Published in „Siegrunen“ Magazine - Vol. XIII, No. 2,
Whole Number 76, Fall 2004
by Rudolf Pencz
(As adapted by R. L. who is responsible for any errors herein!)
The original source for the inclusive, totally Hungarian formation that came to be know as the SS Brigade ‘‘Ney”, was a Hungarian veteran’s organization known as the Comradeship Federation of the Eastern Front. This had been founded in 1944 by front-line fighters who had served in the Royal Hungarian Don (River) Army from 1941 to 1943. Basically they hoped to protect Hungary from internal enemies and traitors. Its director was a former Minister-President of Hungary, Vitez Dr. Bela v. Imredy. He was one of the more well-known ‘‘German friendly” national politicians and a well-known economist and international financial expert.
The spirit and motivation of the Comradeship was represented by the emblem of a deathshead (skull and crossed swords), a traditional military symbol of courage and sacrifice. In a speech to the assembled Hungarian veterans, Imredy made the following statement:
„Under the sign of death we can come closer to our victory. As long as we have nothing but that (to guide us), we can concentrate on no other thoughts and have no other desires except for one: the struggle!”
With this sort of spirit to motivate them, the members of the Federation decided to form an active military unit that could serve with the Waffen-SS, Germany’s most elite military force. To this end the 151 Secretary of the Federation negotiated an arrangement with Reichsführer-SS Himmler on 20 October 1944 that permitted veteran volunteers from the Comradeship of the Eastern Front to enlist in the Waffen-SS via the SS-Ersatz (Recruiting and Replacement) Kommando for Hungary.
The new Hungarian recruits were assigned to the 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division „Maria Theresia”, which had drawn most of its personnel from the ethnic-German community in Hungary. The „MT” Division provided the veteran volunteers with uniforms, supplies and equipment. They were initially combined into a provisional (Sicherwigs) Security or Guard Company for the SS Artillery Regiment 22. From that time on until the end of the war, the „Comradeship” volunteers would wear of the cornflower insignia of the „MT” Division on their right collars with SS ranks insignia on their left collarpatches.
In addition, the emblem of the Federation, a skull with crossed swords beneath it, was worn as a patch by these soldiers on their left breast pocket. The leader of the new SS formation was Dr. Karl Ney, (born in 1906 in Bäcszentivän, Hungary). He was a lawyer and a reserve Is* Lieutenant in the Honved (the Royal Hungarian Army) who had served with the horse-drawn artillery. In the Waffen-SS he was admitted with the equivalent of his old rank, SS-Obersturmführer, but before the end of the war he would have attained the rank of SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lt.Col.).
To start with, there were 300 recruits from the „Comradeship”, but a continuous flow of volunteers, both from the Veteran’s Federation and the Hungarian Youth Movement „Levente”, boosted the new formation to ready-for-action regimental strength by 24 December 1944. On 1 November 1944, the new Hungarian formation had been sent to the Bakonyer Forest for training and formation. The headquarters staff was situated in a nearby castle. The official command and duty speech was Hungarian rather than German. However the unit was considered a full-fledged SS unit and was accorded that distinction rather than the somewhat second rate ‘‘Waffen“ classification given to most non-Germanic units for usage in titles and ranks, (i.e. „Waffen-Grenadier“ or „Waffen-Untersturm führer”).
Above: The Brigade „Ney” collarpatch insignia: a cornflower worn on the right side, which was also the insignia and emblem of the 22’u’ SS Volunteer Cavalry Division „Maria Theresia ”.
On 25 December 1944. the unit was removed from the jurisdiction of the 22nd SS Cavalry’ Division, which in any case was now entrapped in the city of Budapest. Instead, the formation, designated SS-Kampfgruppe „Ney” was assigned to the IV.SS Panzer Corps under SS-Obergruppenführer Gille. In early January 1945, two battalions from the battle-group were deployed for the first attempt to relive Budapest which was known as Operation „Konrad I“. One of the Hungarian SS battalions was attached for infantry duty to the 3.SS-Panzer Division „Totenkopf’, while the other was sent for the same purpose to the 5.SS-Panzer Division „Wiking”.
