In the winter of 1943-44, when the Nazis made a brutal decision: to use the pupils of the Polotsk orphanage # 1 as donors. The wounded German soldiers needed blood. Where can I get it? For Soviet children, the first to defend boys and girls was the director of the orphanage Mikhail Stepanovich Forinko. 
Of course, for the invaders, pity, compassion and, in general, the very fact of such atrocities did not matter, so it was immediately clear: these were not arguments. But the reasoning became weighty: how can sick and hungry children give good blood? No, they don't have enough vitamins or even iron in their blood. In addition, there is no firewood in the orphanage, the windows are broken, it is very cold. Children catch colds all the time, and patients - what kind of donors are they? Children should first be cured and fed, and only then used. The German command agreed with this "logical" decision. 
Mikhail Stepanovich proposed to transfer the children and employees of the orphanage to the village of Belchitsy, where a strong German garrison was located. And again, iron, heartless logic worked. The first, disguised step to save the children was taken ... And then a big, thorough preparation began. The children were to be transferred to the partisan zone and then transported by plane. And on the night of February 18-19, 1944, 154 children from the orphanage, 38 of their educators, as well as members of the underground group "Fearless" with their families and partisans of the Shchors detachment of the Chapaev brigade left the village. The kids were from three to fourteen years old, and that's it - that's it! - were silent, they were afraid to even breathe. The older ones carried the younger ones. Those who did not have warm clothes were wrapped in scarves and blankets. Even three-year-old kids understood the mortal danger - and were silent ... In case the fascists understand everything and set off in pursuit, partisans were on duty near the village, ready to join the battle. And in the forest, a sleigh train was waiting for the children - thirty carts. 
The pilots were very helpful. On the fateful night, knowing about the operation, they circled over Belchitsy, diverting the attention of the enemies. The kids were warned: if flares suddenly appear in the sky, they must immediately sit down and not move. During the journey, the column landed several times. Everyone had reached the deep partisan rear, and now the children had to be evacuated to the front line. This had to be done as quickly as possible, because the Germans immediately discovered the "loss". It became more and more dangerous to be with the partisans every day. But the 3rd Air Army came to the rescue, the pilots began to take out the children and the wounded, at the same time delivering ammunition to the partisans. Two aircraft were allocated, under the wings they attached special capsule-cradles, which could accommodate several additional people. Plus, the pilots flew out without navigators - this place was also saved for passengers. In general, more than five hundred people were taken out during the operation. But now we will talk about only one flight, the very last one, which took place on the night of April 10-11, 1944. 
Lieutenant Alexander Mamkin was carrying the children of the guard. He was 28 years old. A native of the village of Krestyanskoe in the Voronezh region, a graduate of the Oryol financial and economic college and the Balashov school. By the time of the events in question, Mamkin was already an experienced pilot. Behind his shoulders - no less than seventy night flights to the German rear. That flight was for him in this operation (it was called "Zvezdochka") not the first, but the ninth. Lake Vechelje was used as an airfield. We also had to hurry because the ice became more and more unreliable every day. The R-5 plane accommodated ten children, their teacher Valentina Latko and two wounded partisans.
At first everything went well, but when approaching the front line, Mamkin's plane was shot down. The front line was left behind, and the R-5 was on fire ... If Mamkin were alone on board, he would have gained altitude and jumped out with a parachute. But he was not flying alone. And he was not going to give up the death of boys and girls. It was not for this that they, who had just begun to live, fled on foot at night from the Nazis in order to break. And Mamkin was driving the plane ...
The flame reached the cockpit. The temperature melted the flight goggles, sticking to the skin. Clothes, a headset were on fire, it was hard to see in the smoke and fire. Only bones slowly remained from the legs, and there, behind the pilot, there was a cry. The children were afraid of fire, they did not want to die. And Alexander Petrovich flew the plane almost blindly. Overcoming the hellish pain, already, one might say, legless, he still stood firmly between the children and death. Mamkin found a site on the shore of the lake, not far from the Soviet units. The partition that separated it from the passengers had already burned out, and some of the clothes began to smolder.
But death, swinging a scythe over the children, could not lower it. Mamkin did not. All passengers survived. Alexander Petrovich in a completely incomprehensible way was able to get out of the cabin himself. He managed to ask: "Are the children alive?" And I heard the voice of the boy Volodya Shishkov: “Comrade pilot, don't worry! I opened the door, everyone is alive, we go out ... ”And Mamkin lost consciousness.
The doctors could not explain how a man could drive the car, and even put it safely in, in whose face glasses were melted, and only bones remained from his legs? How could he overcome the pain, shock, with what efforts did he keep consciousness? 
The hero was buried in the village of Maklok in the Smolensk region. From that day on, all the fighting friends of Alexander Petrovich, meeting already under a peaceful sky, drank their first toast
“For Sasha!”… For Sasha, who grew up without a father since the age of two and remembered his childhood grief very well. For Sasha, who loved boys and girls with all his heart. For Sasha, who bore the surname Mamkin and himself, like a mother, gave the children life.
Memories of children, participants of the "Fire Flight"
In the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" dated 01.01.01, we found the memoirs of the participants in the "Fire Flight" In the article "The Word for the Saved" we read the following lines.
“I am the same teacher who flew with the children on Alexander Mamkin's plane.
The image and feat of Sasha will remain forever not only in my heart. His image will always live in the heart of my son Anatoly, who flew with me. Now he already has his own family and often tells his son about his savior.
Yes, this man sacrificed everything to save us. The moment the plane caught fire, he could jump with a parachute. But he brought the plane, burning like a torch, to the mainland.
I tell my students about his feat. I try to make them as modest, honest, sensitive to people as Sasha Mamkin was - a real war hero. "
V. Girovka. Orekhovko village, Vitebsk region:
“I, a participant in this flight, one of the wounded, was under the left wing of the plane, which was piloted by Sasha Mamkin. I was seriously injured and therefore I do not remember the face of this brave man. But in my heart there is an unquenchable memory and unpaid gratitude to the hero. "
Foreign locksmith - repairman of the Minsk Tractor Parts Plant:
“Alexander Mamkin. What a pity that I barely remember the person to whom I owe my life. I was then five years old.
