lt. av. Traian "Ciocan" Nicolae

Picture courtesy of cdor. av. Traian Nicolae

lt. av. Traian Nicolae

Long Range Recon Observer

Born: 27 April 1917

Units:

  • March 1940 - May 1941: 4th Long Range Recon Squadron
  • August 1941 - May 1942: 3rd Long Range Recon Squadron
  • May - 1 December 1942: 1st Long Range Recon Squadron

Combat missions: 38 + 2 in 1940

Victories: -

Decorations:

  • Virtutea Aeronautica Order Gold Cross class with two bars
  • Eiserne Kreuz 2nd class

War episode:

On 1 December 1942 the Bristol Blenheim Mk. I no. 10 took off on a recon mission over the Soviet Ilanskoe airfield. The pilot was adj. av. Florea Patrascu. The weather was difficult and the visibility was reduced. They eventually got to their target, photographed it from 2,000 m and turned back. That is when 4 Yaks attacked them. They climbed to 3,000 m, trying to hide in the clouds. But unfortunately the sky cleared soon after that. Two Yaks kept the machine-gunner busy, while other two struck from beneath and right wing caught fire. As it was expanding in the rest of the aircraft the pilot managed to put it down close to the Italian sector, but in Soviet held territory. Adj. Patrascu was stuck in and could not get out. Lt. av. Traian Nicolae struggled to get him out of the burning wreck finally succeeded. The Romanians were taken POWs quickly, taken to a command post and interrogated by an NKVD officer. The next day they were sent to a prison camp. In 1944 he came back to Romania in the Soviet-sponsored "Tudor Vladimirescu" Division and saw action in Transylvania and Hungary, but as CO of an AT-rifle section.

He is presently living in Bucharest

 
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Pr.Cezar Barbu  (3 May 2010)
Am avut onoarea ,copil fiind sa-i ascult relatarile din razboi,plin de veneratie si incantare...Pe vrednicul de pomenire Stefan preotul,tatal sau nu l-am cunoscut dar i-am cunoscut faptele si credinta,fiind preot la noi la Floresti(Margaritesti)apoi la Sf.Apostoli la Ramnicu Sarat,unde mai tarziu si eu am ucenicit in cele ale preotiei.Pe doamna preoteasa Pauna am cunoscut-o la varsta batranetii...o femeie inalta si distinsa,...pe Radita care avea grija de dansa,pe doamna Coca si pe ceilalti copii ai dinstinsei familii preotesti.Pastrez in casa cateva carti cu insemnarile si adnotarile parintelui Stefan si pomenesc la fiecare Sf.Liturghie pomelnicul familiei.Tatal meu Barbu Nicolae ,familia noastra a avut multa vreme un garaj in curtea casei parintelui,la Ramnic,iar bunicul meu Coman Barbu de la Floresti a fost bun amic si enorias al parintelui,vecini cu pamanturile si impreuna pastrator al traditiilor romanesti.Mi-as bucura daca cineva din familia parintelui ar lua legatura cu mine.Stiam ca doi frati erau pe la Predeal,doamna Coca in occident,...care-or mai fi traind dintre dansii...