Romanians trapped by 23 August events in the Third Reich

[Florin]

Hi,

I have the feeling that we are running out of subjects, so I am trying my part.

I am thinking of the Romanians who were in Germany for training ( in aviation, tanks, manufacturing know-how). Also it would be interesting to discuss about the Romanian members of the Romanian embassies in Berlin, Budapest and Tokyo. I guess there were also some Romanian representatives in Paris, or in the "capital" of the Vichy Government.

I think many of you read Ora 25 / The 25th Hour / La 25e Heure , by Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu. Or at least you saw the movie, made in 1967. Main actor: Antony Quinn, film director: Henri Verneuil.
One of the main figures in the novel was a Romanian diplomat, victim of the events. Eventually he became a prisoner in an American camp. He commited suicide. (Read the book and you'll have the reason of suicide.) Because Romania officialy was not recognized as an Allied country after the end of the war, but just a former German ally, the Romanians were considered as POWs by the allies. This is according to that book. Any opinions from you are welcome.

So, everybody learned in Romania since primary school that Manfred von Killinger shot himself with a pistol, do avoid being captured. What happened with our guys?

It is up to you if you want to discuss about the "Legionars" being in exile since 1940 and 1941. However, they were already living in Germany for many years when August 23 happened, so I don't think their life was affected for worse by those events.

I don't think it is appropriate to discuss under this subject about the Romanian POW's who signed to register in one of the 2 SS regiments formed by Germany (at least one saw combat). Why? Because those Romanians were not in Germany at August 23rd. They were a reflection in the mirror of "Tudor Vladimirescu" and "Horia, Closca si Crisan": people who as war prisoners signed to fight for the enemy.

Also I don't think appropriate to discuss under this subject about the common Romanian civilians living in Hungarian occupied Transylvania and Hungary herself, or the Serbian Banat (Yugoslavian part of Banat). Because those people lived there always, since the dawn of our era.

So I am starting this topic with 2 examples:

The following is an extras from an email got by me from an old man living now in the US. When he was young, he was in SS - maybe the Baltic division. So the extras is:

".....During WW II my only contact with Rumanian soldiers of
Luftwaffe was a few days at Aussig, April 1945, where
I shared billeting and mess hall with them during my
stay. As I did not speak Rumanian, and they did not
speak my (Latvian) language, there was very little in
conversation.---....."

The second example:

A soldier, a smart young man born in the same village as my grandfather, was in Germany to learn something about tanks (maintenance or crew member - I really don't know). After August 23rd nobody heard anything about him. Until one day in 1945, or 1946 or 1947, when his parents got a parcel from Argentine! In the parcel was a very good quality leather boot, filled with expensive things, like the very recent discovered anti-biotic, known as Penicillin. Some time later his parents received the second leather boot - again Penicillin and other expensive stuff. Well, we became Communists after that, and I don't think the guy ever returned to Romania, even as tourist.

I hope this topic will refresh the site for the moment.
Regards,
Florin

[Bernard Miclescu]

[quote]I am thinking of the Romanians who were in Germany for training ( in aviation, tanks, manufacturing know-how). [/quote]

In april 2000 I went to ANVR Bacau where i met a former POW. He told me that in 1944 he was sent with other young man to be trained (bomber gunner I think) in Germany. After 23 august 1944 he became POW in Germany. He returned in 1945 to Romania among some jewish people (quite amazing...). I do not remeber how he entered in Romania. I remember only that he married a jew women.


Yours,
BM

[Carol I]

After 23 August 1944, the Romanian minister in Berlin, gen. Gheorghe Ioan - a known Germanophile, issued an order that recommended to all the Romanians under his authority not to recognise the new Romanian government and its decisions. Those who did comply with this order were placed under house arrest, pending the decision of the German authorities. As they could not be exchanged on the front line with their German counterparts, about 200 Romanians were then sent to special concentration camps in Germany and Austria (Krumhubel, Ramingstein and Maria Worth). In May 1945 they were liberated by the Allies and sent to Italy. Later, some of them returned to Romania, while others left for other countries.