When this undertaking ended unsuccessfully on 8 January 1945, the SS-Kampfgruppe „Ney” received a teletype message from Army Group South (with the concurrence of the SS-FHA or Main HQ), placing it under the control of the Wehrmacht’s ls’ Panzer Division. On 11 January 1945, a third combat ready battalion reported for duty with the Kampfgruppe bringing the unit strength up to about 2.000 men.
18-25 January 1945: SS-KGr. „Ney” Participates in Operation „Konrad III”
The SS-Kampgruppe „Ney” joined in supporting the IV. SS Panzer Corps as part of the 1st Panzer Division in the third attempt to relieve the surrounded Budapest garrison called Operation „Konrad III”. It did not see action as a fully combined unit. The first two battalions of the Kampfgruppe went into action as part of the foremost assault element of the 1st Panzer Division in the first stage of the offensive from the Varpalota area towards the east. The third battalion of SS-KGr. „Ney”, led by Haupsturmführer Paul Vadon, was designated to join the second stage of the attack which was to commence on 20 January 1945 from the Balatonkenese area to the north.
Early on 18 January 1945, the divisions of IV. SS Panzer Corps began massing for the attack from the area around the northern point of Lake Balaton (Plattensee). At the farthest point, directly adjacent to Lake Balaton was the 3rd Panzer Division under Generalmajor Söth, which drove forward in the direction of Lepseny and Enying. The 5th SS Panzer Division „Wiking”, led by SS-Oberführer Karl Ullrich, joined in from the Csajäg area, broke through strong enemy defenses at Balatonfokajar and moved on towards Kälözd. 3rd SS Panzer Division under SS-Brigadeführer Helmuth Becker attacked from around Berkida and broke through the enemy front between Füll and Jenö. taking the towns of Tac and Falubattyan.
1st Panzer Division on the left wing of the attack, led by Generalmajor Thunert, had the most difficult assignment. This was where the enemy resistance was the strongest. On the far left of the division’s assault point were two battalions from Panzergrenadier Rgt. 1, two battalions from SS-KGr. „Ney“ and three other Hungarian battalions (II./24, III./24 and I./54). Taken together these formed Kampgruppe „Huppert“, which received artillery support from II. and III. Detachments of the Panzer Artillery Rgt. 73 located in the area east-southeast of Värdalota.
The Is’ Panzer Division attack went forward through difficult, swampy, obstructed terrain that was strongly defended by „Ivan“ along a line running from Imremajor to Gusztuspuszta, a fish pond a Csör and the Särviz sector near Szigetpuszta. Only near Retipuszta was a breakthrough made. This was done by I./Pz.Gr.Rgt. 1, which followed the railroad lines east then had to penetrate a strong belt of land mines around the fortified town of Palmajor.
Above: SS-Ostubaf. Dr. Ney (center, black hat), the commander of the Hungarian SS Brigade „Ney ”, 1945.
The Panzergrenadier Rgt. 113, with tank and assault gun support, attacked on the Is* Panzer Division’s right wing in the direction of Berhida. This regiment managed to defeat successfully appearing enemy defensive forces and drove on to Särpentele from where it was able to push the Soviets back to Stuhlweissenberg.
On 19 January 1945, the armored wedges of the 3rd and 5th SS Panzer Divisions continued on in an easterly-northeasterly direction, („Totenkopf’ soon reached the Danube River by Dunapentele). The area directly between Lake Balaton and Stuhlweissenberg was practically undefended.
In the sector of the left flank of the 1st Panzer Division, Pz.Gr.Rgt.l and SS-KGr. „Ney“ strove mightily all day to break through the Russian front around Palmajor to the Särszentmihäly railroad station. On the right wing of 1st Panzer Division, Kampgruppe „Bradel“, (consisting of Pz.Gr.Rgt. 113, Panzerjäger Detachment 37. Panzer Engineer Battalion 37 along with the 3rd, 4th and 6,h Companies from Panzer Regiment 1), fought in the area between Särszentmihäly and Szabadbattyän and drove forward to Lake Velence with the objective of taking Dinyes. But a significant portion of the force was left behind to protect the vital Seregelyes to Stuhlweissenberg road.
On 20 January 1945, III. Btl./SS-KGr. „Ney” led by Hsutf. Paul Vadon left its jumping-off positions near Balatonkenese and joined in the attack in a northerly direction, taking over the sector left behind by the 1st Panzer Division’s armored spearhead. The battalion was soon able to reach Nädasladäny and Szabadbattyän. By the evening of the 20’\ Pz.Gr.Rgt.l and SS-KGr. „Ney” had broken through the enemy lines at Edinapustza in heavy fighting and had managed to cross over the Särviz Canal. Other parts of the 1st Pz. Division successfully defended the Serebelyes-Stuhlweissenberg road from numerous Soviet counteratttacks.
By the evening of 21 January 1945, SS-KGr. „Ney” and Pz.Gr.Rgt.l had come up against the Russian positions in the western outskirts of Stuhlweissenberg. III./”Ney” (Hstuf. Vadon), drove forward through Särpentele and by the evening hours had reached the Market Place railroad station in Stuhlweissenberg. At 20:00 hours, the decision was made for the IV. SS Panzer Corps and 1st Panzer Division to go ahead and take Stuhlweissenberg in a combined operation without waiting for promised reinforcements (Tiger tanks, etc.).
The assault on the city took the shape of a crescent formation from the western and southern outskirts, although some of the attached troops would operate basically on their own, practically without any central co-ordination. III.Btl./”Ney” (Vadon) advanced along the main road through the Market Place and its Hungarian SS companies were the first troops to penetrate into the city.
From the west came Kampfgruppe „Huppert” with the other two SS-KGr.“Ney” battalions. They were quickly entangled in murderous close-combat with the Reds along the railroad lines in the western part of Stuhlweissenberg. In the southwest, in the vincinity of the radio station, tanks from 6./Pz.Rgt. 1 along with the Pz.Jg.Abt. 37 (Anti-tank Detachment 37), got into an armored duel with Soviet Guard tanks. They received artillery support from the Pz.Art.Rgt.73 and the Volksartillerie Corps 403. The battle soon took on an unusually violent character. On the Hero’s Plaza, behind the church basilica, before the Anna-Chapel and in the buildings of the Citadel, strong enemy forces were eliminated in fighting that was costly to both sides.
The battle also went on in the air, with Soviet bombers and fighters being met by German and Hungarian fighter planes, but by the afternoon hours, the enemy had been cleaned out of the city. In the night of 22/23 January 1945, the portion of 1* Panzer Division that had entered Stuhlweissenberg was withdrawn leaving behind as a garrison only the battalions of SS-KGr. „Ney” and the 20th Hungarian Infantry Division supported by the guns of the Volksartillerie Corps 403. The Hungarian troops were deployed for defense in the eastern and northeastern parts of the city. The Wine Garden at Öreghely (Altberg) constituted no-man’s-land with the main front-line running along Fiskälis Street to the outskirts of a munitions factory. Basically this line would hold until 22 March 1945, although heavy fighting for it would take place at intervals.
On 26 January , the men of SS-KGr. „Ney” attempted to further extend their positions through hilly, vineyard terrain which offered poor visibility and hard going. The enemy was initially able to drive them back with heavy losses. The next day, the Hungarian SS troops seized Hill 182 (the Altberg) by storm and advanced the main battle lines to the Nagyszombati Road and the Csücsos Hill. The defense was now supported by three 10.5 cannon batteries from the Hungarian III./53rd Ersatz-Artillerie Abteilung. The artillery „spotter” in the Donat Chapel was so close to the enemy, that the Russians were shooting at him from windows in the church steeple! Unfortunately it would not prove feasible to hold these new positions for too long against the powerful enemy forces.
