General Gheorghe Avramescu

[mabadesc]

Thanks for the post, Dragos. I have an interesting book quote on the same topic, but I'm at work right now. I'll post it when I get home.

What I'm trying to find out are exactly the circumstances of his dismissal/resignation on 22 August. What was said between him and Antonescu, what precise motives he gave for resigning, etc...

I'm afraid that it's a tough thing to reassemble from all the small bits of information.

Resigning your command in the middle of the fight is an extreme, radical thing to do. He must have had some solid, concrete reasons...

[Bernard Miclescu]

QUOTE

If I remember correctly it is the white uniform in the photo below and it has the third class badge of the Order of Michael the Brave.

Yes that's it.
If i'll go visit again Invalides Museum, i'll try to take a picture, though it may be forbiden to do it.

Yours,
Bm

[Carol I]

QUOTE

If i'll go visit again Invalides Museum, i'll try to take a picture, though it may be forbiden to do it.

I remember that some time ago taking pictures was allowed inside the Invalides complex, provided that strong lights (such as flashes) were not used.

Anyhow, Gen. Mihail's uniform is not the only Romanian item in there. In the WWI section there is a uniform of a private with the Military Virtue Cross. Unfortunately that section seems to be closed until 2005.

[Klemen]

Zivjo Mihai!

In my reply to you which I have sent to you via personal mail (and which I hope you have received) I didn't "mention" the address of the Russian Supreme Court, because at that time I didn't found it. Anyway to be short here, if your search in the Russian National War Archives by Mrs. Natalia or in the FSB Archive will proved fruitless (something what I doubt :roll: but stil...) the third and last resort is to contact the Archive of the Russian Supreme Court. If your great-grandfather was trailed before send to Siberia like some books say than his records should be stored in this archive.

URL: http://www.supcourt.ru - address of Supreme Court of Russia
Your may send e-mail to the head of Storage Department (Otdel Khranenia Sudebnykh dokumentov) via this site using contact section.

But first contact the War Archives (they have POW records - but only if he was given a POW status, of course) and especially the FSB Archive (they are most probably the institution that helds the diary and other documents related to General Avramescu). He was most probably arrested by NKVD or SMERSH, so any documents confiscated at him at the time of his arrest were send here.

Alora, this would be more or less all. Contact as I told (wrote) you and I think you have a good chance of finding anything. And when you do, don't forget to treat us a beer if we ever stumble upon each other, hehe..
:keep: :cheers:

Take care and all the best.

lp,

Klemen

[dragos]

About the death of General Avramescu:

http://www.itcnet.ro/history/archive/mi199...urrent5/mi7.htm

[mabadesc]

Thanks Dragos, thanks Klemen.

Klemen, I'll write you a personal email, as I faxed your request letter.

Dragos, my theory (one of my theories) is that the death of Avramescu is closely related to political events of March 6th, 1945 (the birth of the Dr. Groza communist government).

What do you think?

[mabadesc]

Here is an example of what newspapers were talking about in Feb/March '45.

[mabadesc]

And here is a translation of the report written by SMERSH officers regarding Avramescu' death. (2 pages)

Note how high in rank these guys were, especially for SMERSH/NKVD officers!!!

Please let me know your impressions. A german plane who only managed to hit and kill Avramescu in a car filled with 5 officers?

[dragos]

QUOTE

Please let me know your impressions.  A german plane who only managed to hit and kill Avramescu in a car filled with 5 officers?

I understand you that it is hard to believe this story. However, we should also think that, even with an infinitesimal probability, this could be possible.

Question: for whom this letter was redacted ?

[mabadesc]

Dragos,

You bring an excellent point. Knowing the exact recipient of the letter would be of much help.
This letter (raport) was written on March 3, 1945 by the 2nd Ukrainian Front SMERSH leadership and was intended I believe either to NKVD or to NKGB headquarters in Moscow, or to the Soviet political leadership. It was found in Moscow in one of the archives by an uncle of mine. I believe it was in the KGB archives (FSB?).

There is another report which describes in detail the state of the car after the shooting. I will post it later today.

Nevertheless, you are correct in saying that, although very small, the possibility of his being shot by the German plane does exist, but I think it is almost negligible. Still, this does not exclude his arrest. The reason he was in the car with SMERSH officers to begin with was because he was being transferred for interrogation.

My question to you: Does it feel like these SMERSH officers were a bit scared and trying to cover their asses?

