A nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyvei 54. (Nyíregyháza, 2012)
Helytörténet - Bene János: Nyíregyházi gyalogosok Ukrajnában a megszálló erők között (1941-1944)
Bene János LEXIKON 1997. Magyarország a II. világháborúban. Lexikon. Szerk. Ravasz István. Petit Real Könyvkiadó, Budapest 1997. TÓTH 1987. Dombrády Lóránd - Tóth Sándor: A magyar királyi honvédség 1919-1945. Zrínyi Katonai Kiadó, Budapest 1987. UNGVÁRY 2004. Ungváry Krisztián: A magyar honvédség a második világháborúban. Osiris Kiadó, Budapest 2004. VATTAY 1943. Vattay Antal vezérőrnagy, Szohora Pál polgármester búcsúztatták vasárnap délután a hadbavonuló nyíregyházi gyalogezredet. Nyírvidék XI: 2. 1943. január 4. 3. BENE János Jósa András Múzeum Nyíregyháza H^1401 Pf. 57. e-mail: benejan@jam.nyirbone.hu Infantrymen from Nyíregyháza in Ukraine, as members of the occupational force (1941-1944) During the Second World War, in the Soviet Union, at a more than half million square kilometre large territory occupational tasks were fulfilled by the troops of the Hungarian Royal Army. The sub-divisions of the twin-regiment (42 n d Regiment) of the 12 t h Infantry Regiment of Nyíregyháza, named after Ferenc Rákóczi II were among them. These subdivisions originally were stationed in Nyíregyháza and Nyírbátor. Occupational units were in charge of military administration and protective tasks in the eastern theatre of war, behind the front line. Until the January of 1942 together with the 102 n d Infantry Brigade, there were five Hungarian infantry brigades brought to Ukraine (nos. 105, 108, 121, 124). In two of them infantrymen from Nyíregyháza served: 42/l s t Battalion in 124 t h Brigade, and 42/1 II r d Battalion in 102 n d Brigade. The ranks of the occupational battalions consisted mainly of elder generations, reservists belonging to secondary reserve, badly trained soldiers. At the beginning 20 percents, later 50 percents of the soldiers belonged to ethnic minorities. In the early period, there were no branches - e.g. artillery - in their order not always necessary for their assignments: guard-duty, guarding and protection of transport routes, railways, bridges etc. Due to the permanently strengthening pressure of the Soviet army, the number of the troops assigned to Ukraine was gradually growing in 1942^13. The complete 42 n d Infantry Regiment (regiment command, subdivisions directly belonging to the regiment, 42/I s l, 42/Il n d and 42/III r d Battalions) was commanded to field. However, the operational territory of these units was narrowing parallel with the advancement of the Red Army. By mid1944 they withdrew to the Carpathian foreland. 324
