Yevdokiya Ivanovna Nosal (, ; 14 March 1918 23 April 1943) was a junior lieutenant and deputy squadron commander in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment (nicknamed the "
Night Witches" by the Germans) during World War II. She was posthumously awarded the title
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
on 24 May 1943, making her the first woman pilot to be honored with the title during the war.
Civilian life
Nosal was born on 13 March 1918 to a
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
peasant family in the village of Burchak in the Ukrainian People's Republic, which resides in present-day
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. She worked as a teacher in
Mykolayiv before she graduated in 1940 from the aviation club in
Kherson
Kherson (, ) is a port city of Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers appr ...
. After graduating flight school she worked as a flight instructor in Nikolaev. Before joining the military in October 1941, her newborn son was killed in a bombing on a hospital.
Military career
Nosal joined the military in October 1941 once
Marina Raskova began recruiting women to the newly-formed women's aviation regiments. After completing training at Engels Military Aviation School she was sent to the
Southern front with the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, which was later honored with the guards designation and made the 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment. Starting out as a regular pilot with the rank of sergeant, she quickly became promoted to flight commander and then deputy squadron commander. With a goal of flying 1,000 missions, she was noted for flying more than any other pilot, and volunteered to fly on dangerous missions.
After taking off in the middle of the night on 22 April 1943 and bombing a target, the
Polikarpov Po-2 Nosal was piloting was followed by a German fighter and attacked by heavy anti-aircraft fire and shelling. One explosive entered the cockpit of the Po-2 and shrapnel hit Nosal in the temple, killing her instantly. Her navigator,
Glafira Kashirina
Glafira Alekseevna Kashirina (, 1920 – 1 August 1943) was a mechanic and later navigator in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Airforce during World War II, commonly referred to as the Great Patriotic War in the former Soviet Union. A ...
, managed to take over the controls and land the plane safely at the destination airfield. By the time of her death she had flown 354 sorties despite being on the front for less than a year. During her time in combat, Nidal had dropped 48 tons of bombs, destroying a train and three crossings in addition to numerous fires and explosions.
Awards and honors
*
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
(24 May 1943)
// Ведомости Верховного Совета Союза Советских Социалистических Республик : газета. — 1943. — 31 мая (№ 20 (226)). — С. 1
* Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...
(24 May 1943)Order of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
(30 December 1942)Order of the Red Star
The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...
(9 September 1942)
See also
* List of female Heroes of the Soviet Union
This is a list of female Heroes of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together wi ...
* Marina Raskova
References
Bibliography
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nosal, Yevdokiya
1918 births
1943 deaths
Ukrainian women aviators
Night Witches aviators
Soviet military personnel killed in World War II
Women air force personnel of the Soviet Union
Heroes of the Soviet Union
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Soviet women in World War II