Emanoil Ionescu

Emanoil Ionescu (17 March 1893 – 13 July 1949) was a Romanian General during World War II and commander of the Royal Romanian Air Force's between September 1943 and March 1945.

Biography Early life and military career Emanoil Ionescu, nicknamed "Pipițu" by friends and fellow aviators for the way he scolded them, was born on 17 March 1893 in Tămpeni, now Movileni, Olt County. After attending the primary school in his native village, he enrolled at the Boys' Normal School in Craiova, where he graduated from in 1911 allowing him to work as a teacher in Tămpeni. While in Craiova, he attended an air show at the Craiova Hippodrome, becoming fascinated by aviation.

On 1 June 1915, he joined the Infantry and Reserve Officers Military Training School as a first step towards the Aviator Officer School. He graduated three months later with the rank of Plutonier, being assigned to the 43rd Infantry Regiment. He was soon promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant and passed into reserve. On 15 August 1916, he enrolled as a volunteer at the Aviation School in Cotroceni. With the school moved to Botoșani during the war, he obtained his pilot's license on 11 July 1918, after which he was assigned to the 1st Aeronautical Group. Soon after, he became the commander of the S.2 Squadron.

In the spring of 1919, when the Hungarian communist army attacked Romania, Lieutenant Ionescu was assigned with his squadron to the 5th Aviation Group in Sibiu, an air subunit made available to General Gheorghe Mărdărescu, commander of the Romanian forces in Transylvania during the Hungarian–Romanian War. In April-June 1919 he carried out several combat missions aboard Sopwith 1½ Strutter aircraft, gathering information and bombing enemy targets.

In the next two years, he held important positions in the education system of the Air Force. After King Michael's Coup of 23 August 1944, when Romania switched sides to the Allies, Ionescu continued to command the Air Corps on the front in Transylvania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, providing air support to the Romanian 1st and 4th Armies, as well as the Soviet 6th Guards Tank Army and 27th Army. He was present with his units on the frontline during important operations, earning the admiration of the Russians. On 4 August 1945, he was decorated with the Order of Michael the Brave 3rd Class.

On 6 March 1945, he was named Undersecretary of State for the Air in the first Groza cabinet and returned to Bucharest, handing over the command of the Corps to General Traian Burduloiu on 10 March 1945. A street in Slatina, and one in Bucharest, are also named in Ionescu's memory.

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 10 May 1944 as and commanding general of the Royal Romanian 1st Air Corps Order of Michael the Brave 3rd Class (4 August 1945)