Horthy Expedition Back Home

Szöveg: Capt. Zoltán Tószegi | 2012. augusztus 27. 16:04

It is always good to return home to the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base, and it is especially so after a more than 30-hour drive, having covered a total of 4,550 kilometers. Led by WO1 Károly Magó, the members of the Horthy expedition left Hungary for Russia on August 13. Being somewhat tired but their eyes gleaming with joy, they received the congratulations from Col. János Nagy, Deputy Commander and the personnel lining up to welcome them home in the barracks of the Szolnok unit on Thursday, August 23.

The performance of the team deserves recognition, although WO1 Magó told us that this is “just the icing on the cake". The expedition has achieved all its previously planned goals: they have reached every place they had wanted to. There is a realistic chance that the scene of 1LT vitéz István Horthy’s death will be declared an aviation history memorial site, which would be the first important step toward paying the deserved tribute to the memory of the air force units that had been fighting in the battles along the bend of the River Don. “In addition, in the long term we would like to achieve to have the unearthed personal belongings and aircraft wreckage returned to Hungary", WO1 Magó added.

The members of the expedition were surprised to learn the support they received everywhere, the media attention focusing on their visit and the local residents’ attitude. Everbody living in the vicinity of Ilosvkoye knows the famous pilot’s crash site and the people are proud to show the way to the interested visitors. These days they speak openly and without anger about the suffering caused by the war. The sons and daughters of different nations who had fallen in the line of duty in the area are not separated in the military cemeteries and museums visited by the members of the expedition.

Although the expedition has come to an end, something has started with the small team’s return home. The support received from the Russian hosts opens up the opportunity for conducting significant research on aviation history as well as on-site excavations in the future.

Speaking at the parade held in honor of the expedition’s return home, WO1 Károly Magó thanked for their support the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base, the Zrínyi Media Ltd. and everybody else who had contributed to the journey. At the same time, he requested further assistance for being able to continue the work. They plan to back up the results of the excavations with archival research and archaeometallurgical analysis in the near future, whereas in the long term they would like to carry on with strengthening the Hungarian–Russian relations in the field of research that are getting more and more fruitful.