I remember the snow, the plane, the terrible crash and impact on the ground, the bushes lit by the flames. Then the dugout. And a burnt man. Delirious, torn somewhere. I did not understand that he was dying, having accomplished a wonderful feat. Much later, I learned that Russian pilot Alexander Mamkin died heroically, saving the lives of Belarusian children - orphanages, from whom the Nazis were going to literally pump out blood for their soldiers.
And now a little about those who, like me, live because a courageous man Alexander Mamkin lived in the world. Both of my sisters have received a pedagogical education and teach at school. Other members of the "fire voyage"? I think they will also respond, because the memory of Alexander Mamkin is infinitely dear to us - a man who will always live in our hearts.
The more we learned about the pilot - the hero, the stronger, it was insulting for the words "what a hero he is." Yes, you just had to add "He is the faithful son of his Fatherland."
And recently a letter came from the veteran of the Great Patriotic War, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Anatoly Ivanovich Avakumov. He sent notebooks with copies of letters from children flying on the plane of Alexander Petrovich Mamkin.
The children wrote to their teacher Valentina Stepanovna Latko who was flying with them. In all letters the children thank Alexander Petrovich. I would like to cite lines from a letter from Vladimir Shishkov, a boy who was taught by the pilot how to act in case of unforeseen situations. This is what helped the kids to escape.
“I flew in this plane of Alexander Petrovich Mamkin. I, Valentina Stepanovna, sat behind the pilot, the only one open, that is, Alexander Petrovich and I. He died and even regained consciousness, I know that. But he is a real hero, I saw it all, I saw his courage, willpower, his energy and everything, just to land the plane on the ground and save us. I saw how he was wounded, how he was engulfed in flames, but he did everything to keep us alive, although he had a parachute. Yes, everything is erased from memory a little, except for the flight, I think you, your son and everyone who flew and is now alive will not be forgotten to death. And so, Valentina Stepanovna, I think that our dear Alexander Petrovich really deserves the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. I think that we need to contribute to this, because we can tell a lot about him and his flight. You were adults on that flight, and I am the eldest of the children, and I alone was not closed, Mamkin will not tell about himself. We need to tell. "
Vladimir wrote this letter to adults, having children. It was written on March 31, 1965. The country met the 20th victorious May. 20 years is not a short period. How much love do we see in these lines, and how much pain? Many years have passed since that "Fiery Flight", and the saved children convey their deep love and a feeling of gratitude to their children and grandchildren. It costs a lot.
During the Great Patriotic War, hundreds of our brave pilots, like Nikolai Gastello, made fiery rams. They directed their burning cars at the accumulations of enemy troops and equipment, at fascist transports, bridges, ships, railway stations ... We can only guess how the burning living flesh responded to the decision of the brain - to ram! After all, no matter how terrible it is, a desperate act became a deliverance from pain and torment ...
But Alexander Mamkin, carrying children from partisans to the mainland in his burning plane, was deprived of the opportunity to end his suffering at once. Flames licked his entire body, but he knew that he must hold out to the end, must carry his priceless burden. In the history of the Great Patriotic War, his feat remained unparalleled ...
On the night of April 10-11, 1944, the pilot Mamkin was returning from another flight to the German rear. The night was clear, moonlit; A German fighter noticed a P-5 with tail number 02-03 crawling towards the front line and fired at it. The engine caught fire, smoke began to fill the cockpit, followed by flames. The instructions were supposed to check the height and jump. The pilot of the 1st transport-bomber squadron of the 105th Guards Separate Aviation Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet (Civil Air Fleet - that is, Aeroflot), Lieutenant Mamkin, did not follow the instructions.
... At the end of 1943, the command of the Polotsk-Lepel partisan zone learned that the Germans found a rational use for the Slavic children in their power - even though they belong to "inferior tribes", their blood is quite suitable for saving the wounded soldiers of the Fuhrer. One of the sources of fresh blood was to be the contingent of the Polotsk orphanage, which did not manage to evacuate in due time. At the time in question, there were more than 150 children in it, aged from 3 to 14 years.
However, the Belarusian underground members of the Fearless group and the partisans of the Shchors detachment from the Chapaev brigade managed to leave the Germans without children's blood. The leadership of the orphanage convinced the local occupation authorities that it is better to fatten up sick and malnourished children first on the village bread. As a result, the children were taken to the partisan forests.
In the spring, taking advantage of the fact that nature and climate slowed down the 1st Baltic Front, the Germans decided to put an end to the Belarusian partisans, concentrating huge forces. The front commander, Ivan Khristoforovich Baghramyan, ordered: the forces of the 3rd air army to help the partisans, to take out the children. Operation "Zvezdochka" was launched, during which more than 200 children and 314 wounded partisans were taken to their own people, and the partisans themselves received 90 tons of ammunition and special cargo.
On the night of April 10-11, 1944, pilot Mamkin flew in for the children for the ninth time. The newsreel (yes, special groups of cameramen were sent to the partisans to record what was happening for history and future generations) preserved footage of the loading of children on his plane. Lake Vechelje was used as an airfield, but the ice was getting thinner, and it was necessary to hurry.
Surprisingly, but true: Mamkin managed to squeeze ten children, their teacher Valentina Latko, and two adult wounded partisans into Mamkin's plane. The pilot lifted the car and took it to his own. But on approaching the front line he came under fire from a German "night light".
The pilot crossed the front line in an already burning car. The engine was burning, the flame reached the open cockpit. High fur boots and a jumpsuit with parachute straps were burning, a helmet was charred, and glasses of flight goggles began to melt in the fire. The burning pilot found a suitable site and successfully landed the plane. The first to get out of it was the elder boy Volodya Shishkov. He and the soldiers who ran up dragged all the passengers out of the plane; the partition separating the cockpit was burned out, and some of them had their clothes smoldering.
