Gulyás Katalin et al. (szerk.): Tisicum - A Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve 23. (Szolnok, 2014)

Történettudomány - Ravasz István: A XX. századi világháború első hősi halottja

RAVASZ ISTVÁN: A XX. SZÁZADI VILÁGHÁBORÚ ELSŐ HŐSI HALOTTJA („SOSE HAL MEG AZ, KI A HAZÁJÁÉRT HAL”)

IRODALOM

CSEH Géza

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DÖMÖTÖR Sándor (szerk.)

1961. Abádszalók földje, népe, kultúrája. Szolnok.

GERGELY Jenő

2001. Gömbös Gyula. Budapest.

LÁNDOR Tivadar (szerk.)

1915. A Nagy Háború írásban és képben I. Budapest.

POLLMANN Ferenc

2000a Világháború első halottja. In: Magyarország az első világháborúban. Lexikon A-Zs. Budapest, Petit Real Könyvkiadó. 718.

2000b Potiorek-offenzívák. In: Magyarország az első világháborúban. Lexikon A-Zs, Budapest, Petit Real Könyvkiadó. 551-552.

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1999. Őrségváltás szavazócédulákkal -1935. In: Parlamenti választások Magyarországon 1920-1938. (2. kiadás) Budapest.

A VILÁGHÁBORÚ..,

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68-AS ALBUM...

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SAJTÓFORRÁSOK- Magyarság, 1934. évfolyam -Szolnoki Újság, 1934. évfolyam

István Ravasz

The first victim of the World War of the 20th century

The 68th Royal Jászkunság Infantry Regiment had been deployed opposite the Serbian garrison of Belgrade in Zimony since 1912 and they were tasked with strengthened border defence. In 1914, soon after the declaration of war, on the night of 29th July, the Serbians exploded the southern pillar of the railway bridge over the international border river Sava between Belgrade and Zimony. The troops of the infantry regiment guarding the Zimony side of the bridge tried and failed to prevent the explosion. The Serbs attacked the guards of the bridge with artillery fire and small arms. In the fire fight, the outcome of which is described in somewhat dissimilar ways by different sources, there were three fatalities on the 68th side: Private Pál Kovács, Private Gábor Bíró and Private Imre Veres. According to archives data, they were the first victims of the Great War.

This paper attempts to summarize the available data and answer the question why only Pte Pál Kovács, aged 22, born in Abádszalók, has been considered as the first victim. Since neither the historical literature nor the archive data prove it unambiguously that he was the first soldier fatality in the war. What happened cannot be exactly reconstructed: the circumstances of the death of Pte Pál Kovács are equivocal. So is the location of his burial place. The book on the history of the 68th Royal Infantry Regiment list different names, however, one cannot help but think why it was Pte Pál Kovács only, who received posthumous decoration: the Bronze Medal of Valour. Now it is impossible to determine that on what bases and sources he was “selected” as the first victim around 1934. The paper reviews the contradictory facts and the attempts to clarify the circumstances.

The monument of World War One was erected in 1924 in Abádszalók showing an infantry troop guarding the flag. According to the memories of the old, the statue was made based upon a photograph of Pál Kovács. It is probable that the renovation of the monument in 2007 will help the legend of the first victim survive in the future too.

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