Polish Aircraft that Sought Refuge in Rumania in 1939

Do you know any official explanation of Elks service in ARR? I know - of course - 23 (or even more - according to Polish data) were interned after 17th of September, 1939, and impressed into ARR. But - just by fact?

This post has been edited by Dénes on November 18, 2004 02:40 am

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what's the actual question.
Can you rewrite your question?

Col. Dénes

I think he asked under which circumstances the Polish aircraft entered the ARR service. Was there any official agreement with the Polish side?

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what's the actual question.
Can you rewrite your question?

Col. Dénes

Yes, of course. Did Elks were used in ARR just because accomplished facts? Or - for example - just before the war was signed agreement for deliveries of P.37 to Romania (I didn't believe, but I found similiar mention in one of Polish books). And Romanian authorities took interned Elks as part of undelivered aircrafts?
(I hope you understand this time my poor English :-( )

According to a document dated post war, the official Rumanian commission created to investigate the situation of various matériel that arrived from Poland to Rumania in Sept. 1939, along with Polish refugees and administration, noted that at that time Rumania was a neutral country, while Poland, as well as Germany and the USSR, were states at war.

The legal requirements of a neutral country were to collect and safeguard all military and cilian matériel until the conflict is over, as well as to house and feed the refugees. There was a legal option for the host country to buy the matériel, but Bucharest did not do this.
Therefore, the commission concluded that the Rumanian Government had no legal ownership over the Polish matériel that arrived to the country in September 1939 [underlined in the original document. D.B.], i.e., thus to requisition and use it for its own purpose.

However, since there were lots of expenses occurred in housing and feeding the Polish refugees and keeping & maintaining the Polish matériel, the value of those services were considered by the Rumanian party as almost covered by the value of the gold, currency and all matériel that arrived in Rumania. For this reason, the serviceable Polish aircraft were impressed into ARR and into LARES, or were allocated to various civilian piloting schools, even sold to particulars. [This was done without the explicit agreement of the Polish Governement in exile, however. D.B.]

That's the official Rumanian standpoint.

Col. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on November 18, 2004 03:02 am

here is a link where you can find more info about this: http://www.9-1939.pl/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19

or main page: http://www.9-1939.pl/phpBB2/

A personal point of view those turbulent times, from the Polish side:
http://www.worldwariihistory.info/Polish/fighter-pilots.html

Col. Dénes

Thank you! I had a lot of information (including most of archival documents from Warsaw and London) about Polish military equipment which was interned in Romania in September '39. But I was interested in "the official Rumanian standpoint".

But the Polish gold was allowed to leave Romania to arrive to the United Kingdom (Great Britain). So the Romanian government did not used the Polish gold to cover its expenses with the Polish refugees.

Also the Romanian government allowed the Polish soldiers to leave Romania toward the Allied countries. Soldiers who later broke the German defenses at Monte Cassino, or fought heroically as paratroopers against the overwhelming German troops around Arhenm, Holland.

When Romania turned into an Axis satellite, and the country was occupied by the German troops, the Polish civilians were not handled to the Germans. Many of these Polish civilians chose to don't return to Poland after war, and their descendants still live today in Romania.

We have to remember all these, and put into balance with the fact that some Polish airplanes were taken over by Romania, and maybe some other military equipment, which otherwise would be anyway captured by Germany or by Soviet Union.

For Woj:
Armand Calinescu, the Romanian prime minister at that moment, paid with his life for his willingness to help Poland in its darkest hour. He was shot dead by the Romanian pro-Fascists (the Iron Guard), who followed orders from Berlin.
Also Woj, Hitler did not forget that we allowed the evacuation of the Polish civilians and soldiers, and of the Polish gold, and this cost Romania dearly one year later, culminating with the Vienna Dictate.

As a historian, I know all the facts mentioned above. And - believe me - I am quite weel oriented in the Polish-Romanian relations in the interwar period and WWII. From my personal point of view Polish people should be deeply grateful for Romanian help for Polish refugees. So - in my question I hadn' t any anti-Romanian intention! I was interested just in facts! Sine ira et studio.
Wojciech Mazur

This post has been edited by woj on November 21, 2004 10:53 am

I have found an article: Gheorghe Tinică, Şerban Liviu Pavulescu, Consideratii privind materialul de război adus pe teritoriul României de trupele şi refugiaţii polonezi, “Aeronautica” [? - Woj], ...
Does anyone know the rest of bibliographical data (year of edition, volume/number)?

What does that article say ?

'Aeronautica' magazine, No. 6/1995, p. 24-26.

Col. Dénes

Hmmm... My English is poor, my Romanian is even worse... how can I translate?
See the first page.

This post has been edited by woj on November 21, 2004 05:06 pm

Attached Image

'Aeronautica' magazine, No. 6/1995, p. 24-26.

Col. Dénes

Thanks again - master!