Pilot Mamkin got out of the cockpit himself, but overboard his legs, charred to the bone, refused to serve him. Before losing consciousness, he asked a single question: "Are the children alive?" The pilot was taken to the hospital, but nothing could be done. The doctors could not explain how a man could drive the car, and even put it safely in, in whose face glasses were melted, and only bones remained from his legs? How could he overcome the pain, shock, with what efforts did he keep consciousness? On April 17, pilot Mamkin died.
Fighting friends buried him at the walls of the church in the village of Maklok. After the war, his remains were reburied at the Lidova Gora memorial cemetery in Velizh.
Children rescued during Operation Zvezdochka at the 105th Guards Airfield. OAP GVF.
Newsreels with the pilot Mamkin and the children were included in the films "People's Avengers", "The Road without Halt", the epic "The Great Patriotic War" (4th episode). In the seventh film of Belarusian documentary filmmakers in the series “War. The Known and the Unknown ”plot, dedicated to Mamkin and children, begins at the 13th minute.
On this day, August 28, 1916, Alexander Petrovich Mamkin was born - a guard lieutenant, a civil pilot and just a man with a capital letter, who once sacrificed his life and accepted a painful death, saving children from the Nazis ...
The events that will be discussed took place in the winter of 1943-44, when the Nazis made a brutal decision: to use the pupils of the Polotsk Orphanage No. 1 as donors. The wounded German soldiers needed blood.
Where can I get it? In children. The first to defend the boys and girls was the director of the orphanage Mikhail Stepanovich Forinko. Of course, for the invaders, pity, compassion and, in general, the very fact of such atrocities did not matter, so it was immediately clear: these were not arguments.
But the reasoning became weighty: how can sick and hungry children give good blood? No way. They do not have enough vitamins in their blood or at least the same iron. In addition, there is no firewood in the orphanage, the windows are broken, it is very cold. Children catch colds all the time, and patients - what kind of donors are they?
Children should first be cured and fed, and only then used. The German command agreed with this "logical" decision. Mikhail Stepanovich Forinkooffered to transfer children and employees of the orphanage to the village of Belchitsy, where a strong German garrison was located. And again, iron, heartless logic worked.
The first, disguised step to save the children was taken ... And then a big, thorough preparation began. The children were to be transferred to the partisan zone and then transported by plane.
And on the night of February 18-19, 1944, 154 children from the orphanage, 38 of their educators, as well as members of the underground group "Fearless" with their families and partisans of the Shchors detachment of the Chapaev brigade left the village.
The children were from three to fourteen years old. And that's all - everything! - were silent, they were afraid to even breathe. The older ones carried the younger ones. Those who did not have warm clothes were wrapped in scarves and blankets. Even three-year-old kids understood the mortal danger - and were silent ...
In case the fascists understand everything and set off in pursuit, partisans were on duty near the village, ready to join the battle. And in the forest, a sleigh train was waiting for the children - thirty carts. The pilots were very helpful. On the fateful night, knowing about the operation, they circled over Belchitsy, diverting the attention of the enemies.
The kids were warned: if flares suddenly appear in the sky, they must immediately sit down and not move. During the journey, the column landed several times. Everybody got to the deep partisan rear.
Now the children had to be evacuated to the front line. This had to be done as quickly as possible, because the Germans immediately discovered the "loss". It became more and more dangerous to be with the partisans every day. But the 3rd Air Army came to the rescue, the pilots began to take out the children and the wounded, at the same time delivering ammunition to the partisans.
Two aircraft were allocated, under the wings they attached special capsule-cradles, which could accommodate several additional people. Plus, the pilots flew out without navigators - this place was also saved for passengers. In general, more than five hundred people were taken out during the operation. But now we will only talk about one flight, the very last.
It took place on the night of April 10-11, 1944. Lieutenant Alexander Mamkin was carrying the children of the guard. He was 28 years old. A native of the village of Krestyanskoe in the Voronezh region, a graduate of the Oryol financial and economic college and the Balashov school.
By the time of the events in question, Alexander Mamkin was already an experienced pilot. Behind his shoulders - no less than seventy night flights to the German rear. That flight was for him in this operation (it was called "Zvezdochka") not the first, but the ninth. Lake Vechelje was used as an airfield. We also had to hurry because the ice became more and more unreliable every day. The R-5 plane accommodated ten children, their teacher Valentina Latko and two wounded partisans.
At first everything went well, but when approaching the front line, Mamkin's plane was shot down. The front line was left behind, and the R-5 was on fire ... If Mamkin were alone on board, he would have gained altitude and jumped out with a parachute. But he was not flying alone. And he was not going to give up the death of boys and girls. It was not for this that they, who had just begun to live, fled on foot at night from the Nazis in order to break.
And Mamkin was flying the plane ... The flame reached the cockpit. The temperature melted the flight goggles, sticking to the skin. Clothes, a headset were on fire, it was hard to see in the smoke and fire. From the legs, only bones slowly remained. And there, behind the pilot, there was a cry. The children were afraid of fire, they did not want to die.
And Alexander Petrovich flew the plane almost blindly. Overcoming the hellish pain, already, one might say, legless, he still stood firmly between the children and death. Mamkin found a site on the shore of the lake, not far from the Soviet units. The partition that separated it from the passengers had already burned out, and some of the clothes began to smolder.
But death, swinging a scythe over the children, could not lower it. Mamkin did not. All passengers survived. Alexander Petrovich in a completely incomprehensible way was able to get out of the cabin himself. He managed to ask:
“Comrade pilot, don't worry! I opened the door, everyone is alive, we go out ... "
And Alexander Petrovich Mamkin lost consciousness. The doctors could not explain how a man could drive the car, and even put it safely in, in whose face glasses were melted, and only bones remained from his legs?
