IR 106

This regiment was formed from battalions of Western Hungary during the 1918 reorganization. Two were transferred here from the 83rd Infantry Regiment. The regiment’s commander was Colonel Antal Lehár, the brother of the composer Ferenc Lehár. A photo is well-known, showing the regiment commander holding his field cap with the badge of the 106th Regiment on. I have already presented this badge here.

Now it has reappeared again, because in the Fortepan treasure chest I came across an extremely good photograph on which two soldiers are wearing the badge. It depicts a camp scene, a large card battle, watched by dozens of fans. It could have been made in the summer or early autumn of 1918, since the badge clearly refers to the failed summer Piave offensive. The regiment performed well in this, managing to cross the Piave River, but due to the call off of the offensive, they had to return to their starting positions. Another interesting thing about the picture is that in addition to the badge, the regiment number can also be seen on one of the caps.