Background
Anton was born on 20 March 20 in 1914 in Dobrovodka village, Smolevichy district of Minsk region in a peasant family.
Anton was born on 20 March 20 in 1914 in Dobrovodka village, Smolevichy district of Minsk region in a peasant family.
In 1932 Anton graduated from factory training school (FZY) and worked as an engineer on the “Bolshevik” and “Konstructor” factories in Leningrad.
From 1938 he studied at Engel's military flight school in Russian Federation, Saratov Region.
In 1938 Anton graduated from the military flight school in Engel’s, Saratov region. As one of the best students, he was sent to the Novosibirsk Aviation Pilots School as a pilot instructor. After a year he became a commander of an aviation training unit.
In September 1942, he was sent to the front. He joined Long-range Aviation.
In 1943, he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
He was the deputy commander of the Guard regiment. He fought in battles at Stalingrad, the breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad, in battles at Kursk. Alekhnovich was a participant in the liberation of Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic States, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia.
He committed 260 battle fights, 50 from them – for the long distance behind enemy lines to bomb military facilities and enemy’s vehicles. 25 times, he delivered ammunition, medicines, clothes, products to the guerrillas on the occupied territories of Belarus.
In August 1943, he was introduced to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for 123 successful battle flights. However, Alekhnovich received the Order of Lenin instead of that.
By the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR’s Decree, April 19, 1944, Anton Alekhnovich was nominated again and awarded Hero of the Soviet Union title for “exemplary fulfillment of the combat missions during the war against German-fascist invaders and the courage and heroism shown at that time” and received Order of Lenin.
Till the end of the war, he remained the only pilot in Long-range Aviation who-who flew the whole war on the one long-range Il-4 bomber aircraft with the same crew, none of whom was even wounded! He committed 258 battle flights without accidents, breakages or serious damages. During the wartime, Alekhnovich's crew was involved in the riskiest tasks several times.
After the war, he took part in military flights to the Arctic. On April 26, 1958, during one of the combat operations, when landing on an ice floe his plane got into an accident. Alekhnovich understood that such kind of accident would not be forgiven and it was the end of his flying career.
After a brief trial, the pilot Alekhnovich of the 1st class (3410 flying hours) was discharged with the wording “by illness”.
After, he worked in civil aviation for 11 years. He was a dispatcher, and then – the chief of the Department of Traffic Services in the 104th combined air squad at the airport in Minsk. Despite the fact he took the most difficult position in Aviation, he always did his best and had a lot of gratitude and rewards, recorded in his workbook.
He lived in Minsk.
The reserve Colonel Anton Alekhnovich died on December 29, 1979, and was buried on East cemetery in Minsk.
He’d never been a “good boy” and because of his character he was steep, not particularly bothering himself with pleasantries or politesses in front of his superiors.