combat flight, fell behind and had to fight four enemy fighters alone. Despite being heavily wounded, gunner-radioman Desnitsky continued firing and downed one of the attacking fighters. The damaged bomber made a forced landing between second and third lines of Republican trenches. The crew managed to reach friendly forces under enemy fire and carry the wounded with them.

In 1941 Desnitsky graduated from Air Force Academy, and then command staff improvement courses in 1942 before entering World War II.

Since 1948 he was in the reserve. He dwelt in Ivnya, Belgorod Oblast. During the 1980s he moved to his relatives in Zheleznodorozhny, Moscow Oblast, where he lived for the remainder of his life. He died on 19 September 1993 and was buried in the Purshevskoye Cemetery.

Awards

 * Hero of the Soviet Union (31 December 1936)
 * Order of Lenin (31 December 1936)
 * Order of the Patriotic War 1st class (11 March 1985)
 * campaign and service medals

Memory

 * Pyotr's name is inscribed in golden letters in the Hall of Glory of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow.
 * One of the main streets in Ivnya is named after him.
 * A commemorative plaque is installed on the house where Desnitsky lived.