Romanians on the Italian Front 1915-1918

Thank you Carol for your input. I am familiar with General Arz von Straussenburg's memoires. I have also heard for Kövess von Kövessháza to write some sort of memoirs after the war, albeit I never had the pleasure to read them.

Also generally I am more keen to search and read the diaries and memoires of junior officers or men. I am not much a fan of these generals memoires or biographies., if you know what I mean.

Do you think the Romanian War Archives might contain any unpublished manuscripts about Romanians in the k.u.k. Army? I have checked the online catalogueof US Library of Congress and they have about 16 Romanian WW1 personal narratives, but they all seem to be from Romanian and not Romanian-Transilvanians.

I have also stumbled upon a third one: general and later marshal Rohr von Denta born in Arad.

I have had no contacts with the Romanian Military Archives, so I cannot answer your question. You may try to contact them directly, but on their homepage there is only a fax number.

He was only born there because at the time of his birth his father was serving there as a junior NCO. Rohr was not a Transilvanian German.

I am also not sure if he has written some memoires after the war. I know that the 10th Army, which he commanded in Carinthia and Dolomiten, published a military newspaper.

I have contacted them twice so far - once by fax and once by mail (in 2003-04) and never received any reply from them. I don't mind negative answers, but I sometimes get a bit angry if they don't even make any efforts to send a short answer in return.

I have contacted them twice so far - once by fax and once by mail (in 2003-04) and never received any reply from them. I don't mind negative answers, but I sometimes get a bit angry if they don't even make any efforts to send a short answer in return.

I'm sorry to hear this. It is unfortunately one of the things that still happen in Romania.

What can I say... But has anyone of you perhaps ever been in the Romanian War Archives and looked at their WW1 catalogue? I am very interested if they have anything about Romanians from Transilyania, who were in the k.u.k. Army 1914-1918. The Kriegsarchiv Wien often emphasizes that after the war they have given some archive material to the states of successors, including Romania.

What about any museums or unviersity libraries in Transilyania? Oradea, Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu? Could they have anything?

Anyway to get back to the topic I believe I have found another Romanian WW1 memoires, at leats judging by his surname - MANESCUL. Unfortunately for me it only describes the war in Galicia in 1914.

Doro Ritter von MANESCUL: "Meine Dritte Kompagnie. Tagebuchblatter des Lst.-Oberleutnants". Vom Armmee-Oberkommando(Kriegspressequartier) Genehmigt. Wien, Selbstverlag des Autors, 1916. The author served as a company commander in the Landsturm-Infanterie-Regiment Nr.22 (Czernowitz). This was a Romanian-Ruthene regiment. Unfortunately, it covers only the fightings in Galicia in 1914.

I opened a new topic on "Biografical reaserch",about my relative.

I finally found in my father’s house Dumitru Ciumbrudean’s book “Jurnal de Front. 1914-1918” (“Front Diary. 1914-1918”), Editura politica, Bucuresti, 1969.

Dumitru Ciumbrudean was a sympathizing socialist from Alba Iulia and fought from August 1914 till November 1918 within the 50th IR, first on the Eastern Front and from March 1916 on the Italian Front. On that last front he and his regiment fought on the offensive against the city of Arsiero (June 1916), in Tyrol, and on the 11th Isonzo Battle, on the Monte San Gabriele (September 1917), in Croatia.
He started the war as “Korporal” and in 1917 was appointed “Zugsfuhrer” (Sergeant). From January 1915 he was a telephone operator in the 3rd battalion of the 50th IR.


This photo, taken from the book, represents (in a poor quality print) Dumitru Ciumbrudean near the telephone operators but at Tormeno-Seluggio, in Tyrol, on 26th February 1916.

Unfortunately there is nothing at the National Military Museum library about the Romanians in the AH armed forces in WW1. This subject didn’t interested Romanian military historians as they focused especially on the Romanian army actions or on the Romanians from Transylvania, ex-POWs, who fought as volunteers in the Romanian or Allied armies.

