Yevdokiya Rachkevich

Yevdokiya Yakovlevna Rachkevich
Rachkevich, c. 1950's
Native name	Евдокия Яковлевна Рачкевич
Birth name	Yevdokiya Yakovlevna Andriychuk
Born	22 December 1907 Nadnestrryanskoye village, Russian Empire (now Murovani Kurylivtsi, Ukraine)
Died	7 January 1975(1975-01-07) (aged 67) Moscow, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service / branch	Soviet Air Force
Years of service	1941−1956
Rank	Lieutenant colonel
Unit	46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Order of the Red Banner[1] Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class[2] Order of the Red Star (2)[3][4]

Yevdokiya Yakovlevna Rachkevich (Russian: Евдокия Яковлевна Рачкевич; née Andriychuk; 22 December 1907 – 7 January 1975) was the deputy regimental commander and commissar of the 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment (a.k.a., the "Night Witches") during the Second World War. After the end of the war, Rachkevich traced the regiment's path throughout the war and managed to locate the remains of women in the regiment that were listed as missing in action so that they could receive a proper burial. Soldiers that went missing in action were considered potential traitors until their remains were found because they could have been captured, and Soviet prisoners of war were considered "guilty until proven innocent" of collaboration with the Axis, especially after Order No. 270 forbid surrender or retreat.