As the Soviet summer offensive unfolded, in a defensive position by the Dniester River, two Hungarian infantrymen are eating their lunch seemingly uneasily, staying close to their small mortar.

Honved Lunch by the Dniester, Aug. 1944 (Hungary)

When Hungary began her rearmament in 1938, among the many steps taken was the formation of a paratrooper unit. Many qualified soldiers responded to the call to volunteer and a unit of four-hundred tough paratroopers was trained. Equipped with automatic small arms, they saw action first in 1941, during the German/Hungarian drive into Yugoslavia, when Hungary sought to recover the lost territory of Southern Hungary.

Hungarian Paratroopers (Ejtoernyosok) in Action

On a river bank somewhere in or out of Hungary, a Honved unit is taking a break from marching, perhaps during infantry training, before or during the early years of WW2. It seems to be an original color photo.