Romania Kingdom of Romania: Order of Aeronautical Virtue

[Megan]

Ordinul "Virtutea Aeronauticã"

Instituted: 31 July 1930.

Awarded: For acts of bravery or valour in the air.

Grades: 4 (Commander, Officer, Knight and Golden Cross), with or without swords.

It exists in 2 types, each with or without swords.

This is the Second Type with Swords, an Officer with swords.

(Obverse):

[Megan]

(Reverse):

[Dragomir]

(Reverse):

Megan,

You are back! I am relieved and happy.I feared something happened to you.

Yours,

Dragomir

[Carol I]

This is the Second Type with Swords, an Officer with swords.

(Obverse):

Something is not right. The officer's cross was not awarded with bars on the ribbon. It was only the knight's cross and the golden cross.

[Megan]

Megan,

You are back! I am relieved and happy.I feared something happened to you.

Yours,

Dragomir

Oh, Dragomir - how sweet of you

I have been around, but I am currently job-hunting having been made 'redundant' - at my level each application requires a young essay honed to the position and institution AND I am a judge for a major international competition in my other hobby (role-playing games), and it's all been getting in the way of the medals!

2 interviews lined up (aargh, got to write presentations for them!), fingers crossed.

[Megan]

Carol I - thanks for your input... this is how the picture arrived. I'm still finding my way around this Order so additional information is always welcome. Even if it shouldn't have bars, is it an officer's cross?

It does seem to have a nice 'war' ribbon, though (extra gold edge stripes).

[Megan]

2nd Type Knight with swords, obverse:

[Megan]

And the reverse:

[Carol I]

Carol I - thanks for your input... this is how the picture arrived. I'm still finding my way around this Order so additional information is always welcome. Even if it shouldn't have bars, is it an officer's cross?

It does seem to have a nice 'war' ribbon, though (extra gold edge stripes).

Yes, the cross with laurel wreaths was the insignia for officers and commmanders (with differences in size). In the beginning of WWII (for Romania that was in 1941) rules were set up for awarding the wartime insignia. You can read them here.

I have taken a look on your site and noticed that you describe the 1st type insignia with swords as for WWI service. That is not entirely true. There is evidence that type I insignia was also awarded for WWII service in the beginning of the war.

2 interviews lined up (aargh, got to write presentations for them!), fingers crossed.

Good luck in your search, Megan!

[Megan]

Thank you - for information and for good wishes.

[Megan]

Now for the 1st Type, a Knight (without swords).

Obverse:

[Megan]

And its reverse:

Interestingly it appears to be on a war ribbon even though it's without swords.

[Kev in Deva]

Interestingly it appears to be on a war ribbon even though it's without swords.

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_06_2010/post-950-127714171087.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_06_2010/post-950-127714180207.jpg

These items are in the Romanian Military Museum in Bucharest.

War ribbon??? I believe the only "war ribbon" is the Military Virtue Ribbon and that's not used for the aeronautical merit awards.

Kevin in Deva. :cheers:

[Megan]

I mean the extra gold edge... the regular ribbon is light blue with silver central stripe & edges, then for wartime awards an extra gold edge is added.

[Carol I]

War ribbon??? I believe the only "war ribbon" is the Military Virtue Ribbon and that's not used for the aeronautical merit awards.

All orders with swords through the middle of the cross had a war ribbon to distinguish them from peacetime awards (without swords). As Megan said, the war ribbons were similar to the peacetime ribbons, but had gold edges. The Military Virtue ribbon was an additional sign for frontline activities, i.e., in direct contact with the enemy.

[Kev in Deva]

All orders with swords through the middle of the cross had a war ribbon to distinguish them from peacetime awards (without swords). As Megan said, the war ribbons were similar to the peacetime ribbons, but had gold edges. The Military Virtue ribbon was an additional sign for frontline activities, i.e., in direct contact with the enemy.

Thanks for the clarification with regards the ribbon stripes.

I was told a few years back, by a Romanian collector,

that one type of ribbon was for the Aeronautical merit medals

and those with a gold stripe for Aeronautical crosses.

I to would have thought that a one to one dogfight with confirmed kill would be akin to direct contact, with the enemy (although at a very high rate of speed)

Kevin in Deva. :beer:

[Carol I]

Just an addition, the Military Virtue ribbon was used only for the Order of the Star of Romania and the Order of the Crown of Romania.

[Megan]

Commander, 1st Type, with swords: