Romanian Military Monument for WW2

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Gentlemen

in June 2001, I was traveling from Bavaria, Germany, to vist Deva, Hunedoara County, Western Romania.

Shortly after leaving ARAD a main town situated close to the Romanian-Hungarian border, I spotted a large monument in the distance through the front window of the bus, snatching up my camera, I snapped the following picture of this impresive looking monument.

I always wondered what it was for, but when you are a bus passenger you are a captive, no chance to jump out and investigate

I always said If I ever got the chance to go by car to ARAD I would get the driver to stop and let me look at the monument more closely well finally on the 26th of April 2007 I got the chance

Close up photos to be added.

Kevin in Deva.

[Kev in Deva]

The centre piece is a representation of a WW2 Romanian soldier.

Kevin in Deva

Edited April 28, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Under the statue, are listed the names of the Officer Cadet Class, who helped to block the advance of the Hungarian Forces at this spot in 1944.

Kevin in Deva.

[Kev in Deva]

FIRST PANEL: (LEFT-HAND NAMES) SECOND PANEL (RIGHT-HAND NAMES)

CAPITAN FATU IOAN

SUB-LCT CISMARU GHEORGE. / SUB-LCT POPESCU DARIUS.

SERG-MAJ. BICHA ERNST. / SERG-MAJ. CALIN TANASE.

ELEV-SERG, ATANASIU CONSTANTIN. / ELEV-SERG. UNGELESCU CONSTANTIN.

? BABALAU ALEXANBRU. / ? MACHENICI DUMITRU.

? BADONIU CONSTANTIN. / ? MILITARU NICOLAE.

? BALAN BALAN. / ? MOTEA PETRE.

? BALESCU PAUN. / ? MOTREANU IOAN.

? BLAGA TOMA. / ? PLOPSOREANU APOSTOL.

? BOBEI IOAN. / ? POPESCU EMIL.

? CASOTA GRIGORE. / ? PREDICA MARIN.

? CONDA PETRE. / ? RACIU ILIE.

? CODREANU VASILE. / ? RADUCANU PETRE.

? COMANESCU CONSTANTIN. / ? SELA CONSTANTIN.

? DASCALU IOAN. / ? SINITIEANU EMIL.

? DOBRITOIU IOAN. / ? SPARLEANU LEON.

? DUMITRESCU IOAN. / ? STAMATIOU GHEROGE.

? ECOVESCU IOAN. / ? STANESCU IOAN.

? FOTA MIRCEA. / ? STOIAN ALEXANDRU.

? GHEORGE DUMITRU. / ? STROIE AURICA.

? IOVI TIBERIU. / ? SUCIA ALEXANDRU.

? IUGA IULIA. / ? SERB NICOLAE.

? JIANU SCARLAT. / ? SOSI IOAN.

? LERA SLOBODAN. / ? WEICHERT CORNELIU.

13 - 25 SEPT. 1944.

Please Note: ELEV-SERG is the Romanian abbreviation for Sergeant-Student.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

HEROS OF THE DETACHMENT PAULIS.

THE TITLE OF THE MONUMENT.

Sadly the date in bronze has been vandalised

[Kev in Deva]

This sign signifys that its a National Monument and gives some details of the designer, etc.. etc..

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Left side view of the soldier, showing the characteristic shape of the "Dutch Helmet" worn by the WW2 Romanians.

The helmets were supplied by the Germans from captured Dutch stocks after Holland was over-run.

Kevin in Deva.

Edited April 28, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

The right-hand side of the soldier.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Side profile of the monument.

The piece immediately behind the soldier represents the wings of victory.

The large piece to the rear represents the flames / desire in the hearts of the soldiers to win.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Silently, guarding the place where so many gave up thier lives.

May they all Rest In Peace.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Another front view to help with the perspective of the design.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Risking life and limb, I crossed the very busy road to get a picture of the sign located in a lay-by, first in English.

I kid you not, the traffic along here is horrendous, why they never put a sign on both sides of the motorway is beyond me.

Kevin in Deva.

[Kev in Deva]

German.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Romanian.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Hungarian.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

This picture shows the wide open plains to the right of the monument from the rear, just after you emerge out from the Mures River valley.

Good Tank country, but very scarse cover for the infantry. The fighting from here towards ARAD was articularly savage, involving units of the SS, once ARAD fell the road to Budapest was open.

