Romanian Royal Aeronautics - correct or not?

Since it was mentioned before as a reference source, I checked the book on the Rumanian air force, published by Modelism in Bucharest, in 2003, as regards the name(s) used for the air force (I considered only the terms printed with capital letters).
I did not take the cover page into consideration, as it might be influenced by the layout person/editor (e.g., my book published by Squadron/Signal doesn't have the Royal appelation in the title, as the publisher deleted it, in order to fit the series' pattern).

Here is what I found [other notable titles in brackets]:
Forta Aeriana Regala Romana, p. 7
Aeronautica Militara, p. 26
Aeronautica, p. 33
Aeronautica Romaniei, p. 35
Aeronautica Romana, p. 35
Aviatia Militara Romana, p. 40
[Marina Regala Romana, p. 48]
FARR, p. 51
[Corpul 1 Aerian Regal Roman, p. 75]
[Corpul 1 Aerian Roman, p. 75]
[Corpul 1 Aerian, p. 96]
[Corpul Aerian, p. 102]
[Aeronautica Comerciala, p. 98]
Köngl. Rum. Luftw. (Royal Rumanian Air Force, in German), p. 119
FAR,
F.A.R.R., p. 210
[Fortele Aeriene Sarbe, i.e. Serbian Air Forces, p. 224]

The most used term is FARR.

As you can note, Aeronautica Regala Romana is the only most prominent version missing.

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on November 11, 2005 04:30 am

Hi Carol I,

Thanks for an interesting aside.

Looking at the coins, I would suggest that there is no substantive difference in the heraldic description. All the features are the same. Only the style of execution of the engraver differs.

To return the analogy, if you and I wrote "Aeronautica Romana" in our own handwriting, they would both differ from each other in execution, but nothing substantive would have changed. However, if one of us inserted "Regala" there would be a substantive difference.

Cheers,

Sid.

Hi Guys,

Speaking personally, I consider this a very minor historical footnote. Certainly it is best to get it right, but have any of us suffered any real confusion of understanding whichever term was used?

Cheers,

Sid.

Apparently some have...

Gen. Dénes

I agree that most of the changes were minor details that could be attributed to the artistic interpretation of the description of the arms. However, the addition of the Order of the Star after 1877 could not. It was a logical step after gaining the independence, but it was not sanctioned by a law. On the other hand, as you said, the issue of such details (in the arms or the names) is rather minor.

Exceprt from a 1913 Monitorul Oficial contributed by George:

Is this the Royal Decree No.3199 of 30 April 1913? It makes reference to Serviciul de aeronautică militară (Military Aeronautics Service) although it is hard to understand from the fragment whether this was the official appellation or just a common/usual one.

Yes, it is a fragment of the 1913 Law.

Interesting thread,but what's the big fuss about the "official" name? I believe if one is writing Romanian Air Force is correct. I also believe if that someone write Romanian Royal Air Force everybody knows what one reffers to. Royal or Proletar doesn't make a difference (to me). Important is how the airforce performs. And I believe they were outstanding.

I have been away for a week so it's only now that I could catch up with older posts and managed to find time to reply to some of them.

First, let me thank George and Victor for researching and posting the long-awaited scan of the often referred-to law.

Based on the first page shown, what I see is the description of how the newly created arm is defined and organized.

I see no reference to any official title for the air force whatsoever.

If one still intends to assert the name based on this scan, I have to agree with Carol I., namely it must be 'Serviciul de aeronautică militară' (Military Aeronautics Service), or the shortened form of 'Aeronautică militară' (notice, however, that the initial letters of all these terms are printed in small letters in the text body, not capital letters, as an institution's title should be)!

I'd really like to see the rest of this law, in the hope that a clearer definition is included in it referring to the official title of the Rumanian air force, as introduced in 1913. Until then, no conclusion can be drawn on the topic that would convincingly override the term 'Aeronautica Regală Română', as proven by the excerpts from various official documents I posted earlier.

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on December 09, 2005 05:00 pm

I just came across the transcript of a document, dated 4 August 1944, titled: 'Către Subsecretarul de Stat al Aerului şi Comandantul Aeronauticii Regale Române, General comandant Jienescu'.
Yet another proof found in a primary document of the validity of Aeronautica Regală Română.

Gen. Dénes

In another thread the following card was posted (courtesy B737):



This card is interesting, because it proves that Aero-Clubul Regal al Romaniei cannot be abbreviated as ARR - as somebody erroneously tried to assert it earlier.

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on January 02, 2006 02:58 pm

Hi Denes,

Why not?

In English there are no hard and fast rules on the creation of acronyms, but the first letter of the second half of a hyphenated word might legitimately be ignored, as might articles, prepositions, etc. If that had been an English phrase, ARR would have been a plausible acronym.

Are there stricter rules on the creation of acronyms in Romanian?

Cheers,

Sid.

The closest I can get (in Rumanian) is ACR, which is the historical acronym for 'Auto-Clubul Român'.
Interestingly, the acronym is still in use today, even if the spelling has changed to 'Autoclubul Român'.

I hope this is convincing enough...

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on January 03, 2006 06:34 pm

Actually, the official spelling today is Automobil Clubul Roman (see http://www.acr.ro)