On 25/26 January 1945, the first reinforcements arrived from Italy in the form of the 356th Infantry Division under Oberst Kühl. This outfit was deployed in Stuhlweissenberg to points east and SS-KGr. „Ney” was subordinated to it and found itself attached to I.Btl./Cavalry Regiment 41. In the battle for the city7, the Hungarian SS battle-group had taken fairly heavy losses in the form of 171 men killed, 300 wounded and 49 missing. But in the fighting for Stuhlweissenberg, the troops of SS-KGr. „Ney” had managed to destroy 17 enemy tanks — close to half of all those knocked out in the battle. A large number of prisoners and much war booty was also taken. In addition, the Hungarian volunteers had managed to recapture 12 damaged German tanks that had fallen into enemy hands. These were removed to Hajmäsker for repair and were then turned over to 6th Company/Panzer Rgt. 1.
Above: Map of the Budapest relief attempts. Operation „Konrad I”, (early January 1945) was launched from the northwest of Budapest and broke down in the area marked „Vertes-Geb. ” (Vertes Hills). Operation „Konrad III” (late January 1945), came from the southwest of Budapest and almost made it. Had there been a simultaneous breakout allowed from Budapest at the time much of the garrison may have been saved!
In recognition of their accomplishments and battle spirit during the fight for Stuhlweissenberg, Adolf Hitler personally bestowed upon the Hungarian volunteers of SS-Kampfgruppe „Ney” the right to wear a sleeve title bearing the legend „SS-Regiment Ney’\ There does not seem to have been any official issuance however of such an item. It is certainly possible and likely that privately produced varieties along with post- war reproductions may have existed.
What was left of the Hungarian press also praised the deeds of the battle-group and many combat decorations were bestowed upon its members, including 2 German Crosses in Gold, (given to Dr. Ney and Hstuf. Vadon), along with 10 Iron Crosses, Ist Class and 20 Iron Crosses, 2nd Class. Many Close Combat Clasps in different grades were also issued to the troops.
After the unfortunate breakdown of „Konrad III”, Army Group „Balck” was forced to goon the defensive and SS-KGr. „Ney” continued to participate in much heavy fighting. On 31 January 1945, the Soviets seized Zarnoly to the north of Stuhlweissenberg. Led by 14 tanks this force then drove to the northern outskirts of StuhIweissenberg where SS-Kampfgruppe „Ney” was in defensive positions alongside troops from Infantry Rgt. 871 and Engineer Btl. 356 of the 356th Infantry Division. With the support of tanks and Panzergrenadiers from the 3rd SS Pz.Div. „Totenkopf \ the enemy assault was driven off during the night and 6 of the Red tanks were destroyed. On 1 February 1945, the defenders were further reinforced by more troops from the „Totenkopf’ Division, the Is* Panzer Division and the Heavy Tank Detachment 509.
Above: SS-Panzergrenadiers „in the East”, (possibly Hungary), February, 1945, (Erik Rundkvist Archives).
On 2 February 1945 the enemy attack on the northern part of Stuhlweissenberg resumed in the area around the brick factory. In this fighting another 8 enemy tanks were destroyed. The next day, German armored forces counterattacked in a northerly direction, covering the defensive positions on the city’s edge, driving the Russians from the Csala area and occupying the munitions factory to the northeast. By 4 February 1945, the enemy incursion had been totally crushed with 47 Soviet tanks knocked-out and the old main battle lines fully restored.
The Formation of the Brigade (SS-Brigade „Ney”)
In early February 1945, SS-KGr. „Ney” was designated as a „reserve” of IV. SS-Panzer Corps, and was withdrawn to Sur in the Bakonyer Forest for rest and reformation. The decision was made to reorganize the unit as a cavalry troop or a reinforced mounted regiment. At this time it was designated SS Cavalry Brigade „Ney”, although most references only refer to it as SS Brigade „Ney”.
New volunteers and reinforcements now arrived. Many of the latter in particular were „specialist”
personnel, like signals troops, a great number of whom were also either ethnic or Reich Germans that could understand Hungarian. The religious concerns of the brigade were taken over by a Franciscan monk who held services and Masses in the field for the largely Roman Catholic soldiers. The brigade now took on permanent shape with the following elements:
Staff with Translator’s Platoon
Signals Platoon
Motorcycle Platoon
Field Police Troop
Staff Security Company
3 Mounted Detachments
Supply Column
Later, about the middle of March 1945, the formation of the brigade continued with the addition of a Reconnaissance (Füsilier) Detachment. The unit also received its official, permanent title from the SS-FH A (SS Main Office): 1 (ung.) Husaren (Hussar)-Brigade der SS, which Dr. Karl Ney was proud of for the rest of his life.
