Aleksandr Belogurov Bomber pilot, Heroes of the Soviet-Finnish war Country: Ukraine

Biography of Alexander Belogurov

Alexander Belogurov was a bomber pilot and a Hero of the Soviet Union during the Soviet-Finnish War. He was born into a peasant family in Ukraine and completed his education at a specialized agricultural school. Afterward, he worked as an animal husbandry specialist in a collective farm.

In 1936, Belogurov was drafted into the Red Army and served in the Navy. In 1937, he graduated from the Combined School of Junior Aviation Specialists. During the Soviet-Finnish War, he flew as a radio operator and gunner in the crew of Lieutenant Pinchuk as part of the 57th Fast Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 8th Baltic Fleet Air Force.

On February 2, 1940, while returning from a reconnaissance flight over Suursaari Island, Belogurov's plane was attacked by a Finnish fighter. The aircraft suffered severe damage and caught fire, but he managed to land it on the ice. Lieutenant Pinchuk's crew, which had made a forced landing within the range of Finnish coastal batteries, was later found and evacuated to their airfield.

On February 7, 1940, Belogurov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was also decorated with the Order of Lenin and several medals, including the "Golden Star" medal number 273.

In 1940, Belogurov joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He enrolled in the S.A. Levanevsky Military Aviation School and graduated in the spring of 1941. He was then assigned to the 66th Squadron of the 40th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force.

During the Great Patriotic War, Belogurov served as a pilot in the 40th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force. He conducted numerous combat missions on the Pe-2 aircraft, bombing enemy transports and ports on the Danube and enemy military equipment in the Odessa area.

On September 2, 1941, while returning from a combat mission near Kherson, Lieutenant Belogurov's plane was shot down. He managed to use his parachute and landed safely but was captured by the enemy.

Belogurov escaped and returned to his hometown, where he organized an underground group. However, he was captured by the Nazis and sentenced to death. On July 3, 1942, he was executed.

In recognition of his bravery, Alexander Belogurov was posthumously awarded the Medal for Courage on May 7, 1967, by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces.