Gv. st. lieutenant Chivaz (Ekaterina) Dospanova - pilot of bomber 46. GvNBAP of the so-called "night witches"
* 1922
National heroine of Kazakhstan
She was born in western Kazakhstan in the city of Uralsk. While still in her hometown, she graduated from the aeroclub's flight school and applied to the Moscow Zhukovsky Aviation Academy, but was not accepted. She stayed in Moscow and in 1940 began studying at the Moscow Medical Institute while taking up sports gymnastics. She even considered a career as an athlete, but war changed her plans.
In October 1941, she volunteered for the Red Army and joined the Moscow Militia as a medic. When recruitment of girls began for the 587th Guards Women's Light Night Bomber Regiment M. M. Raskova, she applied and was accepted. After graduating from the Saratov Aviation School in the spring of 1942, she joined as a bomber pilot Po-2.
Katya took part in the battles in the North Caucasus, Kuban, Crimea, the liberation of Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. During that time she made over 300 combat sorties together with M. V. Smirnova, J. I. Nosalova and I. F. Sebrova. She suffered injuries to both legs, but returned to her regiment and ended the war at Berlin with the rank of Guards Lieutenant.
After the war she worked as a secretary of the Komsomol Central Committee in Kazakhstan. She married and raised a son. Her health deteriorated so much after an untreated leg injury that she became permanently disabled. On the 57th anniversary of her victory in 2002, the Kazakh president awarded her, one of only three women and the only survivor, along with Manshuk Mamet and Aliya Moldagul the highest award, the Gold Star of the National Hero of Kazakhstan.
Ch. Dospanova - na fotce v horní řadě, třetí zleva.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Dospanova-Chiuaz-Kairovna-t29704#105497
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