ION MUNTENESCU -1917

Ion Muntenescu "25.10.1917 - Plutonierul Ion Muntenescu a angajat lupta cu trei avioane germane, reu[ind s` doboare dou` aparate Fokker. Este primul pilot cu dou` victorii omologate \n timpul aceleia[i lupte aeriene. Dou` s`pt`m#ni mai t#rziu, c`dea la datorie \n urma confrunt`rii cu trei avioane. A fost decorat post-mortem cu "Virtutea Militar`, cea mai \nalt` distinc]ie militar` de r`zboi pentru subofi]eri.". Photo & text from Romanian Air Force website, page 44 courtesy of Aurelian Simionescu, 8-16-06

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Aurelian Simionescu, 8-16-06      I found an online newsletter of the Romanian Air Force and in the almanac section on page 44 there are mentioned several early Romanian pilots.      One of them is Polihroniade (Poly) Vacas. The caption reads: "On March 10, 1911 Polihroniade Vacas flew with a Farman airplane from Bucharest to Roman via Buzau part of the spring military maneuvers (exercises?)." From other online source I learned that Poly Vacas was a young relative of Cherkez (the founder of Chitila Piloting School), and that he was born in Braila, probably in 1893. Best regards, Aurelian P.S. There are also three WW1 pilots featured with photographs in the same online publications (attached): Radu Irimescu, Constantin Mincu and Ion Muntenescu. Muntenescu died in combat in November 1917 and was decorated post mortem with Romanian "Military Virtue". A fourth name is Nicolae Tanase. If you want to include them too, I can provide you with translations of the short captions.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Ion Muntenescu ", using the Google search engine, (12-7-06), you will find about 74 links, most of them in Romanian.

 

IMuntenescu died in combat in November 1917. via email from Aurelian Simionescu, 8-16-06   If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

Back