Ekaterini Teontoroyou was a special young lady. Born in 1894 in a small village in Romania to peasant parents, she wrote her own, special, page in the history of the great massacre known as the First World War.
Her real name was Catalina. He also had two sisters and five brothers. She was a member of the Boy Scouts since she was little. She herself wanted to become a teacher. In 1916, when Romania entered World War I, she had just finished her studies in Bucharest.
So she gave up everything and became a nurse. There, however, fate took its steps elsewhere. The campaign hospital was attacked by the Germans. Wounded, but also civilians took up arms to confront them. Catalina did the same. Her story soon became known and the young nurse became a symbol.
Besides, a few days after the above incident, her brother Nikolai who was fighting at the front was killed. So she herself decided to enlist in the army and fight. It was an incredible decision for the time. But Romania was going through difficult times, having suffered heavy defeats at the hands of the Germans and their allies.
So and for morale reasons, with the support of the royal family, Ekaterina, as she changed her name, joined the 18th Infantry Regiment (SP), the regiment in which her brother was fighting. She soon proved her worth when she saved her company from certain capture.
On November 4 she was captured but managed to escape by killing her German guard. She returned to her unit and two days later was back in action. He was injured and stayed in the hospital for months. There she met second lieutenant George Manogiou of 43/59 SP, brother of an old classmate of hers. Thus decorated, Ekaterina joined the 43/59 SP.
In March 1917 he was decorated again and was named an honorary second lieutenant assuming the duties of a platoon member. On August 17, 1917, her regiment attacked the Germans. Fierce battles ensued. Ekaterina, head of a platoon of 25 men of the 7th Company of the 43/59 SP, participated in the operations, despite the fact that the brigadier general of the 11th Division to which she belonged, politely asked her to stay behind.
On September 3, 1917, the Germans counterattacked. The spearhead was the 40th Reserve SP of the 115th German Infantry Division. Ekaterina once again found herself in the heat of battle. Leading her men in a counterattack she was cut down by a German machine gun.
Her last words were:"Forward men, do not give up, I am with you"... The so-called "Joan of Arc" of Romania cooled down at the front. He was buried at the front. Later her body was buried in a crypt in the town of Tarkou Ziou. The young Ekaterina became a legend and is considered a national hero of Romania and not without reason. He was only 23 years old when he fell.
Her life became a movie. The following video comes from her.
