Ioan Dicezare

Ioan Dicezare (12 August 1916 – 10 August 2012 ) was a leading Romanian fighter pilot and flying ace in World War II. He was born and died in Bucharest.

On 22 April 1943 Dicezare engaged a Soviet bomber formation and shot down one A-20 Boston, which fell behind Axis lines. He then returned to the airfield and took the group's liaison Bf-108 Taifun. He landed near the crash site and took the pilot and the observer prisoner. In over 500 combat operations He was credited with 16 confirmed victories (and 3 probable) in aerial combat.

Dicezare died on 10 August 2012, 2 days before his 96th birthday. He was the last survivor of ”Grupul 7 Vânătoare” pilots who managed to escape the Stalingrad encirclement.

Decorations and awards

 * Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd class (30 August 1943) - campaign from Mariupol
 * Order of Aeronautical Merit, Gold Cross with two bars and Knight with two straps (1943) - campaigns in the USSR from 1943
 * Order of the Crown of Romania, 1st class with swords and Military Virtue ribbon (1943?)
 * Iron Cross of 1939
 * 2nd class (probably 6 June 1943)
 * 1st class (probably 17 August 17, 1943)