Gârbea, Titus, born 22-09-1893 in Bucharest .ffought in World War I with the rank of artillery sub-lieutenant, in the battles of Gorj, Câmpu Mare
and the Bridge over Jiu. During the 1917 campaign, he was part of the command group of the 15th Artillery Brigade of the 15th Division,
commanded by General Paul Angelescu,
born 10-10-1872 – died 04-02-1949, age 87, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He married the daughter of a landowner from Bengești Municipality, Gorj County, who had received from her parents a dowry consisting of 25 hectares of arable land. In the 1930s, Titus Gârbea built a house in that municipality.
During World War II, Colonel Titus Gârbea served as military attaché in Berlin (1938-1940), military attache in Stockholm and Helsinki (1940-1942), head of the Gârbea liaison detachment with Army Group South (1942-1943), commander of the 18th Artillery Brigade (1943–1944). He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General (with one star) in 1943.In March 1944, Titus Gârbea was then appointed as head of the Romanian military mission to the OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht – Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht) and OKH (Oberkommando der Herres – Supreme Command of the Dry Army), a mission agreed upon by Ion Antonescu and Adolf Hitler
during their meeting on 23-03-1944 in Klessheim. The German military mission in Romania agreed with his appointment: “He is known because he was a military attache. is pending.” He presented himself to Hitler on 27-03-1944 and attended several of Hitler’s military meetings with the responsible heads of the OKW and OKH (General Wilhelm Keitel,
Heinz Guderian,
Alfred Jodl,
Kurt Zeitzler,
etc.),
According to his own words, he reported to both Marshal Ion Antonescu and General Constantin Sănătescu, head of the Royal Military Household, who initiated the overthrow of the Antonesian government and the turning of arms against Germany. General Sănătesc who died 08-11-1947 age 62 in Buckarest, wrote in his diary that during a meeting he had in 1942 with Colonel Titus Gârbea on the Eastern Front, in which they discussed the situation of the front, the latter “was the first Romanian officer to tell me that we were heading for disaster”. Sănătescu also states that in March 1944 he insisted that Gârbea accept the new mission precisely so that he could provide the necessary information to prepare the coup. Transferred to the reserve in 1944, he was reactivated the following year and assigned as commander of the IV Artillery Corps (1945-1946), stationed in North Oltenia, with the special mission of ensuring the military guard of the National Bank’s treasury , temporarily hidden in Tismana Monastery and other places in Gorj province. It was placed back in reserve in 1946 and then retired in 1947.With the establishment of the communist regime, General Gârbea was expropriated from both the land and the house in Gorj province on the basis of Decree No. 83/1949, although the area of the land was only half of the expropriation limit, and the houses were not were expropriated. All his personal and household goods were confiscated. The General’s wife and one of his daughters who lived in that house and were there that night were put in a truck at night and transported to Târgu Jiu, where they remained under forced residence. After the revolution of December 1989, as a veteran of the two world wars, General Titus Gârbea was frequently asked to give interviews and speeches on the occasion of festive days (especially December 1). Titus published part of his memoirs in military themed magazines, especially in “Viata armatei” and in “Military History Magazine”. Retired General Titus Gârbea, a war veteran, was promoted to the rank of retired Lieutenant General (2 stars) on 17-09-1993, when he turned 100 years old. Subsequently, at the proposal of the Minister of State, the Minister of National Defense, retired General Titus Gârbea was promoted to the ranks of General of the Army Corps (r) (19-09-1996) and General of the Army (r) ( 22-09-1998), “for special merits in all his activities during the two world wars”.He was awarded several military decorations such as: the medal “Memorial Cross of the Second World War, 1941 – 1945” (for the military services rendered to the Romanian State during the Second World War, 1994).
Death and burial ground of Gârbea, Titus.




General Titus Gârbea died on 23-12-1998 at the age of 105 in Bucharest. A pious tribute! May God rest his soul in peace!
My friend Vlad Daniel from Pitesti (Argeș county) in Romania was so kind to sent me the grave photo’s with thanks.

Message(s), tips or interesting graves for the webmaster: robhopmans@outlook.com
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