Sadly as with nearly all Romanian roadsides litter is a major problem

Kevin in Deva.

Edited April 27, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

The fields to the left hand side of the monument rear, now prime agricultural land, a far different crop was sown here in 1944.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

As you look at the monument to the front, their is a curious "bunker-like" structure with a white marble block on top,

At first I was stumped as to what the structure was for.

Kevin in Deva.

Edited April 27, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

The end of the marble block had this carved into it, and here I would ask Carol I for a translation.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

The other long side has this list of names:

CAPITAN ∙ ION ∙ FATU ∙ SLT ∙ GHEORGE ∙ CISMARU ∙ SLT ∙ DARIUS ∙ POPESCU ∙ ELEVII ∙ SERGENTI :

CONSTANTIN ∙ BADANOIU ∙ TOMA ∙ BLAGA ∙ SCARLAT ∙ JINAU ∙ ION ∙ MOTREANU ∙ EMIL ∙

SINITEANU ∙ VASILE ∙ CODREANU ∙ BALAN ∙ BALAN ∙ ILIE ∙ RADU ∙ IOAN ∙ DUMITRESC ∙ ALEXANDRU ∙ SUCIU ∙ EMIL ∙ POPESCU ∙ MARIN ∙ PREDICIA ∙ IOAN ∙ SOSOI ∙ CONSTANTIN ∙ LUGULESCU ∙ IAON ∙ DASCALU ∙ CONSTANTIN ∙ ANTANSIU ∙ LERA ∙ SLOBODAN ∙ ION ∙ECOVESCU ∙ PETRU ∙ RADUCANU ∙ ION ∙ BOBEI ∙ MIRCEA ∙ FOTA ∙ CONSTANTIN ∙ COMANESCU ∙ AURICA ∙ STROIE ∙ IULIU ∙ IUGA ∙ ERNEST ∙ RICHA ∙ NICOLAE ∙ MILITARU ∙ GRIGORE ∙ CASOTA ∙ DUMITRU ∙ GHEORGE ∙ PETRE ∙ MOTEA ∙ TIBERU ∙ IOVI ∙ IOAN ∙ DOBRITOIU ∙ ALEXANDRU ∙ BABALAU ∙ EMIL ∙ STANESCU ∙ NICOLAE ∙ SERB ∙ PETRE ∙ COANDA ∙ GHEORGIE ∙ STAMATOIU ∙ DUMITRU ∙ MECHENICI ∙ APOSTAL ∙ PLOPSOREANU ∙ CORNEL ∙ WEICHERT ∙ CONSTANTIN ∙ SELEA ∙ PAUN ∙ BALESCU ∙ NICOLAE ∙ IVAN ∙ SERGENT : ELENA ∙ CHIRITA.

Strange to say not all the above names are on the marble tablets under the statue

So is the "bunker" an ossary?? must investigate.

Kevin in Deva

Edited April 27, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Ovidiu, my driver and good friend of the family,

(in fact he is the guy who introduced me to Adriana my Romanian wife ).

Thanks Ovi

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

The monument is one of the largest I have seen in the area where I live and I will try to add some more information with regards the fighting in this area in WW2, hope you like the tour.

Thanks for looking.

Kevin in Deva

[Carol I]

Kevin, this is a monument to the heroes of the battle of Păuliş, most of them only cadets at the time of the battle.

The end of the marble block had this carved into it, and here I would ask Carol I for a translation.

Here it comes: "Here, the soldiers and officers of the Păuliş Detachment fought heroically and sacrificed themselves between 14-21 September 1944 for the defence of the motherland."

[Alex K]

Hi kevin, a most interesting and impressive monument. Forgive my stupidity but I assume this is an anti-fascist memorial.

Alex

[Kev in Deva]

The monumnt was erected under the Communist Romanians in the 1970's it celebrates the defence of the Mures river pass leading into Transylvania, from a Hungarian attack (before this the Romanian were allied to the Germans and Hungarians, so there is a very good chance they were in combat against former comrades.)

It's located beside a very busy main road and probably hundreds of people traveling to the Romanian / Hungarian border passit without realising its significance.

In the book "CEL MAI GREU EXAMEN PAULIS - 1944 by Dumitru Susan, can be found a few pictures of the men involved in the battle.

Kevin in Deva.