Hallo Gentlemen

With regards soldiers from Transylvania in the Austrian Army in WW1 there is a very interesting publication with regards:

REGIMENTULUI cezar si regesc Nr. 64 ORASTIE" (1860 - 1918)

by Mr. Dorin Petresc & Ioan Lazarescu published in 2004.
ISBN NUmber:973-622-154-7.



some nice photos and old military postcards in connection with the regiment.

Kevin in Deva

Hi NCR,

Have you looked at the British Army's 1918 handbook of the Austro-Hungarian Army prepared because British troops were sent to the Italian Front in the wake of Caporetto?

It contains a thumbnail analysis of each nationality in the Austro-Hungarian Army. It rates the Romanians as the least reliable and least educated of all nationalities in the Austro-Hungarian Army.

Cheers,

Sid.

Hallo Sid, thanks for the information, since moving to live in Transylvania its not so easy to get my hands on books written in English, and I never was a great one for buying books online

The book I listed was published by a local guy here in Deva, and I posted it for anybody intrested into the history of a Austro-Hungarian regiment as you dont see many books written in Romanian, I got my copy from the author, for giving a display of my medals at the book launch.

With regards reliability and educated, the other end of the spectrum was an Austro-Hungarian fort that fell to the Russians with hardly a shot fired, the daily orders having to be transcribed in 24 languages and dialects and then posted

Many of the armies in the Balkans, not only Romania relied heavily on peasant stock with no education, for manpower including Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey, Greece,
etc...etc...

And I would imagine many of the Irish working classes who joined the British Army were poorly educated as well, with justa basic knowledge of reading and writing. After all thats what the officer class were there to do, all the complicated stuff

OFF TOPIC: There again the British intel on Japanese troops prior to the invasion of Burma was seriously flawed as well, with regards their fighting capability due to their chronic bad eyesight and small stature" OFF TOPIC.

Kevin in Deva.

Dear Kevin & Kepi,

I shall reply in details to your two MOST interesting messages tomorrow evening, but I was wondering Kevin if you can tell me more about IR 64? It is the first time that I hear of it. Are there inside only photos and postcards or are there in the WW1 chapter also any accounts (testimonials or short memoirs or any other info) about this regiment and his participation in the Great War 1914-1918?

Regards,

Klemen

Hallo Gentlemen

I have made enquires about obtaing more copies of this book from the local bookshops, it seems the author Mr. Dorin Petresc has sole control over its distribution as he paid for the printing of it.

He works with the local Police authorities here in Deva and I will try and get in contact with him with the intention of obtaining some copies.

The book covers the history of the regiment, from the War of 1866 up to and into WW1 1918. There are some photographs, and some postcard images also some campaign maps.

Kevin in Deva.

Dear Kepi & New Connaught Ranger,

My apologies for belated reply but unfortunately my fragile health these days does not allow me to post rapid replies. So I answer here to the best of my abilities:

Excellent news, Kepi! I wonder do you (or anyone) know if this book is still anywhere avaialble for sale or where I could at least order some photocopies of the interested chapter(s)? Being this so far the most concrete memoir of a Romanian from k.u.k. Austro-Hungarian soldier from the Italian Front 1915-1918 I am extremly interested in this book.

Kepi: May you tell me which battles on the Eastern Front did he take part with his regiment? I find his story amazing. Very few memoirs that I have read or seen so far detail the the life of a soldier who was in the war from first till the last day of thew Great War.

Yes, IR 50 from Alba Iulia with its three battalions arrived to the Carso in August 1917 and took part as part opf the 15th Infantry brigade in the famous battle of Monte San Gabriele. But this place is in Slovenia and not Croatia. Here is a wartime photo of Mt. San Gabriele. I believe it was taken shortly after Caporetto breakthrough.

URL: http://www.hervardi.com/images/skabrijel_k...vana_vratca.jpg

And the photo of the hill today

URL: http://prohereditate.com/photo/mid/b0045.jpg

Our IR 87 was almost wiped out on Mt. San Gabriele, shortly before 3rd Division with IR 50 arrived from South Tyrol.

