Kovács Endre graduated from Hadaprodikáló Military School in Hungary.
Sadly the school does not exist anymore. It operated during the interwar period, specifically from 1923 to 1945. After World War II and the political changes in Hungary, the school was disbanded and did not continue its operations.The term “Hadaprod Iskola” refers to belonging to Honvéd Hadapród Iskolák, that is, military preparatory schools in Hungary. These schools were established based on the 1897 law to train officers, particularly non-commissioned officers, for the Hungarian military.
These volunteer fighters, many of whom were former soldiers, engaged in armed resistance, forcing a compromise that led to a referendum in Sopron.
1921 : As Ragged Guard member, Kovács Endre was a Budapest official and later a reserve first lieutenant. In 1921, he took part in the uprising in Western Hungary. The Ragged Guards (Rongyos Gárda) fought against Austrian forces and local militia units in the region of Sopron
As a civilian, he was an economic inspector.
After a short military service in 1927, he was promoted to reserve 1st Lieutenant.
In 1937, he was a hospital officer at the capital Budapest.
From a primary source (Andras Kovacs - son): During peace time, Endre was an official in the capital Budapest becoming a tax enforcer at the Tax Office, then a supervisor in the Danube Inspectorate, and later a chief supervisor.
He also worked for the National Free Port and Shipping Company.
According to the History Institute & Museum – Archive of Military, The Ragged Guard belonged to the 5th Division of the Chief of the Hungarian Army General Staff, and the Ragged Guard (Rongyos Gárda) played a crucial role in the territorial conflicts, especially in the reoccupation of territories lost by Hungary after World War I.
The Hungarian Royal Army, had around 500 men in October 1938, as reported by CNE503. The unit was deployed in phases between October 1938 and March 1939, with distinct objectives, including reconnaissance, infiltration, and local skirmishes. The Ragged Guard was renamed "Map Correctors" and "Weather Forecasters" between November 1938 and March 1939, engaging in propaganda and minor skirmishes.
On 2 November 1938 , in accordance with the First Vienna Decision, Hungary regained from Czechoslovakia the Hungarian-majority part of the country along the Trianon border, including Tiszaújlak.
Endre participated as one of the group leaders (under Vannay) of the reorganised (second) Ragged Guard in the Transcarpathian diversionary operation, which prepared the reoccupation of Transcarpathia which was once part of Austria Hungary before WW1.
Lieutenant Endre Kovács was the commander of the Map Correcting Section of the Elöd battalion stationed in Tiszaujhely, created during the reorganisation of the Ragged Guards. His department had a total of 6 people. (Source: ÁBTL 4.1. A-653/3. page 270). The area was reclaimed by the Map Correction Section..
Today, Tiszaújlak ( Ukrainian: Fork [Fork], in Slovak: Výlok, in German :Wylok) is a rural settlement in Transcarpathia , Ukraine
In November 1938, the Home Guard's Time Signalling Service in Hungary played a crucial role in ensuring accurate and synchronised timekeeping across military and civilian operations. This service was vital for coordinating activities, particularly in an era when precise timing was essential for communication, transportation, and military movements.
The 1. Time marking group: Vannay hdgy. Under his command, 2/3rds of the 2nd company went to Tiszakeresztúr, which is where Ensign Endre Kovacs set up the No. 1 time signalling station (one squadron) in Tiszaújhely, and the No. 2 signalling station (one squadron in Sálanka. There were other time keeping groups as well but is outside the scope of my research. Miklos Kozma was informed of several fighters being treated in the city hospital.
Lieutenant Endre Kovacs' actions during the Hungarian annexation of Carpatho-Ukraine in 1938-1939. involved in the destruction of the bridge over the Latorca River (now Latorytsia River) in the town of Berehovo (now Berehove, Ukraine) in March 1939. The bridge was an important transportation link between Hungary and Carpatho-Ukraine, and its destruction was a strategic move to hinder the advance and retreat of Ukrainian and Czechoslovakian troops.
Lieutenant Kovacs, as a member of the Vannay group ordered the demolition of the bridge, which was a key moment in the military campaign. Latorytsia and Latorica refer to the same river
The "Hungarian Defence Plan 3" (also known as the Huba III Plan) was a strategic military directive developed by the Hungarian General Staff during the winter of 1944–45. Its primary objective was to establish a defensive line along the Danube River to protect Budapest and the western regions of Hungary from the advancing Soviet and Romanian forces. This plan was formulated in response to the deteriorating military situation as the Axis powers faced significant setbacks on the Eastern Front. Source: Wikipedia
Context and Strategic Objectives
By late 1944, Soviet forces had encircled Budapest, initiating the Siege of Budapest on 26 December 1944. In an effort to relieve the besieged city and reclaim the Transdanubian region, the Germans launched Operation Konrad III on 18 January 1945. This operation aimed to break the Soviet encirclement and retake the western part of Hungary.