Above: Debris in the streets of Budapest after the final fighting ended. A dead SS cavalryman lays in the street; part of the sector of the 22nd SS Cavalry Division „Maria Theresia (Courtesy of the Erik Rundkvist Archives).
The mounted detachments of the brigade were soon redesignated „Füsilier „ Battalions, which means that they would operate as rapid, reconnaissance type units, who would locate, engage and skirmish with advance enemy forces until the main body of the German/European infantry or armored forces appeared on the scene. A fourth battalion was also now added and it was titled: IV. Füsilier Bataillon „Imredy” in honor of the President of the East front Comradeship Federation.
As a full-fledged SS formation (unlike the Hungarian 25Ih and 26th Waffen-Grenadier-Divisions der SS), the Brigade came under the direct control of the SS Main Office rather than the Hungarian Honved (Army) Ministry. The unit was deemed ready for action in the course of March and it would spend the rest of the war operating with one or another Waffen-SS Division or Corps. While reformation was still going on a battalion strength battle-group from the brigade took part in Operation „Spring Awakening”, under SS- Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich’s 6th SS Panzer Army, which commenced on 6 March 1945 with the objective of regaining much of Hungary and its vital oilfields. The great offensive literally bogged down in the mud by 14 March, by which time the SS-Brigade „Ney” force had lost some 58 more men in action.
On 14 March 1945, the Soviets began a counterattack to the north of Stuhlweissenberg towards Morand Tatabänya with the objective of getting in behind and endangering the divisions of the 6th SS Panzer Army. To counter this threat, IV. SS Panzer Corps assembled a task force from its reserves which included six Panzergrenadier battalions from the „Totenkopf’ and „Wiking” Divisions, (including the Scandanavian volunteer units, I./”Danmark“ and I./”Norge”), along with the armored recce detachments of both divisions, an anti-tank detachment and the SS Brigade „Ney”, which was still reorganizing in Sur, Hungary.
The storm broke loose over the IV. SS Panzer Corps positions on 16 March when a massive Soviet artillery barrage opened up on the Waffen-SS positions. This was followed by a tank-supported Red infantry attack on a wide front to the north of Stuhlweissenberg. The far left flank of IV. SS Panzer Corps to the west was being held by the Hungarian 2nd Panzer Division under Oberst Vitez Zador. It was deployed in the sector ofBuckahegy-Csakbereny-Zamoly and westwards. This division was pulverized in the Red artillery fire and the Soviets were swiftly able to break through its positions.
Three Panzergrenadier battalions from the „Totenkopf’ Division along with an armored recce detachment and an anti-tank detachment were rushed out of Corps’ reserve to meet the enemy onslaught. By evening they had stopped the Soviets along a line running from Mor east to Csökakö-Söred-Töhely. On the next day the Reds began attcking Mor in force from the north. After difficult, heavy, and costly fighting it fell to the foe on 18 March 1945. That evening, between 18:00 and 19:00 hours, the „Totenkopf’soldiers along with remnants of 2nd Hungarian Panzer Division supported by the last reserves of IV. SS Panzer Corps, the SS Brigade „Ney”, retook the main battle lines running from the southwest of Mor to the east of Bodajk. During the next several days, SS Brigade „Ney” would be in constant action in a violent swirl of back-and-forth defensive fighting, during which the enemy took even more significant losses.
