Leonard Mociulschi

Leonard Mociulschi (Leonard Moczulski) (27 March 1889 – 15 April 1979) was a Romanian Major General of Polish origin during World War II.

Biography Early days Mociulschi was born in Siminicea, Botoșani County (now in Suceava County), a descendant of Polish nobility that had been naturalized Romanian citizens. He started his military career with the 13th Regiment in Iași, and in 1910 he pursued his military training in Bucharest, at the Infantry Officers' School. Upon graduating in 1912 with the rank of Second Lieutenant (Sublocotonent), he was assigned as a platoon commander with the 8th Infantry Regiment in Botoșani. In 1913 he took part in the Second Balkan War. and to major general in 1944.

After the coup d'état of 23 August 1944, Romania switched sides and became an enemy of Germany. On 20 September 1944, together with the Tudor Vladimirescu Division and the 337th Soviet Infantry Division, his Mountain Corps went on the offensive against the Axis forces, reaching the western border of Romania on October 13. For 70 days, starting on 20 December 1944, Mociulschi carried out combat operations in the Javořina massif and the White Carpathians of Czechoslovakia. and Târgu Ocna. In 1955 the Military Tribunal dropped the case against him and assigned him to a forced domicile in Balș. He was rehabilitated in 1964 and died in Brașov in 1979. According to his wish, he was cremated, and his ashes were scattered by scouts of the 2nd Mountain Troops Brigade on the Moldoveanu, Pietrosul Rodnei, and Omu peaks.

Awards (1913) Order of the Crown, Knight Class with spades (1917) Croix de Guerre (1918) Order of the Star of Romania, Knight Class (1919) Order of Michael the Brave 3rd Class (17 October 1941) 2nd Class (19 February 1944) with Swords 3rd Class (23 March 1945) Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class German Cross in Gold (25 October 1942) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (18 December 1943) Order of the Cross of Liberty (1943)

Ginta massacre

Leonard Mociulschi was the commander of the Romanian troops (6th and 11th Vânători de munte battalions) that entered on 24 September 1944 the village of Ginta . The majority of the villagers in Ginta were Hungarians (86% out of 358 inhabitants), with some Romanian families living there as well. Located in Southern Transylvania after the Second Vienna Award, Ginta had been occupied shortly by Hungarian forces when on 23 September 1944 a Romanian soldier was shot out of a window in the village. According to another source, fierce street fighting took place in the village on 24 September. Mociulschi was never charged for the massacre.

Zoltán Boros (now a filmmaker and composer), the son of the local Reformed priest and a survivor of the massacre, was then 5 years old. On that day his father was in a labor camp. He recalled that a local Romanian doctor, Augustin Pop, hid him and his then-seven-year-old sister in a dark room, and they were asked by their mother not to make any noise. Later on, his mother told him that the doctor dressed her as a maid so that it would not raise any suspicion when the Romanian officers arrived. One of the officers asked, "Well, we know the priest is in the camp, but where's his wife?" The doctor answered that she had already left with the retreating Hungarians. During the Ginta massacre, a villager named Lájos Togyinka showed what "Until death do us part" means because Togyinka was Romanian and the Romanian soldiers did not want to execute him, however his wife was Hungarian and Togyinka instead of fleeing chose death by the side of his wife. The officer in charge of the execution, Bridea, also ordered the 13 and 17-year-old-sons of Togyinka to be executed. The grave of the murdered Togyinka family reads: "Kioltott ártatlan vérök annak a tanúja, hogy ártatlanul haltak. Aludjatok drága szereteink békén az Úrjézusban. A boldog viszontlátásra" (translated to English: "Their spilled innocent blood is the proof that they died innocent. Sleep our beloved ones in God Allmighty. A blissful good bye.")