How could he overcome the pain, shock, with what efforts did he keep consciousness? The hero was buried in the village of Maklok in the Smolensk region. From that day on, all the fighting friends of Alexander Petrovich, meeting already under a peaceful sky, drank their first toast:
For Sasha, who grew up without a father from the age of two and remembered his childhood grief very well. For Sasha, who loved boys and girls with all his heart. For Sasha, who bore the surname Mamkin and himself, like a mother, gave the children life.
Curriculum Vitae:
Alexander Petrovich Mamkin, guard lieutenant. Born in 1916 in the village of Krestyanskoe, Voronezh region. From 1931 he worked on a collective farm, in 1934 he entered the Oryol Financial and Economic College. In 1936, as part of the 9th enrollment, he entered the Balashov school of the Civil Air Fleet. In 1938 he became a candidate member of the CPSU (b). After school he worked in the Tajik department of the Civil Air Fleet.
Since 1942, as part of the 105th Guards. The OAP GVF made at least 70 night flights to the German rear to the partisans on the P-5 aircraft.
On the night of April 10-11, 1944, he landed a burning plane with evacuees from the German rear (10 children, 3 adults) on its territory; died of burns on April 17. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner (see), the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st century, the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" of the 1st century. He was buried in Velizh, Smolensk region.
Awards for Alexander Petrovich Mamkin:
To the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree was introduced on August 22, 1943. In the petition, in the section "Brief, concrete statement of personal military feat or merit" there is the following entry:
“During the Patriotic War, I flew 74 sorties, of which 15 sorties at night with partisans' landing and 22 sorties at night for dropping with landing on their territory. Delivered 3240 kgr to the partisans. Ammunition, 16 military men, and took out 24 wounded partisans. Often exposed to fire from enemy anti-aircraft artillery, flying in difficult meteorological conditions, he always performs excellent combat missions, while showing courage and courage. On July 26, 1943, carrying out a combat mission of the headquarters of the Kalinin Front's Partisan Movement to transfer radio operators with walkie-talkies and ammunition to the partisans in the Selyavshchyna region. I got into a difficult meteorological situation, continuous fog, low clouds. Perfectly mastering the piloting technique, flying the plane according to the instruments, broke through the clouds exactly over the target and skillfully landed on the partisan site, completing the combat mission on time and without incident. During his work at the front, he has not had a single incident. For the courage and courage shown in the performance of the combat missions of the Command, I apply for an award to Comrade Mamkin with the Order of the "Patriotic War of the 1st Degree" Commander of the 1st AE of the 2nd OTD. Aviation regiment of the Civil Air Fleet Major Fedotov.
To the Order of the Red Banner Mamkin A.P. was presented This is also evidenced by the entry in the award list:
“In February, March 1944, performing 3-4 sorties per night with partisans landing, completing all the tasks perfectly, for which the Order of the 1st PBF Troops was given gratitude. AP Mamkin deserves to be awarded the Order of the Red Banner for the excellent performance of combat missions, the command for liaison with partisan brigades behind enemy lines, for personal courage and courage shown in the performance of these missions.
Order to the troops of the First Baltic Front No. 000 of ... Mamkin AP awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Base: TSAMORPH, f 33 op. d 4022, No. 16.
"In a copy of the letter from the Chief of Staff of the 105th OGAP Civil Air Fleet to the head of the personnel department of the Main Directorate of the Civil Air Fleet dated 01.01.01, No. 000 appears to lieutenant Alexander Petrovich Mamkin, who was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously)."
In the archival reference of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation received from the city of Podolsk from 01.01.01 for No. 11/72804 there is the following entry:
“Council of Veterans of 105 Guards. a separate air regiment went out with a petition to confer the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to Mamkin A.P. posthumously. Rejected from awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, in x.632 ".
From the memories of a fellow soldier E. M. Shirshova
In the article "A Moment of Feat", there is a recollection of the feat of Alexander Petrovich Mamkin, his fellow soldier, squadron party organizer E. M. Shirshov, who personally took part in the execution of combat missions. In the course of one, he was seriously wounded, as a result of which his arm was amputated. From the memoirs of E.M. Shirshov, it became known:
“During the years of study at the financial and economic technical school of the Komsomol State Committee, he made his own adjustments to the life of the Komsomol member Mamkin. In accordance with the decree of the Central Committee of the Komsomol, AP Mamkin was selected to the group of the best Komsomol members of the city and sent to study at a flight school.
Educational matters were going well. As an excellent student, he justly served as an example for his comrades. Especially technical subjects were easy for him. Sometimes, in self-study lessons, he was so carried away that he involuntarily became a consultant in technical disciplines. The cadets of the training group always crowded around him. Regardless of the time, he always helped those who lagged behind, took them in tow and brought them to the number of successful students in technical subjects. They said about him: our Mamkin always has a soul for plowing.
He was a generous person in big and small - in all his life. "
We also learned from the memoirs that:
“The most significant event in my life,” as Mamkin said about it, “was the day when the secretary of the city party committee handed me a candidate card for number 000 ..”
This is also evidence of excellent studies and social activities. At that time, few of the cadets were awarded such a high honor and confidence of the party collective. Trust had to be gained by excellent studies, hard work, active participation in the social life of the school, and high discipline. In short, it was necessary to be an example in everything.
“The demands were high and not all of us at that time could reach their heights,” wrote a fellow soldier.
Also from the memoirs of E.M.Shirshov it became known that Alexander Petrovich did not look for easy ways in life. Despite the fact that he, as an excellent student, was given the right to a wide choice of place of work. Again I return to the memories of a fellow soldier:
“In the final certification of the flight school, it was noted that the cadet Mamkin Alexander Petrovich was devoted to the Motherland. Can serve as a model example. Morally stable, alert. Works to improve his political knowledge. By word and personal example, he directs his comrades to solve the problems at hand. He is active in public life, enjoys business authority. He is the initiator of theoretical conferences. By nature, decisive, initiative. She is an excellent student. Maybe an instructor. "
This extremely compressed document, which has survived to this day, provides a business and political characterization of Alexander Petrovich. There is no higher rating for accounting than “can be an instructor”. This was the highest mark of a flight school graduate. Alexander Petrovich did not use his right to choose a place of work.
