309th Honvéd IR

The 309th Honvéd Infantry Regiment was founded in the spring of 1915, from the IV battalion of the 19th Infantry Regiment (Pécs). It belonged to the newly founded 129th Infantry Brigade and the 155th Infantry Division. During its existence, the regiment fought mainly on the Russian front. Therefore, the cap badge also depicts the turul, the bird symbolizing the Hungarian nation from an old saga. The turul clutches the Russian bear.

In the wearing photo, the image of the badge between the two buttons of the cap is a little blurry. These are tiny 4×4 I.D. pictures. Rather, the shape of the badge is the basis for deducing the regiment. Well, even more the regiment number on the shoulder straps of the two patriots. These photos are special because of that numbering. According to the rules, the regiment numbers had to be indicated on the left side of the field cap, with textile letters and figures. In the army of the Monarchy, the numbering of shoulder straps is completely unusual. It was common place in allied German regiments.