Grigore Bălan (July 14, 1896–September 13, 1944) was a

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Bălan was born in Felsőbalázsfalva, a village in

Beszterce-Naszód County Beszterce-Naszód was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in northern Romania (north-eastern Transylvania). The capital of the county was Beszterce (now Bistrița). Geography Beszterce-Naszód cou ...

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

, now Blăjenii de Sus,

Bistrița-Năsăud County Bistrița-Năsăud () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Bistrița. Name In Hungarian, it is known as ''Beszterce-Naszód megye'', and in German as ''Kreis Bistritz-Nassod''. The name is identical with ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

. He attended the Infantry School for Officers in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

, graduating as second lieutenant in 1915. He fought in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, advancing to the rank of lieutenant by 1918. During the interwar period, he was promoted to captain (1921), major (1929), lieutenant-colonel (1936), and colonel (1940). He served as commanding officer of the 5th Mountain Group from September 1940 to February 1943. In February 1942 he was awarded the

Order of Michael the Brave The Order of Michael the Brave ( ro, Ordinul Mihai Viteazul) is Romania's highest military decoration, instituted by King Ferdinand I during the early stages of the Romanian Campaign of the First World War, and was again awarded in the Second Wo ...

, 3rd Class, for bravery during the battle of Mala Bilozerka (September 25–October 2, 1941).Decretul Regal nr. 445 din 12 februarie 1942 pentru conferiri de decorații, publicat în ''

Monitorul Oficial ''Monitorul Oficial al României'' is the official gazette of Romania, in which all the promulgated bills, presidential decrees, governmental A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, general ...

'', anul CX, nr. 45 din 21 februarie 1942, partea I-a, p. 1.186. In July 1943 he became Deputy General Officer Commanding of the 2nd Mountain Division before being made its commanding officer in June 1944. In January 1944 he was awarded the Order of the Star, Commander rank. After coup d'état of August 23, 1944, Romania switched sides and declared war on

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. On September 9, 1944, while fighting at the siege of

Sfântu Gheorghe Sfântu Gheorghe (; hu, Sepsiszentgyörgy or ''Szentgyörgy'' ; yi, סנט דזשארדזש; English lit.: ''Saint George'') is the capital city of Covasna County, Romania. Located in the central part of the country and in the historical regio ...

during the

Battle of Turda The Battle of Turda lasted from 5 September to 8 October 1944, in the area around Turda, Kingdom of Romania, as part of the wider Battle of Romania. Troops from the Hungarian 2nd Army and the German 8th Army fought a defensive action against R ...

, Bălan was mortally wounded by a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

shell at Arcuș; he succumbed from his wounds four days later, at a military hospital in

Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named aft ...

. He was buried with military honors at the Ghencea Military Cemetery in Bucharest. To perpetuate Bălan's memory, a boulevard in Sfântu Gheorghe was named after him, and a cross was erected in Arcuș on the spot where he fell seriously injured. A street in

Bistrița (; german: link=no, Bistritz, archaic , Transylvanian Saxon: , hu, Beszterce) is the capital city of Bistrița-Năsăud County, in northern Transylvania, Romania. It is situated on the Bistrița River. The city has a population of approxima ...

also bears his name. In 1992, a bust was built in the courtyard of the Command of the 1st

Vânători de munte Vânători may refer to several places: Romania * Vânători, Galați, a commune in Galați County * Vânători, Iași, a commune in Iaşi County * Vânători, Mehedinți, a commune in Mehedinţi County * Vânători, Mureș, a commune in Mureș Co ...

Brigade from Bistrița, which has since been renamed the 81st Mechanized Brigade "General Grigore Bălan".

References

1896 births 1944 deaths Romanian Land Forces generals Romanian military personnel killed in World War II People from Bistrița-Năsăud County Burials at Ghencea Cemetery Recipients of the Order of Michael the Brave Commanders of the Order of the Star of Romania Romanian military personnel of World War I {{Romania-mil-bio-stub