SS Brigade „Ney” was now combined with the survivors of 2nd Hungarian Panzer Division into the Kampfgruppe „Schell”, under Oberst Zoltan Schell, who had been the commander of the 1st Hungarian Hussar Division. It was subordinated to the I.SS Panzer Corps under the overall command of SS- GruppenfUhrer Hermann Priess (who had formerly commanded the SS „Totenkopf’ Division). The battlegroup assembled in the Värpalota-Bakonycsemey area. On 19 March, Csör, Isztimer and Bodajk all fell to the Reds and the „Totenkopf” Division along with Kampfgruppe „Schell” had to retreat in the direction of Aka-Sür. On 21 March, the Soviets captured Sür and Bakonycsemye and the German/Hungarian formations had to fall back on a line running from Acsteszer-Csatka-Csatärpuszta-Szäpär-Inotapuszta. Finally, in the evening hours of 22 March another fall back was conducted to the „Klara Positions”, between Veszpremvarsany and Löküt.
On 24 March 1945, the Russian onslaught continued and many breakthroughs were made in the „Klara Positions”. That afternoon the towns of Porva. Borzavar and Fenyöfb all fell to the enemy. The next day Papa was lost after heavy defensive fighting and the German-Hungarian forces fell back to the „Susanne Positions” behind Raab by the 26,h of March. In the late afternoon of that day, the enemy began building a big bridgehead across the Marcel Canal near Celldömölk, 30 kilometers to the west of Papa. This was the boundary line between 6,h Army and 6,h SS Panzer Army. There was now a serious threat of the Soviets getting behind all of 6th Army and 2nd Panzer Army in southwestern Hungary.
The only troops in the area available for immediate deployment happened to be those of SS Brigade „Ney”. The brigade immediately launched a counterattack which stopped the Russian forward momentum. The key point of the battle for the Marcel sector was Celldömölk, where initially at least, only troops from SS Brigade „Ney” were situated. 6th SS Panzer Army promptly began rushing in reinforcements to the Marcel Canal area from the left wing of the Army, including troops from 2nd SS Panzer Division ‘‘Das Reich’’ and the 6th Panzer Division.
Above: SS-Oberscharführer Kreck from the 3rd SS Panzer Division „Totenkopf ”, killed in action in Gyor, Hungary in early 1945 (Rundkvist Archives).
On 27 March 1945, SS Brigade „Ney” led a number of successful counterattacks near Celldömölk. but elsewhere the Reds were able to make breakthroughs in the „Susanne Positions“ and along the Raab River line without significant opposition. In the course of the day, enemy forces managed to reach Särvär (Kleinzell) which lay 20 kilometers west of Celldömölk in the rear of SS Brigade „Ney”. Fortunately a battalion from the Gebirgsjäger Regiment 99 was able to temporarily clear up that problem. In the meantime, a battalion from SS Brigade „Ney” was now directly assigned to the „Totenkopf’ Division, (which in turn had been subordinated to II. SS Panzer Corps), and it was deployed for defensive duties between Kleinzell and Marcaltö.
The next days saw the brigade engaged in more violent, dangerous, defensive fighting. On 28 March, the Soviets broke through the Raab River defensive line on a broad front and on the next day the important town of Szombathely (Steinamanger), was lost. By 30 March 1945, the Reds were going up against the actual Reich Defensive Positions on the German border from Rechnitz to Pernau. SS Brigade „Ney” took up new positions in the Rechnitz-Oberwart sector on this day.
For the next several days, the brigade carried out locally successful counter-attacks in the vicinity of Rechnitz. but ultimately to no avail. On 1 April 1945, the brigade staff relocated to Birkfeld in Steiermark, (Austria). For the first time the Hungarian SS volunteers had totally left their homeland! From 16 March until early April 1945, the brigade had lost another 75 men killed and 94 missing. A large number of others were wounded. A battalion of the brigade was now subordinated to the Artillery Kommando 3 in the Reich Defensive Positions, while two other „Ney” battalions came under the III. Panzer Corps. These served with the 1st Panzer Division from April 5th to 8th, 1945.
The IV.Battalion of SS Brigade „Ney” now saw service again in a supporting role with the IV. SS Panzer Corps around St. Michael in Burgenland (Austria), and during the advance towards Pöllau in the Lafnitz Valley. On 21 April 1945, 111.Battalion/SS Brigade „Ney” was serving with the I.SS Panzer Corps before Wiener Neustadt, while other parts of the unit were deployed in the support of XXXXIII. Army Corps of the 8th Army. At the beginning of May 1945, two companies of SS Brigade „Ney” under the command of Hauptsturmführer Edui were operating independently in the eastern Steiermark. In the course of heavy defensive fighting in April and May 1945, SS Brigade „Ney” lost another 472 soldiers killed. 32 missing and numerous wounded, who were transferred to military hospitals in Graz, Austria.
