Romanian heroes commemorated in Mons

[Victor]

English please. It is rude to write in Romanian, because there are people among us that do not understand the language.

[Mircea]

My name is Mircea.I found that my grandgrand father is buried in Mons Belgium.He was prisonier.Not foreign legion or french army.Romanian soldier. Yesturday I recived a document from ONCE. Stimate domnule Mircea CIUREZ,

La e-mailul dumneavostra, prin care solicitati informatii despre locurile de inhumare a militarilor Paslaru Stefan si Bejan Iancu, va aducem la cunostinta urmatoarele:

1) soldatul Paslaru Stefan, mort pe data de 20.03.1917, este inhumat in parcela S din cadrul Cimitirului militar din Mons (Belgia), alaturi de alti 7 (sapte) militari romani (Anexa); It means:Soldier Paslaru Stefan,dead on 20.03.1917,is buries in section S from Military Cimitiere Mons(Belgium),with others 7 romanian soldiers......They send me fotos showing the cros of my grandgrand father.On the cros is the name,the date of death and "soldat roman"wich means "romanian soldier". That's it. Sorry,i did't whant to be rude..... Respect and good luck Mircea

[feic7346]

So your grandfather was prisoner in Romania but was moved to Mons by Germans (to work I guess) and died there?

[21 inf]

Most of romanian soldiers who died in ww1 on french soil were ex AH-soldiers, captured by Allies. They also could be ex AH-soldiers, but from Romanian Volunteers Corp from France, which was raised from romanian prisoniers ex AH-soldiers in 1918. Transylvanian romanians previously being AH combatatants, after being taken prisoniers or fled to Allies, raised volunteers regiments or Corps in prison camps, in order to fight agaisnt AH monarchy, as did serbs, cehs, slovacs and other nationalities from AH monarchy in ww1. Romanians raised this volunteer regiments in Russia (2 Corps), in Italy, in France and in USA.

A history of these units can be read at http://enciclopediaromaniei.ro/wiki/Corpul...arilor_Ardeleni , in romanian language.

[Mircea]

My grandgrand father was from Obarsia Veche,judetul Romanati (Olt).This is in south of Oltenia region,south of Romania....Romania started the war in 1916.He died in 20.03.1917 Mons Belgium.He left a 21 years wife and 2 small children.He was caporal in romanian army.He fall prisonier.We don't know where.Is strange becouse only 8 romanian soldiers are buried in Mons.The people from ONCE did not gave me other informations.There are a lot of romanian soldiers buried in cemeteries from France,Germany...but only 13 or something like this in Belgium(8 in Mons).Strange...Anyway,next year i will like to go their at "Heroes day".I'll speak with romanian ambassy in Bruxelles and Romanian Defence Departament to know if they will organise any ceremony there.I'm glad that people from Once confirmed the tumb of my grandgrand father.I'll try to put the fotos from ONCE showing my grandgrand father cross.If you have other informations about it please share.... Respect Mircea

[feic7346]

Mircea,

How old was your grandfather when he died? Was he part of the Romanian army before 1916? Or he joined when the war started in 1916? Do you have any idea how someone prisoner in Romania in fall or winter of 1916 could wind up in Mons in spring 1917?

Thanks

[Mircea]

My mother told me that he was 26 or 27 years old.He was in the army before, then he was in reserve...When the war started he was called back in the army.Unfortunately i don't have any informations about his military activities.He is buried with other 7 romanian soldiers(confirmed)in Mons(you asked me how he ended there and then,I don't know).......That's why i asked you people to share informations,if you have...On the monument from Obarsia Veche (his place of birth)is his name,rank(caporal)and the year of death.On this monument is the other grandgrand father from my mothers side,died,in ww1(sergent Bejan Iancu 1917)...The only thing i knew before joining this forum about Paslaru Stefan was from my mother who knew from her grand mother(his wife,then she was 21) that he died in Belgium as prisonier(no other things).I joint WW2 forum becouse i was curios and "i found out" from you guys that he was buried in Mons not oficial(read my first post).And i thank you for this..After that i asked the people from ONCE and they confirmed.I'll ask a friend to put the fotos that they(ONCE) send to me,here...I repet,if you have informations share.... Respect Mircea

[Dénes]

Erroneous post deleted.

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on June 26, 2009 07:37 am

[21 inf]

I believe that the soldier discussed in this topic was romanian soldier, as he was from Muntenia, not from Transylvania and at the time he was captured he was corporal in romanian army.

[Dénes]

Thanks for pointing out the error. Post deleted.

I was confused by the initial posts, and thought there were two grandfathers Mircea was talking about.

Also, your previous sentence was ambiguous: "Most of romanian soldiers who died in ww1 on french soil were ex AH-soldiers, captured by Allies". This also prompted my reply.

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on June 26, 2009 07:44 am

[21 inf]

Yes, Denes, I myself was not informed enough from were was the soldier, so based on the most presumable facts, I pointed the posibility that the man was from Transylvnia. Altough, having some doubts, that why I said that "most" of romanians buried in France were ex-AH soldiers and I was not saying that "all" were formerly in AH army.

[Mircea]

[Mircea]

As i told you....fotos send by ONCE.At the first foto you'll gone see all the names of romanian soldiers buried in Mons Belgium.My grandgrand father is the first from left.The first foto was made after they spraying the names with black paint.The others show my grandgrand father cross... Respect Mircea

[feic7346]

God rest his soul Mircea!
Dumnezeu sa il ierte!

[Mircea]

Grant unto them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Odihna cea veşnică dă-le-o lor Doamne şi Lumina cea fără de sfârşit sa strălucească asupra lor. Respect Mircea