Rank Colonel Name Vilmos Tartsay | Allegiance Kingdom of Hungary | |
Born 22 July 1901
Ersekujvar, Austria-Hungary ( 1901-07-22 ) Died December 8, 1944, Budapest, Hungary | ||
Dr. Vilmos Tartsay (or Vilmos Tarcsay), (Érsekújvár, 22 July 1901 - Budapest, 8 December 1944) was a military officer and took part in the Hungarian resistance movement in the Second World War.
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Before the Second World War
He was born into a military family, and in line with the family traditions he enrolled the Ludovica Military Academy. After graduation he was sent to the Royal Hungarian Honved Staff Academy. Until 1940 he served as a staff officer in various army units and in 1940 he became the commander of the Hussar Regiment in Nagyvárad. He retired from the Army in 1940, when Hungary entered the world war on the German's side and started to work in his family's canning factory.
His work in the Resistance Movement
On 15 October 1940, Colonel Jenő Nagy asked for a meeting with him on phone. On the meeting Colonel Nagy asked Tartsay to help the anti-German underground movement in Budapest. Tartsay agreed to help with the conditions, that his help wouldn't be against of his duty as an officer of the Hungarian Army, and his involvement wouldn't constitute a threat to the governmental and social system of Hungary. As Nagy agreed with his conditions, Tartsay joined the underground movement.
Jenő Nagy asked for his help for the first time in November 1940, in order to organize the defence of Budapest and the defence of the national art treasures in the museums. Tartsay was tasked with the surveillance of the industrial plants and factories in Budapest and with the recruiting of new members to the organization.
The resistance organization divided Budapest into 4 districts and its members prepared for an underground fight against the Germans, in case of a military occupation or a coup. After the decision of the Hungarian Front (Magyar Front), which was the coalition of all anti-Nazi political party, churches and trade unions of Hungary, in 1944 this organization became the Liberation Committee of the Hungarian National Uprising (Magyar Nemzeti Felkelés Felszabadító Bizottsága) and Tartsay worked in its General Staff, as a chief of personnel affairs and logistics. The Committee held its meetings in Tartsay's home (4 Perczel street) or in his office (32 Benczúr street).
On 22 November 1944 Vilmos Tartsay and his wife, along with other leaders of the Committee (Lt.Gen. János Kiss, Col. Jenő Nagy, Lt.Col. Pál Almásy, Maj. Miklós Balássy, Maj. József Schreiber, Capt. István Tóth, Capt. József Kővágó, Capt. Kálmán Révay, Miklós Makay, Iván Boldizsár) arrested by the secret police because of the betrayal of Lt. Tibor Mikulich. The political leader of the Committee, MP Endre Bajcsy-Zsilinszky and his wife were arrested a day later. Vilmos Tartsay executed by hanging along with other resistance leaders in the Military Prison on the Margit Boulevard on 8 December 1944.
He was promoted to Colonel posthumously on 15 March 1945 by the decision of the Interim National Assembly of Hungary. After the war several streets and schools were named after him.