Photo of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Major of the Red Army Air Force M.S. Tokarev, 1943

The original photo is in excellent condition. The size is 55*84 mm. Guarantee of authenticity.

Moses Stepanovich Tokarev (1913-1943) was an ace pilot, commander of the 862nd Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 217th Fighter Aviation Division of the 4th Air Army of the Transcaucasian Front, Major. Hero of the Soviet Union. He was born on November 9, 1913 in the mining village of Yuzovka, Bakhmut district, Yekaterinoslav province (now Donetsk, Ukraine) in a working-class family. The Ukrainian. He graduated from an incomplete secondary school and a factory apprenticeship school. In the Red Army since 1933. In 1936 he graduated from the Kharkov Military Aviation College. Then he served in the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army. Participant of the Soviet-Finnish war. He was awarded the medal "For Bravery" for his military services.

On July 27, 1941, M. S. Tokarev paired up with seven Bf 109s in an I-16. He personally shot down two enemy planes, but he was also wounded. His plane caught fire and went down, but M. S. Tokarev managed to jump out of the burning car. The parachute opened almost at the ground. The pilot fell in no man's land near the front line and lost consciousness. He was taken to the hospital, where he regained consciousness. From the beginning of the war to the end of 1941, M. S. Tokarev flew 105 combat sorties (35 of them for attacking enemy troops, 10 for reconnaissance flights deep into enemy lines, 6 for escorting his bombers, and 54 times flew patrols and cover for his troops, facilities and airfields). He conducted eight aerial battles, in which he personally shot down 7 enemy aircraft (5 Bf-109 fighters and 2 Ju-88 bombers). In 1942, the regiment was re-equipped with modern LaGG-3 aircraft at that time. M. S. Tokarev retrained for new machines. In May 1942, he was appointed commander of the 862nd IAP, so he supervised the training of his subordinates. On July 1, 1942, the regiment was sent to the front as part of the 217th IAD of the 4th Air Army of the Northern Group of Forces of the Transcaucasian Front. During three and a half months of fighting in the Caucasus, Major M. S. Tokarev flew 55 sorties, shot down three enemy aircraft and two more in a pair. In total, by September 21, 1942, he had flown 160 combat sorties to attack enemy concentrations, and in 32 air battles he personally shot down 10 and 2 enemy aircraft in a group. By Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to the commanding and ordinary personnel of the Red Army" dated December 13, 1942, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for "exemplary performance of combat missions of the command at the front of the struggle against the German invaders and his bravery and heroism." (No. 830).

On December 26, 1942, M. S. Tokarev was appointed commander of the 131st IAP (transformed by order of the USSR People's Commissar of Defense No. 64 dated February 08, 1943 into the 40th Guards iap), commanding which he took part in the Battle of Kursk.  On July 8, 1943, in the area of the city of Stary Oskol, Belgorod region, the commander of the 40th Guards IAP (8th Guards iad, 5th IAK, 2nd Air Army, Voronezh Front) Guards, Major M. S. Tokarev shot down four enemy aircraft in an air battle, but he himself was wounded. After landing the plane at the location of the tank unit, he got out of the plane and died. According to other sources, upon returning from a combat mission, he was suddenly attacked by a pair of German hunter fighters and shot down, and the dogfight was invented later to justify the death of the regimental commander. He was buried in the city of Stary Oskol.