To the question of the commission on the distribution of flight personnel, where he asks to send him to work, Mamkin, without hesitation, replied:
"Point where I am needed."
So after graduating from flying school in 1939, he was assigned to work in the Tajik Civil Air Fleet Directorate. It seems to me that it was the Komsomol voucher that made a turn in his life, became the event that turned life abruptly, becoming, as it were, the main starting point of his life.
After successfully graduating from the flight school, Alexander Petrovich flew for three years in the Tajik, and then in the Uzbek civil air fleet. Despite the difficult flight conditions in the republics of Central Asia, he quickly got used to it, became a pilot. Already in the first year of work, he earned a positive response. In less than three years of work, he managed to fly 1,700 hours without flight violations and transfer over two hundred tons of mail and cargo. There was a lot of hard work behind this. Alexander Petrovich became the winner of the competition. His work was appreciated as shock, and the photo was placed on the stand of the foremost workers of the flight division competition.
“This was the first recognition of his small contribution to the fulfillment of the pre-war five-year plan,” I read in the memoirs of a fellow soldier.
From the memoirs of fellow soldier Georgy Ivanovich Sinichenkin
From the memoirs of the veteran of the 105th Aviation Regiment Georgy Ivanovich Sinichenkin from 01.01.01 we learned that in the first years of the war, Alexander Petrovich Mamkin was at the front as part of the 120th separate Guards Order of Alexander Nevsky Instenburg Aviation Regiment G.V.F. in flight work, and Georgy Ivanovich in technical work. Subsequently, A.P. Mamkin and his other comrades were transferred to service in the 105th separate Guards Order of Alexander Nevsky of the Panevezys Aviation Regiment of G.V.F., which was part of the 3rd Air Army.
A fellow soldier wrote:
“Just as the sun is reflected in a drop of water, the combat work of our air regiment was reflected in the heroic deed of the pilot Mamkin. The communist pilot Alexander Petrovich Mamkin made seventy night sorties to the rear of the enemy, to the partisans. He delivered twenty thousand kilograms of ammunition to the people's avengers and took two hundred and eighty seriously wounded partisans to the “mainland”.
He experiences every news from the front, his soul hurts for the future of the country. Unwittingly, his words "Alarming reports from the front burned my heart" again.
From the archival reference of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation dated 01.01.01
No. 1.2.23-97GA:
In the report of the commander of the first transport and bomber air squadron of the 105th OGAP Civil Air Fleet to the commander about the combat work for April 1944 in the section "Combat work of flight personnel"indicated:
"Guards. Lieutenant A.P. Mamkin is an excellent pilot, a modest comrade. He flew more than 70 combat missions with partisans landing. "
“On April 11 at night on a P-5 plane, returning to the base from the Vechelje partisan site, not reaching the front line, he was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The plane caught fire in the air at high altitude. Mamkin's face, arms and legs burned in flames that engulfed his clothes. On board the plane there was a parachute that he could use, but he did not allow this thought, there were 13 Soviet people on the plane, whom he undertook to take out from the enemy's rear - 2 wounded partisans were being taken to be treated, and a woman with 10 little guys freed by partisans from certain death in German slavery, it was necessary to deliver to their native land unharmed. Under enemy fire on a burning plane, burning himself, he flew to his territory, descended and landed. "
Memoirs of the teacher of the orphanage Valentina Stepanovna Latko.
The plan of the operation to rescue about two hundred children and adults from the orphanage was developed in detail at the headquarters of the Polotsk - Lepel partisan unit. The operation was named "Zvezdochka".
The operation to save the children was entrusted to the Shchors and Chapaev detachments of the Chapaev partisan brigade. The operation was carried out in several stages. At first, the children were to be transported to the partisan village, and then to the mainland. It was necessary to evacuate urgently, since by the fall of 1943 the Germans began to show special interest in the Polotsk orphanage.
The commandant of the city of Demel was interested in the number of pupils, their age, health, nationality. Guerrilla intelligence learned that the children are planning to be donated to wounded German soldiers and officers. There were many kids in the orphanage. I had to carry them in my arms.
By agreement with Moscow, on the day of the evacuation, Soviet planes flew over Belchitsy several times, distracting the German garrison. The operation was carried out under cover of darkness and was successful. The children were brought to the partisan village of Emelyanniki. They fed him a little and transported him to the village of Ushachu, and then by plane to the mainland.
Experienced pilots Dmitry Kuznetsov and a native of the Krestyansky farm of the Repyevsky district, Mamkin Alexander Petrovich, were instructed to deliver the children to the mainland.
For their "heads" the Hitlerite command promised a large reward in the amount of 50 thousand marks, an estate with a large allotment of land and peasants, as well as a military order - the "iron cross".
Valentina Stepanovna recalls that before making the flight, Alexander Petrovich Mamkin came to meet the children, to cheer them up. Addressing Valentina Stepanovna, he said:
“Don't worry, everything will be fine. I will safely deliver you to the mainland. I perfectly understand that I am taking children. He himself grew up an orphan. I promise you will do everything possible to bring the children to the place unharmed. "
Alexander Petrovich taught the older boy Volodya Shishkov how to open hatches and disembark passengers. Then he placed Volodya in the rear cockpit, and Valentina Stepanovna and nine children in the fuselage, two wounded partisans in cassettes similar to torpedo tubes. Volodya Shishkov, who was sitting in the rear cockpit, then spoke about what was in the air. Flames suddenly flared up ahead, and the noise of the engine cut off. Apparently, the shell cut off the gas line and the engine started to burn. The flame is getting closer to the cockpit. Fire and pungent smoke make it difficult to navigate.
Alexander Petrovich was also wounded in the arm. The pilot's clothes are on fire. An inhuman effort had to be made to land the plane. Silence and fire. This is what Valentina Stepanovna saw when she climbed out of the hatch that Volodya Shishkov opened. He said that Alexander Petrovich Mamkin, losing consciousness, managed to shout:
Run away from the plane!
