Archívum - A Heves Megyei Levéltár közleményei 19. (Eger, 2010)

TANULMÁNYOK, KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Kiss Péter. A Dobó-téri Dobó szobor Egerben (1882–1953) • 159 - Czirók Zoltán: Katonai repülők Mezőtárkányon 1919 • 177

Zoltán Czirók: Military airmen in Mezötárkány in 1919

At the end of May 1919 a military air-base was set up in the outskirts of Mező- tárkány. The commandership of the Red Air Forces located a reconnaissance company and a fighter plane detachment on the airfield of Mezötárkány. The operation of the former, the 7. air force company, was not very successful as several members of the unit had an accident, which made it difficult to operate efficiently. Since there were so many fatal accidents, the number of airmen and airplanes decreased significantly, therefore after only one week they had to be returned from the frontline and the whole detachment had to be reorganized. The three plane detachment of the 8. air force company was a lot more successful, it actively supported the infantry with its reconnaissance activity and attacks carried out from low altitude.

Only after one and a half weeks the planes left tire area and it is unknown if the temporary air-base was used regularly in the following one-one and a half months. In July 1919 the 3. air force company was relocated to Mezötárkány so it could support the the military operations by the river Tisza. This event gave a fillip to the village for a short while.

This study aims at reconstructing the happenings of these two short periods with as much detail as possible, on the basis of documents found in archives and the reminiscences of the airmen who served in Mezötárkány.

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