1935 photo of my father, Szabo Jozsef (1903-1989) newly promoted to sergeant first class in the Royal Hungarian Army (Magyar Kiralyi Honvedseg).

Sergeant First Class

1933 photo of my mother and father (the young boy is her nephew). They would marry 2 years later... My father, Szabo Jozsef is a Royal Hungarian buck sergeant (Magyar Kiralyi Honved szakaszvezeto), he is 30 yrs. old on this picture; the bayonet at that time was part of the attire when go on pass. - Bayonetting one and other was unheard of... Another regulation was, that a professional soldier had to wait until he attained the rank of sergeant first class to be able to get married (i.e. to draw family pay).

Honved with bayonet

My father, Szabo Jozsef (1903-1989), sitting behind the machine gun, shown on this 1934 photo, as he instructs a group of honveds (Royal Hungarian soldiers) the use of the weapon. His rank (3 white stars on a plain collar patch) of buck sergeant (szakaszvezeto) is clearly visible. The soldier, third from the left is the next highest ranking (1 star), a private first class (orvezeto). All the others are honved (privates or recruits). - My father would reach the rank of master sergeant (fotorzsormester) till the end of the war. After that, he left the military for good. He was not asked nor had the desire to serve in the new (communist) regime...