Thank you. Excellent photo. You are right. In 1916-17 the regiment was in Tyrol, where it took part in all major battles. In fact IR 50 was a part of the elite 3rd Infantry Division (later re-named into Edelweiss Division). During summer 1916 it took part in the Operation "Strafexpedition" - the Austro-Hungarian Offensive in South Tyrol in May and June 1916. IR 50 was stationed in Arsiero. On his left flank was 1st Klagenfurter Mountain Rifle Regiment from Carinthia and on his right were positioned Czech IR 21 (Caslav) and Austrian IR 14 (Linz), the later regiment later distinguished itself so bravely during the re-conquest of Mt. San Gabriele.

Are there any more photographs (or even maps) in his book?

I am very sadden to hear this. Can not say I am suprised, though. Still... Did Romania after the war not get any archive material and other documentation (including army service records) from War Archives in Vienna (Wien) and Budapest as part of the agreement which enabled the states of successors to receive some war archive material from the mentioned war archives? In Budapest and Vienna they have said to me that some material has been sent to you in Bucharest. I presumed these included service records of Romanian soldiers in the k.u.k. Army, because very few of them can still be found in Vienna and even less in Budapest due to destruction from 1944.

About any other Romanian WW1 memoires from k.u.k. Austro-Hungarian Army I guess our only chance are to check for any biographies, memoires or diaries of any famous Transilyanians, who might have been serving in the war and mentioned their episode in the k.u.k. Army in one of the chapters of their memoires/diaries/autobiographies. Can anyone think of any name? I have checked for some biographies of Transilyanian post-war politicians and those who wrote something were either too old or imprisoned during the war.

Can anyone think of any other names, which could be interesting?

Another thing: I have found this short personal account of Lt. DOMINIC STANCA, who served as military doctor in Moldavia and Bukowina during the war. I know that in mid-1918 he was sent with his cavalry regiment to the Italian Front (Montello Sector). Can anyone decipher from this article from WHICH book or article did they take this account by Dr. Stanca?? Also who is that Artur Pfeider? What he published in February 1986??

URL: http://www.fundu-moldovei.ro/istoric/index2.htm

Sid: I am afraid this is not a very reliable source of information. Full of mistakes and errors. Have you read Francis Mackay's "Touring the Italian Front" and "Asiago", J. Wilks & Wilks' "The Italian Army in Italy 1917-1918"? They are better and much more accurate.

Wonderful news! But please NCR can you share some more details about this book? Especially about the chapter in which author described this regiment in World War I. Did he use any (archive) documents or published sources, any newspaper articles, any old veteran's accounts & stories or his WW1 chapter mostly replied on wartime postcards and photogaphs therefore making this book more a regimental photo book? Keep me informed.

Thank you, I would like that very much. When you see him, can you please also ask him if he knows any other published or not published sources about IR 64 in World War I - any (un)published diaries, memoires or manuscripts of former servicemen?

IR 64 played very important role on the Italian Front 1916-1917, particularly during the 9th, 10th and 11th Isonzo Fronts. It was positioned on the Bainsizza Plateau and saw some very heavy fighting there during the bloody 10th and particularly 11th Isonzo Offensives. Very little is known actually about this regiment. Even in Budapest War Archive one cannot find much about this regiment.

Hi Klemen. Unfortunately there is no reference to the source of Dominic Stanca's fragment on Fundu Moldovei site you indicated. As for Artur Pfeifer, there is nothing else except that he has published some recollections in February 1986. I would however guess they were not about the war in Italy, as the fragment speaks about the Russian occupation of Bukovina during WWI.

Speaking about Romanians from Bukovina on the Italian front, I remembered an anecdote about a relative of my wife. He has seen service in Italy with the AH army during WWI and on return he repeatedly told his family about the amazement of his fellow soldiers at "the poor Romanian spoken in those places".