Consider this: Back then, in the war, Soviet political commissars (SMERSH, NKVD, etc) had enormous powers. A lieutenant commissar could easily arrest and execute a Soviet colonel without any hesitation. Soviet military officers were scared to death by these comissars.
In this context, you have the events of Avramescu's death confirmed and signed by a SMERSH LT. GENERAL and the leader of the 2nd Ukrainian Front's SMERSH branch. Still, this wasn't enough: Koroliov (the SMERSH general) had four other high ranking officers sign next to his name. They wanted unanimity, they wanted lack of any doubt, they wanted to be sure their asses were covered. Also, the fact that Koroliov was "in charge" of transferring the prisoner Avramescu and was in the same car with him indicates that Avramescu was considered a very, very important and precious prisoner.
My question is, why did they want to cover themselves so thoroughly? Why was Prisoner Avramescu so important for them?

[Klemen]

Zivjo Mihai!

QUOTE

This letter (raport) was written on March 3, 1945 by the 2nd Ukrainian Front SMERSH leadership and was intended I believe either to NKVD or to NKGB headquarters in Moscow…

SMERSH was Soviet counterespionage service in World War II. It is really interesting that he was arrested and escorted by them. It seems that someone believed (or want to believe) that General Avramescu was intending to desert to the Germans… But this could of course very well be just a cover up.

QUOTE

It was found in Moscow in one of the archives by an uncle of mine. I believe it was in the KGB archives (FSB?).

Most likely this report was send to the NKGB headquarters in Moscow. NKGB is less known in the West than NKVD but it dealt with counter-intelligence and later became known as KGB. If NKVD would arrest him than he would be arrested by NKVD force attached to the 2nd Ukranian Front.

QUOTE

Nevertheless, you are correct in saying that, although very small, the possibility of his being shot by the German plane does exist, but I think it is almost negligible.

Well, it depends how riddled was the car, but it does sound indeed very incredible that only one person out of six sitting in a a probably reasonably small car (I assume it was a field limousine or an US made jeep) would get killed.

The entire story very much reminds me of that one which happened a decade ago when immediately following the death of popular Sergei Kirov in Leningrad, when some NKVD officers invited his former personal bodyguard on a horse treek during which he "accidently felt from his horse and broke his neck". Miracles and odd things did and will happen, but not in Stalin's Soviet Union. :-D

QUOTE

Still, this does not exclude his arrest. The reason he was in the car with SMERSH officers to begin with was because he was being transferred for interrogation.

I think that his presence with SMERSH officers tells us that he was indeed under arrest. Probably he was accused of attempt to desert to the Germans like some sources I have read tell us. This was probably just a cover up for his imprisonment and execution. It would be though interested to know whether he was shot at the spot or secretly taken to Moscow and from there to Siberia, where he died in March 1945, according to some of the Russian sources that I have already quoted to you in some of our previous correspondence.

What truly remains a mystery, as you have pointe dout, is why he was arrested and taken. Here I would like, if I may as a non-Romanian, emphasize the meaning of his arrest. Who benefited most from it? To some extent the Soviets but more importantly than they the Romanian communists under dr. Petru Groza. I wouldn't be suprised if it would be they (the Romanian Communist Party) who denounce General Avramescu as a hostile element, not loyal to the USSR ans advised his "removal" from political life. It would thus be very good if you would also check a.) the Archives of the Romanian Communist Party in Bucharest and b.) the Archives of the Soviet Communist Party or any other archives that keeps the correspondence between the Soviet and Romanian communist leadership in 1944-1945.

Just my two cents on this.

Awaiting your personal mail. I hope you have been able to check that book for me by now.

Best Wishes,

Klemen

[Victor]

QUOTE

Well I have changed my mind in the meanwhile, as I found a mention of his promotion to 4 star general in 1944. I am presently revising the all the general biographies (Dumitrescu and Mihail had already been modified, without it being announced on the forum), including Avramescu's promotion to general.

It's done. The biography has been revised. I'll send you the copies from the magazine soon.

[mabadesc]

Thanks Victor. I've already read the biography and it looks great.
Actually, I've read all the other revised biographies - they all look good and professional.

Klemen, thanks for your comments. I'll post some replies to them when I get 5 free minutes. And no, I haven't forgotten about sending you the email :oops:

[mabadesc]

Here is another excerpt concerning the arrest and death of General Avramescu.

Victor, you may be especially interested in this since a good portion of it is written by Gen. Dascalescu (I know you're a fan of his - so am I).
Not surprisingly, the report written by Dascalescu is well thought out and clearly stated.

The text in question is labeled "Document 44".




....continued...second page...

[REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR]

Mabadesc - I have a few books that are regimental histories and regimental photo albums. Looking through these books, I came across your Grandfathers photo as a young Lieutenant in the Balkin Wars. The book is "Regim. Neagoe Basarab No 38, Oficerii Activi Si De Reserva, Campania 1913". He was a young Lieutenant in the 38th Infantry Regiment during the Campaign of 1913.