Constantin Tobescu

Constantin Tobescu (1893 – 1951) was a Romanian general. He was the chief of Romanian Gendarmerie (Jandarmeria) before August 23, 1944.

Youth and studies

Constantin Tobescu was born on January 28, 1891 in the village of Comani, Olt County, Romania. In 1911, after completing 7 years of high school, Constantin Tobescu enrolled in the Military School for Infantry, which he completed in 1913, being promoted 2nd lieutenant. He immediately took part in the operations of the Second Balkan War

The First World War

In 1916, short time after being promoted lieutenant, Romania entered World War I. He was in command of a Company when he was wounded on September 4, 1916 but returned to the front line in December of the same year. In 1917 he was promoted Captain and was awarded the Coroana României Order with swords.

Career in the Romanian Gendarmerie

At the end of the war, on December 19, 1918, Constantin Tobescu was transferred to the Romanian Gendarmerie and appointed commander of the Gendarmerie Company of Romanaţi County. In 1920 he received special training in gendarmerie procedures, following which he was permanently transferred to the Gendarmes Corps and promoted major.

In 1929, new legislation reorganized the Romanian Gendarmerie and Constantin Tobescu moved to the Gendarmerie Inspectorate of Bucharest. During the 1930s he had various responsibilities, being also in charge of international contacts with the Gendarmerie corps of friendly nations. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1932 and colonel in 1938.

On September 4, 1940, when general Ion Antonescu took power, Constantin Tobescu was appointed to the General Inspectorate of the Gendarmerie. However, because of his conflict with the legionnaires of the right-wing Iron Guard he resigned on December 31, 1940 and took refuge in Yugoslavia, returning to Romania on January 24, 1941, after the quelling of the Legion's coup attempt.

World War II

On June 22, 1941, when Romania entered World War II, Constantin Tobescu was recalled to active duty. His responsibilities were focused on the prevention of sabotage and the actions of enemy paratroopers. While his initiatives in preventing sabotage were mostly successful, he is also remembered for the special treatment he gave American and British paratroopers that were captured in Romania. He organized special camps where they were treated as prisoners of war, refusing to hand them over to the Germans, or even to allow them the be interrogated by the German authorities.

He was involved in Operation Autonomous when a special group of 3 British secret agents were parachuted in Romania in 1943. In order to protect them, he made arrangements to have them kept in an apartment in the building of the Romanian Gendarmerie, under his own special protection, putting his subordinate, colonel Constantin C. Roşescu in charge as special liaison agent. The two officers conveyed the information which the agents had brought to their destination and concealed their presence from the Germans. The agents were released immediately after August 23, 1944, when Romania switched sides (see King Michael's Coup).

References

• Porter - "Operation Autonomous: With SOE In Wartime Romania" Chatto and Windus. 1898
• Alesandru Duţu, Florica Dobre, Andrei Şiperco - "Pagini dintr-o istorie nescrisă: 1941-1945. Prizonieri de război în România" [1], in Magazin Istoric, March 1997
• Dr. ing. Alexandru Racovitză - "Mărturii despre Operaţiunea Autonomus", in Clopotul Bucovinei nr. 16(42), 2007
• Aurel Pippidi - Regele şi ţara - Revista 22, 2006

Persondata
Name	Tobescu, Constantin
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1893
Place of birth
Date of death	1951
Place of death