At the end of April 1945, the brigade had largely reassembled in eastern Steiermark. It now had a net total strength of 4,921 troops of all ranks. It still had adequate weaponry but like all units serving with the German armed forces at this time there were distinct shortages in munitions and supplies. The brigade was partially motorized with some armored reconnaissance vehicles, and partially horse drawn. By the last days of April members of the brigade had destroyed about 50 enemy tanks.
On 8 May 1945, with the German surrender, the now SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lt.Col.) Dr. Karl Ney officially dissolved his brigade. He saw to it that all supplies, equipment and documents were destroyed. A majority of the troops attempted to return to Hungary but most of them immediately went into Soviet captivity. About 1,000 members of SS Brigade „Ney” made their way through Steinach in Salzkammergut and surrendered to the American Army. A war crime occurred when two officers of the brigade, Ostuf. Eros, a company commander, and Hstuf. Dr. (Veterinary Medicine) Nagy, a battalion commander, attempted to negotiate a surrender with the Americans. The Americans were not interested in what they had to say and the two Hungarian officers were simply taken aside and executed by MP’s.
Other members of the brigade were held in the U.S. run „Starvation Camp” at Altheim, where adequate shelter and provisions were denied the POW’s, (w ho had been reclassified as „disarmed enemy combatants” in order to circumvent the Genever Convention!). Those that survived this experience went on to the Ebensee Camp, where Dr. Ney was placed in charge of a „division” consisting of all the non-German volunteers of different nationalities being held there.
After being held in captivity for a year, a number of officers of the brigade were placed before a „War Crimes Process” (Trial) in Salzburg, and although totally innocent of any wrongdoing, they were sentenced to death on I October 1946 by U.S. Major General Harry J. Collins, who headed the U.S. occupation forces in the area. As a result. Haupsturmführer Miklös Bakos and Untersturmführer Istvän Csihas. (the former battalion adjutant of III./SS Brigade „Ney” to Hstuf. Paul Vadon), were executed for no discernable reason.
Ostubaf. Dr. Ney, Hstuf. Count von Käroly, (the Is’ General Staff Officer of the brigade) and Ustuf. Lengyel were then sent to a jailhouse in Stein, Upper Austria to await their exectutions on no criminal grounds whatsoever! They were then sent to Garsten where they spent 100 days in „death row” cells for condemned men. Fortunately Count von Käroly had ties to the British royal family and once he was able to make their plight known to them, they were suddenly all released from custody. It was all just a „big misunderstanding”! It was too late for those that had been executed however!
In communist Hungary, former members of the brigade were treated as criminals and traitors. It was no wonder that this was the case: they had fought against the Bolsheviks w ith skill, courage and efficiency to the last day of the war. They knew in their hearts that they had remained faithful to their people and homeland. The example of their sacrifices had proven their faithfulness for all time to come!
Csaba. Veress D. A Dünäntül Hadi Krönikäja 1944-45. (Budapest: Zrinyi), 1984.
Emilian. I.V. Der phantastische Ritt (Oldendorf: K.G. Schütz Verlag), 1977.
Meier. Georg Drama zwischen Budapest und Wien (Osnabrück: Munin Verlag), 1985.
Payer. Adrea Armati Hungarorum (Munich: Körösi Cs.Sie.V.), 1985.
Vadon. Paul The Story of the Liberation of Stuhlweissenberg on 20 January’ 1945
Also correspondence to the author from L.G. (23 March 1998) and correspondence to the author from A.v.G.P..
Above: „East Front” soldiers of the Waffen-SS with their cameras. II. Fendt is on the left. Exact date and location of this photo is unknow. (Courtesy of the Erik Rundkvist Archives). Below: Norwegian Waffen-SS volunteers posing on a motorcycle with side-car, (Erik Rundkvist Archives).
