Anton Irv VR I/2, VR II/2, VR II/3 (17 September 1886 – 27 April 1919) was a highly decorated Estonian combat soldier and military officer during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and in the

Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence, also known as the War of Freedom in Estonia, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Soviet Russian westward offensive of 1918–1919 and the ...

.Toivo Miljan, ''Historical Dictionary of Estonia'', Scarecrow Press 2004 Along with

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Karl Parts Karl Parts VR I/1, VR II/2, VR II/3 (15 July 1886 in Palupera Parish, Estonia – 1 September 1941 in Kirov, Soviet Union) was an Estonian military commander during the Estonian War of Independence. In 1915, he graduated from Peterhof Milit ...

, he was the leader of Estonian armored trains in the

. Anton Irv died in the Battle of Egle (near

Strenči Strenči (pronounced ; ) is a town in Valmiera Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is located about northeast of Riga, about northeast of Valmiera and about southwest of Valka. Strenči is known as the raftsmen capital of Latvia ...

) in Latvia. Anton Irv was born in Sillaotsa farmstead,

Ruudiküla Ruudiküla is a village in Viljandi Parish, Viljandi County in Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Ba ...

village,

Viljandi Parish Viljandi Parish () is a rural Municipalities of Estonia, municipality of Viljandi County, Estonia. It is located around the town of Viljandi, but does not include it. Viljandi Parish was established by merging four municipalities: Paistu Parish, ...

Viljandi County Viljandi County ( or ''Viljandimaa''; ) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in southern Estonia bordering Pärnu, Järva, Jõgeva, Tartu and Valga counties as well as Latvia. History Viljandimaa, under the German name of ''Krei ...

Governorate of Livonia The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, Baltic Governorate-General until 1876. Governorate of Livonia bordered Governorate of E ...

. Before World War I, Irv worked as a teacher. During the

, he served in the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

. He showed his good leading abilities and courage which led him to be decorated with all four classes of the Cross of St. George (the set of a "Full Cavalier"), the

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' (, "Military Medal") is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...

and the

Gold Sword for Bravery The Gold Sword for Bravery () was a Russian award for bravery. It was set up with two grades on 27 July 1720 by Peter the Great, reclassified as a public order in 1807 and abolished in 1917. From 1913 to 1917 it was renamed the Saint George ...

. In 1915 Irv was promoted to

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...

. In the end of 1917 he came to Estonia, and helped to organize the Estonian military forces in order to fight against the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

in the

. Irv helped to organize the Division of Armoured Trains and became a commander of that unit on 23 January 1919. After rushing the

out of the Estonian territory in 1919, Estonian Southern front moved into the territory of Latvia and helped also to liberate the North of Latvia of the units of the

. Irv was leading his unit in the battle near the railway station of Egle (near

) on 27 April 1919, when he was suddenly killed.

Decorations

Russian Empire * Cross of St. George – I, II, III, IV class * Order of St. Anna – III class with swords * Order of St. Stanislaus – II, III class *

French Republic *

Republic of Estonia * Estonian Cross of Liberty VR I/2 for Military Leadership – 2. class (posthumously) * Estonian Cross of Liberty VR II/2 for Personal Courage – 2. class (posthumously) * Estonian Cross of Liberty VR II/3 for Personal Courage – 3. class (posthumously)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irv, Anton 1886 births 1919 deaths People from Viljandi Parish People from Kreis Fellin Russian military personnel of World War I Estonian military personnel of the Estonian War of Independence Recipients of the Order of St. George of the First Degree Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Second Degree Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class Recipients of the Gold Sword for Bravery Recipients of the Cross of Liberty (Estonia)