Semyon Bychkov (pilot)

Semyon Bychkov
Born	(1918-05-15)15 May 1918 Petrovka, Voronezh Governorate, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	4 November 1946(1946-11-04) (aged 28) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Cause of death	Execution by firing squad
Allegiance	Soviet Union  Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Soviet Air Forces  Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–1943 1943–1945
Rank	Captain Major
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Ostvolk Medal 2nd class with swords All revoked: Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Lenin Order of the Red Banner (2)

Semyon Trofimovich Bychkov (Russian: Семён Трофимович Бычков; 15 May 1918 – 4 November 1946) was a Soviet military pilot during World War II. He served first in Soviet Air Forces, where he downed seventeen German aircraft. In 1943, Bychkov was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest distinction in the Soviet Union. After he was shot down and captured by the Germans, Bychkov defected and co-founded the 1st Aircraft Regiment of the Committee of Liberation Movement of People of Russia, under the auspices of Russian Liberation Army (ROA).

In April 1945, Bychkov surrendered to the Third United States Army and was then handed over to the Soviet forces. He was tried as a traitor and executed by firing squad, being posthumously stripped of all Soviet awards on 21 March 1947.^[1]