“Oh, how useful what the pilot Mamkin taught the guys in training before the flight. They quickly dropped off the kids and ran to the darkening forest. As soon as they reached the forest, the plane exploded. "
When they found Alexander Petrovich Mamkin, he was unconscious, his clothes were still burning in some places. He was sent to the hospital.
“For five days the regiment lived with the hope for the life of a comrade. In those April days, the regiment's political department organized the daily issue of a special bulletin. The bulletin multiplied and was delivered to all squadrons of the regiment on the same day. From it, the personnel learned about the state of health of A.P. Mamkin, about the children he saved, about the wounded partisans, about the strength of the human spirit and about the meaning of the hero's feat. One of the bulletins said:
“Straining all his strength, overcoming the excruciating pain of severe wounds and burns, Comrade AP Mamkin confidently piloted the burning plane and managed to land it.”
In those sorrowful days, the commander wrote:
"The heroic deed of Alexander Mamkin teaches the flight crew of the regiment high courage and devotion to the Motherland."
We read these lines in the memoirs of fellow soldiers. The pilot could not be saved. He was buried in the village of Chukhinino.
In the 50s, the pilot's ashes were transferred to the city of Velezh, Smolensk region. They were reburied at the memorial military cemetery on Ledova Gora in the mass grave of the soldiers of the Soviet Army, who died a heroic death in the struggle against the Nazi invaders. On Lake Bolnyr, at the place where the plane of Alexander Petrovich Mamkin landed, a modest monument is displayed on it.
Memories of children, participants "Fiery Flight"
In the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" dated 01.01.01, we found the memoirs of the participants in the "Fire Flight" In the article "The Word for the Saved" we read the following lines.
“I am the same teacher who flew with the children on Alexander Mamkin's plane.
The image and feat of Sasha will remain forever not only in my heart. His image will always live in the heart of my son Anatoly, who flew with me. Now he already has his own family and often tells his son about his savior.
Yes, this man sacrificed everything to save us. The moment the plane caught fire, he could jump with a parachute. But he brought the plane, burning like a torch, to the mainland.
I tell my students about his feat. I try to make them as modest, honest, sensitive to people as Sasha Mamkin was - a real war hero. "
V. Girovka. Orekhovko village, Vitebsk region:
“I, a participant in this flight, one of the wounded, was under the left wing of the plane, which was piloted by Sasha Mamkin. I was seriously injured and therefore I do not remember the face of this brave man. New in my heart is the inextinguishable memory and unpaid gratitude to the hero. "
Foreign locksmith - repairman of the Minsk Tractor Parts Plant:
“Alexander Mamkin. What a pity that I barely remember the person to whom I owe my life. I was then five years old.
I remember the snow, the plane, the terrible crash and impact on the ground, the bushes lit by the flames. Then the dugout. And a burnt man. Delirious, torn somewhere. I didn’t understand that he was dying having accomplished a wonderful feat. Much later, I learned that Russian pilot Alexander Mamkin died heroically saving the lives of Belarusian children - orphanages, from whom the Nazis were going to literally pump out blood for their soldiers.
And now a little about those who, like me, live because a courageous man Alexander Mamkin lived in the world. Both of my sisters have received a pedagogical education and teach at school. Other members of the "fire voyage"? I think they will also respond, because the memory of Alexander Mamkin is infinitely dear to us - a man who will always live in our hearts. "
The more we learned about the pilot - the hero, the stronger, it was insulting for the words "what a hero he is." Yes, you just had to add "He is the faithful son of his Fatherland."
And recently a letter came from the veteran of the Great Patriotic War, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Anatoly Ivanovich Avakumov. He sent notebooks with copies of letters from children flying on the plane of Alexander Petrovich Mamkin.
The children wrote to their teacher Valentina Stepanovna Latko who was flying with them. In all letters the children thank Alexander Petrovich. I would like to quote lines from a letter from Vladimir Shishkov, a boy whom the pilot taught how to act in case of unforeseen situations. This is what helped the kids to escape.
“I flew in this plane of Alexander Petrovich Mamkin. I, Valentina Stepanovna, sat behind the pilot's back, the only one open, that is, Alexander Petrovich and me. He died and yes, he regained consciousness, I know that. But he is a real hero, I saw it all, I saw his courage, willpower, his energy and everything, just to land the plane on the ground and save us. I saw how he was wounded, how he was engulfed in flames, but he did everything to keep us alive, although he had a parachute. Yes, everything is erased from memory a little, except for the flight, I think you, your son and everyone who flew and is now alive will not be forgotten to death. And so, Valentina Stepanovna, I think that our dear Alexander Petrovich really deserves the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. I think we need to contribute to this, because we can tell a lot about him and his flight. You were adults on that flight, and I am the eldest of the children, and I alone was not closed, Mamkin would not tell about himself. We need to tell. "
Vladimir wrote this letter to adults, having children. It was written on March 31, 1965. The country met the 20th victorious May. 20 years is not a short period. How much love do we see in these lines, and how much pain? Many years have passed since that "Fiery Flight", and the saved children convey their deep love and a feeling of gratitude to their children and grandchildren. It costs a lot.
However, the feat of Alexander Mamkin did not become a popularly known example of supermanhood. Although after the publication in Komsomolskaya Pravda on February 11, 1965, the article "Fire Flight" and the article "Because he lived in the world" on March 17, many schools began to fight for the name of the hero-pilot, although poems and stories were published about him. As if only "Golden Star" introduces the hero into the galaxy of legendary Alexander Matrosov, Nikolai Gastello, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, Viktor Talalikhin ... As if a hero without a "star" and not a hero at all ... And I wanted to return to the history of a forgotten feat.
On the night of April 10-11, 1944, Guard Lieutenant Alexander Mamkin, a pilot of the 105th Guards Aviation Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet (GVF), already on the seventh flight took out from the enemy's deep rear the orphans of the Polotsk orphanage, rescued by Belarusian partisans from the fate of donors for wounded Nazis. Above the front line, the plane was fired upon, the cockpit was on fire. Mamkin burned alive, but continued to drive the car to his own people under crying, he managed to put it on the ice of a lake near the town of Velizh.
