Grigore Bălan
Grigore Bălan was a Romanian brigadier general during World War II.
Bălan was born in Felsőbalázsfalva, a village in Beszterce-Naszód County, Kingdom of Hungary, now Blăjenii de Sus, Bistrița-Năsăud County, Romania. He attended the Infantry School for Officers in Bucharest, graduating as second lieutenant in 1915.
He served as commanding officer of the 5th Mountain Group from 1941 to 1943, and thereafter became Deputy General Officer Commanding of the 2nd Mountain Division before being made its commanding officer in 1944.
After King Michael's Coup of August 23, 1944, Romania switched sides and declared war on Nazi Germany. On September 9, 1944, while fighting at the siege of Sfântu Gheorghe, Bălan was mortally wounded by a German shell at Arcuș, and succumbed from his wounds four days later, at a military hospital in Sinaia. He was buried with military honors at the Ghencea Military Cemetery in Bucharest.
