ATHANASIE PETCULESCU

Brigadier General - 1945-1946 - Director of the Military Geographic Institute.

ATHANASIE PETCULESCU was born on August 5, 1892, in the village of Golesti, Râmnicu Sărat County (now Vrancea).

He attended the first five primary school grades in his native village, and in 1904, he continued his education at the "Unirea" High School in Focșani.

Starting on September 9, 1912, he enrolled in the Military School for Artillery and Engineering Officers, Artillery section, in Bucharest, graduating on June 30, 1914.

In 1913, during his time at the school, while holding the rank of sergeant, he was mobilized to the Cavalry Artillery Regiment and participated in the Second Balkan War.

After graduation, he was promoted to second lieutenant and assigned to the Galati Cavalry Artillery Regiment. On April 1, 1916, he was transferred to the 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment in Bucharest.

He remained in this position for a longer period, being promoted to lieutenant on November 1, 1916, and to captain on September 1, 1917.

He was mobilized again and actively participated in the 1917-1918 campaign.

He was awarded the "Coroana României" Order, 5th class, with the Military Virtue ribbon, the Russian Order of "Saint Anna," 3rd class, and in 1921, the "Victory" medal.

In 1921, he attended the Special Artillery School in Timișoara and was assigned to the 7th Heavy Artillery Regiment in Târgu-Jiu. In March 1924, he was transferred to the Army Pirotechnics.

He was promoted to major on February 15, 1925, and transferred to the 12th Artillery Regiment in Sadagusa-Cernauti. Between March 1926 and October 1927, he was appointed as head of the production workshops at the Army Pirotechnics, during which he was awarded the "Steaua României" Order, 5th class.

He served as commander of the division and director of courses at the Artillery Training Center in Mihai Bravu from November 1927 until October 1932.

On October 1, 1932, he was transferred to the 28th Artillery Regiment in Râmnicu Sărat as assistant to the commander, and from January 1, 1935, he was appointed assistant to the commander of the 25th Artillery Regiment in Chișinău.

He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on January 1, 1934.

On April 1, 1935, he was appointed assistant to the commander of the Military School for Active Officers in Timișoara, a position he held until June 1936.

In 1937, after a short period working in the Personnel Department of the Ministry of National Defense, he was appointed commander of the Military Reserve Officers Artillery School in Craiova in November, and from January 1938, he became commander of the 12th Artillery Regiment in Sadagusa-Cernauti. He was promoted to colonel on June 1, 1938.

In the officer's memoir, it is noted that on September 6, 1940, he "took the oath of allegiance to King Mihai I."

After a period (July 1941-March 1942) working as head of section in the Superior Artillery Directorate, on March 15, 1942, he was appointed commander of the Artillery Brigade of the 8th Infantry Division in Cernăuți and later of the 19th Infantry Division, with which he directly participated in combat on the frontlines.

Between 1942 and April 1945, he participated in military operations on both the Eastern and, after August 1944, the Western fronts, commanding the artillery structure of the 5th Army Corps and, respectively, the 2nd Army Corps.

On September 23, 1944, he was promoted to brigadier general and awarded the "Mihai Viteazul" Military Order, 3rd class. Related to this distinction, the officer’s memoir includes a handwritten note mentioning: "I was granted 5 hectares of arable land in Florești-Putna, following the awarding of the Mihai Viteazul Order, which I ceded to the Ministry of Agriculture in September 1950, and in March 1951, I received confirmation that it was received. I have no other property."

On April 10, 1945, he was appointed director of the Military Geographic Institute, a position he held until August 9, 1946, when he was placed "on standby" by the General Staff.

On August 9, 1947, he was placed in reserve.

The date of his death is unknown.