Pre - WW2 Headdress, My Collection

Claudiu,
The cipher on the helmet is the Carol 1 cipher. Under Carol 2 their were 3 versions of helmet plates with different ciphers available. The first version being of the same style as Carol 1. A very ornate style with the addition of the Roman numerals "II" in the center. The second and third Carol 2 cipher versions you can see on the Frontier Guard helmets I have posted on this topic site. I will state that if you look at photos from the 1930's period, you will find many examples of helmets wearing the King Carol 1 cipher without the addition of the Roman numeral "II" in the center. The reason for this is not entirely clear to me. It is my opinion that many helmets from the 1930's originally adopted the Carol 1 cipher temporarily as the Carol 2 cipher was still being designed and decided on. Many helmet plates may have been reissued. Carol 2 was big on showmanship and wanted to be very flashy regarding uniforms. He introduced and made several design changes in the 1930's as you can see having 3 versions of Carol 2 ciphers. He also promoted very heavily the wear of additional orders and regimental badges. To answer your question about the Gendarne helmet, the pre-ww1 model of gendarne helmet was also used in the early 1930's. The 2nd and 3rd version of helmet plate ciphers were changed in 1932 and 1935 approximately. General Sienescu and one other Gendarne general, name escapes me for now, continued to wear their original helmets with the Carol 1 cipher into the 1940's. Why, I have no answer for you. I have a photo of him reviewing officers of the Military Gendarne regiment wearing the Carol 1 cipher and all the officers wearing the new 3rd version of Carol 2 cipher ")(" in a circle.

Thank you very much for your answer.

Best regards Claudiu

Just found this photograph in a family album

Attached Image

Dragos,
Who is the General standing to the right wearing the summer white dress uniform with the Order of Ferdinand at the neck and the order of Michael the Brave on the medal bar ?

I don't know since nothing was written on the back of the photo. Also it seems that the photgraph has been cut with a pair of scissors near the general, and this is only the left part of the original photo.

Perhaps the person standing to the right of the General had to keep a low profile after the war ??? This could be the reason for this photo being cut. I see this this kind of practice alot after the war under the communist rule. Alot of people destroyed or defaced photos as to disassociate themselves from the Royal regime. They did the same with alot of military personal effects from the Royal period. Destroyed alot of uniforms and militaria after the war as to remove themselves from the old regime so that they would not be considered Royal sympathizers by the communist. It is too bad for the younger generation as alot of militaria had been destroyed.

The general is wearing the insignia of a Grand Officer of the Order of Carol I, not that of the Order of Ferdinand I.

I would also be interested if someone could identify this officer.

Could he be the colonel in this photo from 1932?

Attached Image

Probably. Who is he?

Colonel ?? Georgescu, CO of the Artillery Officer School.

Thanks Victor. Any idea why he might have received the Grand Officer of the Order of Carol I?

I thought a bit more and something is not quite right. Are you certain about the date when the second photo was taken? Please note that the colonel does not have the insignia of the order of Carol I, not even in commander class. As both the Commander class and the Grand Officer class of the Order of Carol I were deleted in the spring of 1932, he must have done something outstanding to receive the Grand Officer right before the class disappeared. The question is what could have done a CO of a military school to deserve it?

Please note also the increase in the number of decorations worn by the officer. Furthermore, the general in the first photo has the Michael the Brave Order, while the colonel in the second photo does not have it. Was it a late award for WWI? That late (after 1932, if the date is right)?

Sorry, the date is 1 July 1931.
I know he isn't wearing the MV Order and there were none awarded in the '30s to Romanians (only to the Polish regiment Carol II was honorary CO). But who knows? Maybe he couldn't find that day. He looks like the general in the photo above and he could have become a general in the late '30s. It is a possibility.

I do not think it is the same person. The person from the 1931 photo looks to be wearing a pre-1932 Artillery tunic with captains shoulder boards (3 stripes and no center braid), but it does have a regimental cypher on it. He also wears a Michael the brave or Order of the Crown Regimental unit citation aguilette on his shoulder. The order of the Star he wears is different in style than the order in the Generals photo.

It could also happen that the officers in the two photos were related. That will explain both the resemblance and the differences.