Legacy
The Hungarian Defence Plan 3 reflects the desperate measures taken by Hungary and its Axis allies to stave off the Soviet advance in the final months of World War II. Despite the plan's failure, it underscores the strategic importance of Hungary in the broader context of the Eastern Front and the determination of its military leadership to defend the homeland against overwhelming odds.
DEF3 as a Counterintelligence Directive
Given Lt. Endre Kovács' known role in Hungarian military counterintelligence (V-Section, under Captain István Szekeres), "DEF3" might denote a third-tier security clearance protocol or operation:
DEF1 – Internal troop surveillance
DEF2 – Anti-partisan activity and domestic agent checks
DEF3 – External counter-espionage against Soviet infiltration
1st Lieutenant Endre Kovacs was captured on Buda side of Budapest, Hungary and was wounded. He was sent to a POW camp (gulag). His son Andras Kovacs (age 12), a runner was also wounded from a motar explosion, losing his left hand finger.
The city unconditionally surrendered on 13 February 1945.
Around one-third of the roughly 600,000 Hungarian Royal Army soldiers and civilians of Hungarian nationality that the Red Army deported to the Soviet Union in 1944 and 1945 never returned to Hungary and are presumed to have died in captivity (source in Hungarian http://www.hadifogoly.hu/web/hadifogoly/page6).
Endre (Registration number :о-481833) was as a captured war prisoner at the siege of Budapest in 1945, was sent to 1st camp at Uszmány, a Russian Prisoner Of War camp settlement 65 km northeast of Voronezh, the Voronezh-Gryaz railway line.
| Date of capture | 12.02.1945 |
| Date of departure Uszmány | 08.09.1946 |
Endre was then handed over to the 176th from the camp to the Hungarian government . |
| передан из лагеря № 176 Венгерскому Правительству |
Endre returned to Hungary from the Soviet POW camp in 1947 weighing only 45 kg,
Independent Soviet information state that "officer and enlisted prisoners of war were held separately in the USSR. In 1943, four camps were ready to house officers. The number of officer camps would grow, and by the spring of 1946, five more camps would be added, including Usman No. 95."
Photo Used : Hungarian POWs in the Voronezh region of the Soviet Union (1942)
Arrested and tortured at House of Terror in 1948
When Endre came back after 18 months, he was arrested and went back to his job then "the great love (quoting Andras who was at the scout camp) with the communists returned the basis of "One is our slogan for peace", was arrested. They took him to Andrássy út 60 on Good Friday 1948.
Andras continues "Then they softened my father there (House of Terror Museum - https://terrorhaza.hu/en), took him to the Gyíijtő, then brought him back again, softened him again. "
Mock Trial November 1948
The trial of the ragtags was held in November 1948 in Markó utca: the president of the council was Judge Tutsek, known for his even harsher sentences after 1956. The main accused Endre Kovács, Charges: Accused of war crimes — involvement in torturing or executing Czechoslovak citizens during operations in Tiszaújhely (in modern Ukraine) while serving in the Ragged Guard..
EPA02705_bortonugyi_szemle_2000_1_123-127_240226_011207
EPA02705_bortonugyi_szemle_2000_1_123-127_240226_011207 ENGLISH
Endre could not enjoy his freedom, because the communists, panting for revenge, soon arrested him at home. He always denied the accusations made in the mock trial, and they were unable to produce any witnesses. One afternoon, he was summoned to an empty cell, where a Catholic priest was waiting for him. He referred to Kovács's religious fervor and offered to confess. Kovács confessed and admitted that in 1938, a few foreign soldiers had fallen victim to the bombing of a bridge in an enemy state. If this was a sin, he hoped that God would forgive him… The next day, after many hours of beating and torture, they presented him with the full text of his confession from the previous day, the contents of which he admitted. The brutality of his interrogation is characterised by the fact that his interrogators knocked out his teeth and tore out his nails. The main charge against him was the excesses committed in Transcarpathia in 1939, during which several suspected spies were tortured and executed according to the protocol, and in which Endre Kovács was allegedly also a participant.
Post-War Execution 1949
After the war, Kovacs was arrested, tried, and executed by the Soviet-backed Hungarian authorities in 1949. His execution was a result of his involvement in anti-communist activities and his role in Def-3.
On February 25, 1949, he was sentenced to death as the fourth defendant in the criminal trial against László Draskóczi and his associates.
Summary
As a 1st Lieutenant in the Hungarian Army at the Siege of Budapest and formerly a member of the Ragged Guard, Endre Kovacs held significant roles that showcased his dedication to Hungary.
His military service and being an advisor involved implementing the Hungarian military counterintelligence defence plan program (DEF3 – This included external counter-espionage against Soviet infiltration) in 1945 demonstrated his patriotism to the country’s interests and ideals.