Gusztáv Hellebronth

Gusztáv Hellebronth was born on 9 August 1922, his father was a Lieutenant General in the Hungarian Army. After graduating from the Ludovika Academy, he was commissioned an infantry lieutenant in 1942. On 15 October 1944, he commanded the guard of the Margaret Bridge, after which he was appointed company commander of the 1st Corps' armoured regiment in Budapest. With this unit, he first served as a roadblock on the outskirts of the capital, then took part in the battles of Tököli and Fót. On 29 December 1944, he was wounded by shrapnel at Rákosszentmihály, after which he did not take part in the fighting (his unit was also destroyed in the fighting). He had only vague information about his medals during the siege. On 8 February 1945, he was taken prisoner of war by the e.i. column of the 6th Battalion, already recovered, and returned home in 1947. He joined the Hungarian-Soviet Cultural Society, but this did not help him in the long run: he was stripped of his rank in 1957, his further education was hindered, and he found it very difficult to find work as a subordinate geodesist. He was also awarded the Outstanding Innovator Medal, and in 1972 he was promoted to more serious posts. He survived the regime change, and from 1992 he worked as a committee expert for the Municipal Assembly of Budapest. In 1994 he was promoted to Major.