Stabsfeldwebel Ferdinand Udvardy was a Hungarian conscript into the military of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who became a flying ace

Flying ace

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

 credited with nine aerial victories. Upon the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, Udvardy became a Hungarian citizen, and in the aftermath of World War I

Aftermath of World War I

The fighting in World War I ended in western Europe when the Armistice took effect at 11:00 am GMT on November 11, 1918, and in eastern Europe by the early 1920s. During and in the aftermath of the war the political, cultural, and social order was drastically changed in Europe, Asia and Africa,...

, defended his new nation against invasion.

Before and during World War I

Ferdinand Udvardy was born in what is now Bratislava

Bratislava

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...

 in 1895. He was of Hungarian parentage. He joined military service in 1915 and posted to the 72nd Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army

Austro-Hungarian Army

The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...

. After infantry basic training

Basic Training

Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...

, he volunteered for aviation training, was posted to Fliegerersatzkompanie 6, and graduated a pilot with the rank of korporal

Corporal

Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....

 on 21 September 1916. He was assigned to Fliegerkompanie 10 on 1 October 1916, flew six combat missions in their two-seater reconnaissance craft, and promptly requested duty as a fighter pilot. He trained further, as the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I

Hansa-Brandenburg D.I

|-See also:-Bibliography:*Angelucci, Enzo . World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London: Jane's, 1981. ISBN 0 7106 0148 4.*Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962....

 fighter was tricky to fly at lesser speeds and low altitudes, and was transferred to Fliegerkompanie 42J, which was a dedicated fighter unit, in May 1917. Flik 42J had some eight aces on its rolls:
Johann Risztics

Johann Risztics

Stabfeldwebel Johann Risztics was the Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with seven reliably confirmed aerial victories.During 1918, Risztics formed a strong friendship with fellow pilots Fredrich Hefty and Ferdinand Udvardy...

,
Otto Jaeger

Otto Jaeger

Oberleutnant Otto Jäger was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.-Reference:...

,
Karl Teichmann

Karl Teichmann

Feldwebel Karl Teichmann was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.-References:...

,
Friedrich Hefty,
Ernst Strohschneider

Ernst Strohschneider

Oberleutnant Ernst Strohschneider was an Austro-Hungarian flying ace during World War I. He was credited with 15 confirmed aerial victories during his rise to the simultaneous command of two fighter squadrons. He died in a flying accident on 21 March 1918....

,
Georg Kenzian

Georg Kenzian

Oberleutnant Georg Kenzian followed his father's profession of arms, and served the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I. He became a fighter ace, scoring eight aerial victories...

,
Franz Graeser, and
Karl Patzelt

Karl Patzelt

Oberleutnant Karl Patzelt was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.-References:...

.

Udvardy stayed with Flik 42J until war's end. The unit's equipment evolved to include Aviatik D.I

Aviatik D.I

-References / external links:* Munson, Kenneth - Fighters, Attack and Training Aircraft 1914-19 ISBN 0-7537-0916-3* *-See also:...

 and Phonix D.I

Phönix D.I

-Bibliography:...

 fighters, but Albatros D.IIIs came to predominate. While with the unit, Udvardy won eight aerial victories, and was awarded the Gold Bravery Medal twice and the Silver Bravery Medal First Class thrice. He was wounded once, in the knee on 27 October 1917, and took three months recuperation before he could fly again. He would become close friends, both on the ground and in the air, with two other noncommissioned officers in the squadron; after Hefty and Risztics won their own Gold Bravery Medals, the trio became known as "The Golden Triumvirate". Udvardy would soldier on through being shot down without injury on 27 October 1918. He ended his war promoted to Stabsfeldwebel.

Post World War I

When Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

 dissolved, Udvardy became a Hungarian citizen. He served in the 8th Squadron of the Red Air Corps, along with Risztics, Hefty, Alexander Kasza

Alexander Kasza

Feldwebel Alexander Kasza was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. He died during a Soviet bombardment of Budapest.-References:...