The regiment's medics did not understand how a man in a burning overalls could drive a car, how could a man in a burning overalls drive a car, how he could drive a car in melted canned glasses and in a fumes, clouding the cabin, land and cross the half-burnt body, step ... The oldest boy of the kids, Volodya Shishkov, opened the cabin door. Together with the teacher Valentina Latko, he carried out the frightened kids and two seriously wounded partisans.
Friends of Sasha Mamkin, and among them my father, the commander of the partisan squadron Nikolai Ivanovich Zhukov, all post-war meetings began, without clinking glasses, with a toast: “To Sasha! Let him be calm there. " His successful landing was explained by his great experience of night and blind flights, and his extraordinary courage was explained by the fact that Sasha drank the dashing of fatherlessness from the age of two: pity for disadvantaged children turned out to be stronger than the pain from burns. The hero was buried in the village of Maklok, in the 1960s he was reburied in Velizh, in the mass grave of the Lidova Gora memorial.
By a lucky chance, on the day of Sasha's last flight, Moscow cameramen arrived at the partisan airfield. They managed to take off, as the broad-shouldered pilot with a kind smile was sitting on the plane emaciated, poorly dressed in homemade clothes and shoes, kids. Our television and today quite often shows these footage on the International Children's Day, without naming, however, the name of the pilot. But they were included in the film of Belarusian documentary filmmakers “A Road Without Halt” in the early 1960s, their name was given.
IT IS WRONGLY REPORTED THAT FOR HIS FEAT ALEXANDER PETROVICH MAMKIN WAS AWARDED WITH THE ORDER OF THE RED BANNER (PERMANENTLY)
In many publications in newspapers and magazines, in the books of memoirs of front-line soldiers and partisans, it is erroneously reported that Alexander Petrovich Mamkin was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for his feat (posthumously). This is even stated in the fundamental work of the Ministry of Transport "Peaceful wings during the war". Veterans of the regiment more than once wrote indignant letters to both the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Defense, explaining that Lieutenant Mamkin was introduced to the Order of the Red Banner of the Guards among other pilots of the regiment on April 6, 1944, four days before the feat.
And the order on awarding was issued on April 21, after the death of the hero, and was mistakenly perceived as posthumous. The error was “corrected” in the encyclopedic dictionary “XX century. Civil Aviation of Russia in Persons "(Moscow: Air Transport, 2000) to a new one:" A.P. Mamkin for outstanding feat was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 1 st. posthumously". In fact, according to the archival certificate of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation dated April 15, 2002, this order was awarded on August 31, 1943. That is, Alexander Mamkin was not awarded for the feat, although, according to the recollections of veterans, the regiment sent a presentation for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
That is, for the feat ALEXANDER MAMKIN WAS NOT AWARDED, ALTHOUGH, IN THE MEMORIES OF VETERANS, THE REGULATION SENT FOR THE TITLE OF HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION
The aforementioned publication in Komsomolskaya Pravda of February 11, 1965 announced a document in the archives of the Ministry of Civil Aviation confirming the reports of the regiment's veterans: “At the same time, I am submitting material for conferring the posthumous title of HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION to the guard of Lieutenant Alexander Petrovich MAMKIN. Attachment: On 6 sheets and 7 photographs addressed to. On 2 sheets to the case ". The date on the certificate is June 28, 1944.
Over the past half a century since 1965, fellow soldiers and partisans, who remembered the feat, have addressed the USSR government several times with a request to consider the issue of awarding the hero with the title of Hero. In 1990, in response to the appeal of the people's deputy I.F. Klochkov was finally encouraged by the secretariat of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR with a letter signed by Colonel-General Arapov, First Deputy Head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the USSR Ministry of Defense: "The USSR Ministry of Defense considers it possible to consider the issue of awarding ... on the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Aviation." But soon the country called the USSR ceased to exist. And so does the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
In the early 2000s, Alexander Mamkin's fellow countrymen, residents of the Repyevsky district of the Voronezh region, raised funds to install a bust of the hero in the village of Repyevka. They opened a small museum. Several times we have addressed letters of petition, signed by hundreds of people, to the president, the government, and the Ministry of Defense.
But letters are sent to the Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, and from there a duty refusal came on the basis that the materials for the presentation for the title of Hero, attached to the letter to Lieutenant Colonel Lavrenov, were not preserved in the archive. But their duplicates are present in the archive!
I attached all these duplicates to the letter to the head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, starting with the main document - "Act of Investigation of the Causes of Flight Combat Losses ..." - and a description of the feat.
I was surprised when I received an answer from December 20, 2011, illiterate due to ignorance of the history of the Great Patriotic War:
“From the materials you have provided, it follows that during the Great Patriotic War, Guard Lieutenant Alexander Petrovich Mamkin served in the 2nd separate and 105th Guards Aviation Regiments of the Civil Air Fleet. These units were not part of the Red Army (Navy). Taking into account the foregoing, in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation the legal grounds for making representations about the assignment of A.P. Mamkin does not have the title of Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously). "
Neither the executor nor the person who signed the next death sentence to the pilot, the head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General V.P. Goremykin, apparently, do not know that by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR dated July 9, 1941, "the personnel of the Civil Air Fleet, directly enrolled in special air groups of the Civil Air Fleet, shall be considered drafted into the Red Army" (RGAE. F. 9527, Op. 1. D. 13. L. 64). By the way, I was amazed by the question of one of the employees of the award department, a young officer, who asked me: "What is the Civil Air Fleet?"
Formed on the basis of the 2nd special air group, the 105th air regiment of the civil air fleet for flights to the surrounded units, assistance in their withdrawal to their own and the establishment of air communication with partisans was awarded the title of the Guards, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the name Panevezys - for participation in the liberation of the Lithuanian SSR ...
