Romanian heroes commemorated in Mons

Eight Romanians that are buried in the Heroes Graveyard in Mons (Belgium) were commemorated in a ceremony on June 1.

These Romanians were in France when WW1 started, they joined the French Army as volunteers and were killed in the battles in the area.

The ceremony was attended by the Romanian Ambassador in Belgium and Romanian officers attached to the NATO and EU institutions.

Here are some pics of the graves and the ceremony:

Dragos: Were they members of the French Foreign Legion or Regular French Army? I have checked for some details about this NICOLAE TOMA, but couldn't find any details. The only Romanian I could find was Legionnaire 2eme Classe FLORIO MIHAILESCU (Mat. 26929) from 2e de Marche du 1er Etranger. Born in Galati in 1894. He was killed in action on 9th May 1915 at a place called Izerthongal (sp??) in Pas-de-Calais.

Otherwise just for those who are keen for this kind of statistic: Romania provided the ninth largest contingent of foreign volunteers in the French Foreign Legion and Army. During 1914-1918 a total of 897 Romanians joined the French Armed Forces - 175 were killed in action; 87 Romanians received the Médaille militaire and 167 the Croix de guerre.

Hi Klemen,

I had the pleasure to meet Mr. Luc Francois who works at the Belgian Royal Army Museum and is a great friend of Romania.

He published a book about the Romanians who fought against the Germans on Belgian soil in WW1 and WW2 (in the rezistance).

According to his research, there are 10 Romanian soldiers buried in Belgium, of which 8 in Mons, 1 in Anvers and 1 in Boussu (the ones identified are Nicolae Toma, A. Prectese, Ambrosanu Constantin, Zamfir Iordache, Leulescu Ion, Mandache Ion, Paslaru Stefan, Radu Dumitru and Dimi Gheorghe Stan). He thinks that these soldiers were part of the Romanian military missions sent to purchase weapons from France and Belgium, who volunteered to join the Entente armies.

For more information about these soldiers and also about the Romanians who fought in Belgium in WW2, check Mr. Francois' excellent book: "32 heros roumains sur le territoire belge entre les annees 1916-1918 et 1940-1945". There will also be a Romanian edition of his book.

"Bilo kako bilo"I have checked for these names and none of them appears to be listed on French or British Army register of casualties, so I have second doubts whether these Romanians have been fighting in the French Army. Could it be possible that they have volunteered to serve in the BELGIAN ARMY and not French as you initially suggested in your original message?

URL: http://www.geocities.com/wolfke38/What.html

As I said I checked French WW1 Casualty database and none of these names appear on it. I am sure they would if they would be members of FFL or French Army. I could thus not find any Ambrosanu Constantin, but I did find out Legionnaire 2eme classe CONSTANTIN CONSTANTINESCO, born 1892 in Gurgera (sp., OK?). He was a private in the RMLE (Régiment de Marche de la Légion Etrangère). He died of wounds on 18th July 1918 in an ambulance at the Pierrefonds Castle near the Oise River.

Do you know any other names of Romanian legionnaires who died in the French Army or FFL in the Great War or WW2?

This is certainly good news.

This post has been edited by Klemen on June 03, 2006 10:29 pm

Yes, it is possible that they served in the Belgian Army. I was told by some people who attended the ceremony that they served in the French Army but maybe they were wrong.

Well as I said they are not listed in the French or British Casualty Database and both nations have been heavily engaged at Mons. To me the only possible explanation can be that they have either served in the Belgian Army, served in the British or French Army under assumed names (although don't know why they would do that) or have been acting as official neutral Romanian military observers and killed by some artillery fire or something like that.

According to Revista de istorie militara 2(36)/1996, other Romanian soldiers are burried in France, in places where the Germans built prison camps:

Effry (22), Hirson (275), Mauberge, Rethel (12)

At Signy l'Abbaye there are burried 12 Romanian soldiers POW between 1916-1918:
Fratilescu Constantin, Iordan, Babalau Barbu, Balau, Popescu Nita, Stefan Toader, Gheorghe Petru, Raducanu Mihai, Dinulescu Kotache, Giurea Marin, Petrache Gheorghe, Ferastravagu Gheorghe.

Well as I said they are not listed in the French or British Casualty Database and both nations have been heavily engaged at Mons. To me the only possible explanation can be that they have either served in the Belgian Army, served in the British or French Army under assumed names (although don't know why they would do that) or have been acting as official neutral Romanian military observers and killed by some artillery fire or something like that.

Hallo Kleman ,

if they were neutural observers they would have been more likely to have been ranking officers, not lower ranks, and their names would be recorded somewhere, not only with the French, British and Belgians, but also by the Romanians, and after WW1, there whereabouts would have been traced or at least an investigation made, so I doubt thats the case here.

There were instances of Americans and other foreigners joining the Belgian and French armies long before WW1 under assumed names. It could be possible if they were in the French Legion they joined using assumed names, as well, after all in those days the Legion was not particular who a man was or what he had done or even where he had come from, before he joined up.

just my opinion,

Kevin in Deva.

The British Army (BEF) fought at Mons, The French Army fought at Charleroi and the Belgian 4rd infantry Division + fortress troops fought at Namur.

All three places lie next to one another and all three battles took place in the same period, the resting place in Mons therefore could contain casualties from either of the three battles, not just those that died at Mons.


This mr. Luc Francois no doubt can answer the questions regarding Romanians in the Belgian Army.

Salut.Ma numesc Mircea.Iti multumesc mult pentru ceea ce faci(nici nu-ti dai seama cat......).Am fost acum o luna la tara si am citit in treacat pe monumentul din centrul comunei,unde s-a nascut mama,numele strabunicilor mei care au murit amandoi in primul razboi mondial(sergent "Bejan Iancu" si caporal "Paslaru Stefan")...Chestia e ca in aceasta seara am intrebat-o pe mama unde este inmormantat unul din strabunicii mei(din curiozitate) si mi-a raspuns ca nu stie unde anume, dar a murit in prizonierat,in Belgia....Am cautat cimitire militare si am gasit poze de la o ceremonie, Mons Belgia,organizata de Mapn http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=3300.Am dat de scrol in jos si am ramas..... blocat...am citit numele strabunicului meu...."Paslaru Stefan"....caporal(asa scrie pe monumentul din centrul comunei Obarsia Veche,Olt)....Te rog sa-mi spui daca el este inmormantat la Mons si alte informatii,daca exista......... ciufilenescu@yahoo.com Cu respect si recunostinta , Mircea Ciurez

You can also adress for more info to http://www.once.ro/cimitire_rom_str.php#belgia

Thank you.I will

Off topic, but related
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090603/lf_nm_...stralia_soldier

Gata.....Azi am primit raspuns oficial de la ONCE si poze cu semnul de capatai....Paslaru Stefan,strabunicul meu,a murit in 20.03.1917.Este inmormantat in parcela S,cimitirul militar din Mons,Belgia. Multumesc lui Dumnezeu ca exista oameni ca voi.... Cu respect,Mircea Ciurez

Prizonier la Mons? A luptat in Armata Franceza ca cetetean Francez sau in legiunea straina??