Trained at Pápa and Veszprém in western Hungary, Honvéd paratroopers represented an elite organization formed from dedicated volunteers. They were first dropped into action against the Yugoslav army in April, 1941. During most of the war, they were thrown in at troublespots, but mainly as ground troops as opposed to being dropped in. During 1944, they served with distinction helping to stop the Soviets on the Carpathian Mountains. They fought resolutely at the Tisza River line, by the Ipoly/Garam rivers, east of Budapest, and in the Bakony mountains, paying with very heavy losses of life. May they rest in peace.

Hungarian Paratroopers or Ejtőernyösök

The first echelon of Hungarian paratroopers at Pàpà airfield on 1939 with, in background, the airplane used for their transport and drop, the Italian built Caproni Ca.101. Twenty Ca.101 was purchased as bombers by the Hungary early Thirties. With the arrival of most modern aircraft, as the Junkers Ju 86K and the Caproni Ca.135, the Ca.101 was downgraded from bomber to transport aircraft and in this role employed during the WW2. The decision of the Hungarian Ministry of Defense to create an airborne infantry force the, "Ejtoernyos" (paratroopers), date to 1938 when an airborne troops center was established on Szent Endre, an island in the Danube river near Budapest. Parachutes and other airborne equipment were purchased from all over Europe and United States as the Italian Salvator parachute. The Ca.101 was replaced in the role paratroopers dropping by the most modern three engines Savoia-Marchetti SM-75 already of the civil airlines Malert and later militarized. The Hungarian paratroopers made their first operational combat jump over the Northern Yugoslavian district of Delidek on 12 April 1941 and, after the drop, marched over 30 kilometer to their objectives at night, then took the bridges after brief fighting with Yugoslav forces. Victor Sierra

Italian airplane for the Hungarian paratroopers

Line-up the fuselages of some Nardi FN.305 for the Hungarian Air Force on the Finale Ligure’s Piaggio factory in front to the Ligurian Sea. The aircraft wait for the transfer to Villanova d’Albenga airfield where, after the union of fuselage with the wing, will be tested in flight. The Royal Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierö or Honvéd Légierö) purchased 50 exemplar of the FN.305, a modern tandem two-seat with flaps and retractable landing gear advanced trainer, designed by the Nardi brothers, engine a 185 HP Alfa-Romeo 115 (an Italian version of the de Havilland Gipsy Queen produced by Alfa Romeo from 1936 to 1956) with variable pitch in flight propeller, put into mass production by Piaggio, the Nardi’s small Linate plant having not enough capacity. Notice the Hungarian Air Force markings adopted after Marche 1942. Victor Sierra