, and Stefan Fejes

Stefan Fejes

Feldwebel Stefan Fejes was an Austro-Hungarian flying ace credited with 16 confirmed and 4 unconfirmed aerial victories during World War I. By war's end, he had not only received numerous decorations, he had been personally promoted by his emperor....

, when Hungary battled invaders in 1919. Udvardy won his last aerial victory against the Romanians at this time.

Udvardy is believed to have survived the Second World War, but died soon thereafter.

List of aerial victories

No.	Date/time	Aircraft	Foe	Result	Location	Notes
1	10 July 1917 @ 1745 hours	Hansa-Brandenburg D.I Hansa-Brandenburg D.I |-See also:-Bibliography:*Angelucci, Enzo . World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London: Jane's, 1981. ISBN 0 7106 0148 4.*Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962....  serial number 28.42	Italian Spad Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés SPAD was a French aircraft manufacturer between 1911 and 1921. Its SPAD S.XIII biplane was the most popular French fighter airplane in World War I.-Deperdussin:...  fighter	Crashed	Monte Sabotino
2	10 July 1917 @ 1750 hours	Hansa-Brandenburg D.I s/n 28.42	Italian Nieuport Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.-Beginnings:...  fighter	Downed plane destroyed by Austro-Hungarian artillery	Monte Sabotino	Victory shared with Johann Risztics Johann Risztics Stabfeldwebel Johann Risztics was the Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with seven reliably confirmed aerial victories.During 1918, Risztics formed a strong friendship with fellow pilots Fredrich Hefty and Ferdinand Udvardy...
3	23 September 1917	Hansa-Brandenburg D.I	French Spad fighter		Nova Vas Nova Vas Nova Vas may refer to*Nova Vas, Brtonigla, village in the Brtonigla municipality in Croatia*Nova Vas, Kršan, village in the Kršan municipality in Croatia*Nova Vas, Poreč, settlement within the town of Poreč in Croatia...	Victory shared with Ernst Strohschneider Ernst Strohschneider Oberleutnant Ernst Strohschneider was an Austro-Hungarian flying ace during World War I. He was credited with 15 confirmed aerial victories during his rise to the simultaneous command of two fighter squadrons. He died in a flying accident on 21 March 1918....
4	23 September 1917	Hansa-Brandenburg D.I	Italian Savoia-Pomilio		Vicinity of Kostanjevica	Victory shared with Ernst Strohschneider
5	26 September 1917	Hansa-Brandenburg D.I	Spad fighter	Victory shared with Ernst Strohschneider, Karl Teichmann Karl Teichmann Feldwebel Karl Teichmann was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.-References:... , Vinzenz Magerl	Vicinity of Ronchi Ronchi Ronchi may refer to:*Luke Ronchi, an Australian cricketer*Vasco Ronchi, an Italian physicist known for his work in optics*Ronchi test, a method of determining the figure of a mirror used in telescopes and other optical devices invented by Vasco Ronchi...
6	26 October 1917	Hansa-Brandenburg D.I	Italian Seaplane Seaplane A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...		Grado, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy	Victory shared with Ernst Strohschneider
7	20 May 1918	Albatros D.III Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...	Italian Hanriot HD.1 Hanriot HD.1 |-References:* Bruce, J.M. The Hanriot HD 1 Leatherhead: Profile Publications* Cheesman E.F. Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War Letchworth, Harletford Publications, 1960 pp. 82-83- External links :*...		Montello Montello -Companies:* Montello Private Finance, a real estate bridging finance company based in London.-Places:Australia*Montello, Tasmania, the home ground of Burnie United FCItaly*Montello, Lombardy, a comune in the Province of Bergamo...
8	20 June 1918	Albatros D.III	Italian Hanriot HD.I		Nervesa della Battaglia Nervesa della Battaglia Nervesa della Battaglia is a comune in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about 45 km north of Venice and about 20 km north of Treviso....
9	12 June 1919	Albatros D.III	UC.I			Won against Romanians while in 8th Squadron, Red Air Corps

Endnotes