Damet Nabiyev: ‘‘My final operational flight to Berlin was on the 2nd of May 1945’’

By Vestnik Kavkaza

Today in Russia and the world the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War is being celebrated. The importance of this historical event is increasing every year. The memories of the people of the former Soviet Union about the war is supported by mutual values. The Victory Day was procured by our unity. It is an opportunity to pay tribute to all those who fought and worked in the home front during the wartime. People, who led the country to the Victory, were interviewed by Vestnik Kavkaza. Damet Nabiyev, veteran of World War II, shared his memories of the war:

I was born in 1925, in the village of Varvara in the Yevlakh region of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. When I was in the 10th grade, the Lenin Komsomol made an appeal to the youth to help. The country was in danger. After the appeal of the Lenin Komsomol I joined the Soviet Army as a volunteer.

After graduating from the 49th aviation school, I was sent to the First Belarusian Front, the 221st Bachmachskaya Bomber Air Division, 8th Guards Bomber Regiment. My first flight was to Warsaw in the early August of 1944. At the 4th departure, we plane was shot down and I jumped out of the burning plane. Then we were found and taken to the regiment where we continued operational flights. After our discharge, we began to destroy the Nazi troops in the area of ​​Krakow, Lodz, Poznan. After the liberation of these cities, we entered the territory of Germany: Staten, Stuttgart and others. My final operational flight was to Berlin on the 2nd of May in 1945. After the capture of Berlin our regiment stopped military operations.

After the war, we stayed in Germany in Falkenberg. In 1946, according to the orders of Iosiph Stalin, Chief of the Ministry of Defence of the Soviet Union, our regiment was transferred to the city of Zaporozhye in Ukraine. Five months later, our regiment was disbanded. Our separate air unit was sent to the city of Pushkino near Leningrad to the School Instrumental Intelligence. We arrived there. We flew for the school students of the School Instrumental Intelligence.

In 1949 due to problems with my health the physical evaluation board discharged me from the flight work. The bones of my right forearm were broken and I had shrapnel wounds on my back. That is why I was dismissed from the flight crew. I continued to serve in the ground forces.

In 1950 I made an appeal to Zhukov, Defense Minister, Marshal of the Soviet Union in order to be transferred to my home city - Baku. And I went to Baku. I continued to serve in Baku, then in the city of Kirovabad. In 1973 I was transferred to the reserve of the Soviet Army with the rank of Major.