After such a refusal, it seemed senseless to raise the issue of not rewarding the hero with the title of Hero again. Now, when the 70th anniversary of the Victory has died down, I realized that I was wrong.
Consoles one thing. Alexander Petrovich Mamkin had no children, but the orphans he saved called themselves Mamkin's children, and their children, Mamkin's grandchildren, were often named Alexander. Recently, the grandson of Vladimir Shishkov, the oldest child rescued by Mamkin, reported that Mamkin's great-great-grandson is already growing in his family in St. Petersburg! Bright memory and continuation of the hero's life!
And yet ... a hero should not be unrewarded! Every year on June 1, the world celebrates International Children's Day. In Russia, this day is not associated with any feat in the name of saving children. And there is such a feat!
The pain experienced by the hero pilot Alexander Mamkin while burning in the cockpit is hard to imagine. And it is absolutely inconceivable that, tormented by this pain, a person coped with the management and saved the children ...
The events in question took place in the winter of 1943-44, when the Nazis made another brutal decision: to use the pupils of the Polotsk Orphanage No. 1 as donors. The wounded German soldiers needed blood. Where can I get it? In children.
The first to defend the boys and girls was the director of the orphanage Mikhail Stepanovich Forinko (he led an underground group). Of course, for the invaders, pity, compassion and, in general, the very fact of such atrocity did not matter, so it was immediately clear: these were not arguments. But the reasoning became weighty: how can sick and hungry children give good blood? No way. They will not have enough vitamins in their blood, or at least the same iron. In addition, there is no firewood in the orphanage, the windows are broken, it is very cold. Children catch colds all the time, and patients - what kind of donors are they? Children should first be cured and fed, and only then used.
And the German command agreed with this "logical" decision. Mikhail Stepanovich proposed to transfer the children and staff of the orphanage to the village of Belchitsy, where a strong German garrison was located. And again, iron, heartless logic worked. The first, disguised step towards saving the children was taken ...
Then a big, thorough preparation began. The children were to be transferred to the partisan zone and then transported by plane.
And on the night of February 18-19, 1944, 154 children from the orphanage, 38 of their educators, as well as members of the underground group "Fearless" with their families and partisans of the Shchors detachment of the Chapaev brigade left the village. Pay attention, dear readers: the kids were from three years old to fourteen. And everything - everything !!! - were silent, they were afraid to even breathe. The older ones carried the younger ones. Those who did not have warm clothes were wrapped in scarves and blankets. To what the Nazis had to bring people, so that even three-year-old kids understand the mortal danger - and be silent ...
In case the fascists understand everything and set off in pursuit, partisans were on duty near the village, ready to join the battle. And in the forest, a sleigh train was waiting for the children - thirty carts.
The pilots were very helpful. On the fateful night, knowing about the operation, they circled over Belchitsy, diverting the attention of the enemies. The kids were warned: if flares suddenly appear in the sky, they must immediately sit down and not move. During the journey, the column landed several times.
Everybody got to the deep partisan rear.
Now the kids had to be evacuated to the front line. This had to be done as quickly as possible, because the Germans immediately discovered such a "loss". It became more and more dangerous to be with the partisans every day.
The 3rd Air Army came to the rescue, the pilots began to take out the children and the wounded, at the same time delivering ammunition to the partisans. Two aircraft were allocated, under the wings they attached special capsule-cradles, where several additional people could be placed. Plus, the pilots flew out without navigators - this place was also saved for passengers.
In general, more than five hundred people were taken out during the operation. But now we will talk about only one flight, the very last. It took place on the night of April 10-11. Lieutenant Alexander Mamkin was carrying the children of the guard. He was 28 years old. Born in the village of Krestyanskoye, Voronezh Region, graduated from the Oryol Financial and Economic College and the Balashov School. By the time of the events in question, Mamkin was already an experienced pilot. Behind his shoulders - no less than seventy night flights to the German rear.
That flight was for him in this operation (it was called "Zvezochka") not the first, but the ninth. Lake Vechelje was used as an airfield. I also had to hurry because the ice became more and more unreliable every day. The R-5 plane accommodated ten children, their teacher Valentina Latko and two wounded partisans. At first everything went well, but when approaching the front line, Mamkin's plane was shot down.
The front line was left behind, and the P-5 was on fire ... Had Mamkin been alone on board, he would have gained altitude and jumped out with a parachute. But he was not flying alone. And he was not going to give up the death of boys and girls. It was not for this that they, who had just begun to live, fled on foot at night from the fascist bloodsuckers in order to be broken. And Mamkin was driving the plane ...
The flame reached the cockpit. The temperature melted the flight goggles, sticking to the skin. Clothes, a headset were on fire, it was hard to see in the smoke and fire. From the legs, only bones slowly remained. And there, behind the pilot, there was a cry. Children were afraid of fire, they did not want to die.
And Alexander Petrovich almost blindly led the plane. Overcoming the hellish pain, already, one might say, legless, he still stood firmly between the children and death.
Mamkin found a site on the shore of the lake, not far from the Soviet units. The partition that separated it from the passengers had already burnt out, and on some of them the clothes began to smolder. But death, swinging a scythe over the children, could not lower it. Mamkin did not. All passengers survived.
Alexander Petrovich was able to get out of the cab in a completely incomprehensible way. He managed to ask: "Are the children alive?" And I heard the voice of the boy Volodya Shishkov: “Comrade pilot, don't worry! I opened the door, everyone is alive, we go out ... ”And Mamkin lost consciousness.
The doctors could not explain how a man could drive the car, and even put it safely in, in whose face glasses were melted, and only bones remained from his legs? How could he overcome the pain, shock, with what efforts did he keep consciousness?
The hero was buried in the village of Maklok, in the Smolensk region. From that day on, all the fighting friends of Alexander Petrovich, meeting already under a peaceful sky, drank their first toast "To Sasha!" ...
For Sasha, who grew up without a father from the age of two and remembered his childhood grief very well. For Sasha, who loved boys and girls with all his heart. For Sasha, who bore the surname Mamkin and himself, like a mother, gave the children life.
