Colonel Ioan Pacurariu, His wars...

Today me and my aunt,found some time to look in her father's photos.
All photos I'll post are courtesy of Pacurariu/Onicescu col.

Pacurariu Ioan,son of Gheorghe and Maria.
Born in Micesti county Alba,1897.
Died Bucharest 1994.
Unfortunatly ny aunt and her sister,being girls,were never interested in their father past.
Exept of the fact that he served in the Austro -Hungarian army and was first stationed at Schoneburg(as a part of Franz Josefh personal guard) and later the Italian front and Verdun.
After WW1 he served in the Romanian army,and for a short and misterios period in Maroco and Alger.Then In WW2 he got till the Don.After the Don and Caukaz campain ,he served in Romania in treining and supplay activities.
In 1947 ,he was discharged by the comunists without pension,leaving his family almost in starvation.

Most help will be if,I'll get some info from the photos I'm gonna post.
Info about awards ,places and camarades.

A young cadett.

On the back is written "Back from the Italian front".
Sorry about the poor quality....

Order of the Star of Romania
Order of the Crown of Romania
Medal of Ferdinand
WWI Commemorative Cross with clasp
WWI Victory Medal

I cannot make out the sixth award and the badge on the chest. Can you please post a close-up?

You just made a draw with Dragos 03.
He said the last may be Medalia comemorativa Carol I 1939.

I subscribe to this. I have one hanging on my blueboard, and indeed it looks like that's the one.

Gen. Dénes

OK then, it remains the badge on the chest. Can you post a close-up of that one?

This is a very interesting theme.

In autumn 1918 on the Western Front fought the 18th A-H Corps which included the 35th KuK Infanterie Division (51, 62, 63 and 64 KuK infantry regiments) composed of Transylvanians.

It’s interesting to note that from the Romanian origin POWs captured in France, just before the Armistice of November 1918, was set up a Romanian Volunteer Corps who was supposed to fight against the Central Powers armies. This corps was integrated in the Foreign Legion and its members were dressed and trained as “Legionaires”. Eventually some of them were sent in Northern Africa (Morocco and Algeria) for training. In summer 1919, these troops (a few thousand men) were sent back to Romania by ships, from Marseille to Constanta. Some of them joined the Romanian army.

Can you make out what clasp does he have on the WW1 Cross? Is it "1919"?

Well Klemen mentioned this.
Pacurariu,served first at Verdun and then at the Italian front.In 1919 he already was in the Rom. army.He was in N Africa in the middle of the 20's.No one knows for how long.In 25 he got married and in 26 my aunt was born.
It is posib. that anotherincle of my mother. Capt Nistorescu may know more details.The problem is that he's gonna be 92 in Sept,and his memory doesn't get any better.

Verdun.....

I found some information concerning Ioan Pacurariu found in different issues of “Anuarul Armatei” (“The Army Yearbook”).

According different issues of this official document, Ioan Pacurariu was born on 19th of May 1893 (the 1926 yearbook) or 19th of November 1898 (according the 1934 yearbook).

He was appointed Second-Lieutenant (in reserve) on 1st of August 1918, probably in the A-H army. The records said that he was transferred in the Romanian army with the same rank on 1st of December 1918 and on the same date he passed in the active service.
On the 15th of October 1922 he was promoted Lieutenant and became Captain on 1st of October 1928.

He was officer in the 91st Infantry Regiment “King Ferdinand” of Alba Iulia, during all that period (until 1934). On the photo he is wearing the regimental badge (and cipher) of this unit.

He is for the last time mentioned in the “Army Yearbook” of 1934 as an active officer. According the next yearbooks (including the 1942) he was not on active service anymore. Maybe he received the rank of Major just before the retirement.

In the photo he wears the open collar tunic adopted in 1934 for service uniform. This tunic (with stiffened removable shoulder straps and brass buttons) was worn until April 1941.

12 August 1941 Chisinau.
Together with Petrica Lupu.A sheperd from Dolj who had healing powers and was very popular those days.