A Békés Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei 34. (Békéscsaba, 2011)

Czirók Zoltán: Egy repülőszázad viszontagságai Aradtól Békéscsabáig (1918-1919)

Egy repülőszázad viszontagságai Aradtól Békéscsabáig (1918-1919)

Vicissitudes of an Air Squadron from Arad to Békéscsaba (1918 to 1919)- Zoltán Czirók - Resüme

After World War I, airplanes were developed into a basis of a new and determinant service. The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, similarly to the rest of the great powers, tried to establish combat-worthy air squadrons. The relevant pilots were trained in the troops in Arad in the hinterland. Two such squadrons were established from 1916 to 1917 which were good bases for the new Arad air-group to be established after the fall of the Monarchy.

In the troublous times from November 1918 to March 1919, the new Hungarian military leadership and the commanders and the crew of the Arad air squadron first tried to maintain a formation in good working order in that important southern part of the county. Later, when this proved to be impossible, they tried to save the valuable airplanes for the country.

With the take-over of the Hungarian Soviet Republic in March 1919, the Arad air squadron moved to Békéscsaba where, despite the difficulties, the crew of the unit did their best in order to hold on in the battles and to perform the tasks assigned to them. When Békéscsaba was lost on 26 April, they again had to move on to hand their place over to a Romanian air squadron.

The study as detailed as possible: a 90 years’ retrospective, based on archives documents, tries to reconstruct the history and the vicissitudes of the air squadron first garrisoned in Arad then in Békéscsaba.

Czirók Zoltán

E-mail: czzjosha@yahoo.com

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