“A graveyard. An odd place to start a tour, wouldn’t you agree?” I ask, gesturing towards Endresz György’s tomb. “But sometimes, the final resting places hold the most compelling tales.” Endresz György, a name that once soared through the skies, now rests beneath this simple inscription. This unassuming tomb in Budapest’s Fiumei Road Cemetery marks the end of a life that was anything but ordinary. Born in Perjámós in 1893, Endresz György’s journey began far from the bustling city of Budapest. His life was a tapestry woven with threads of adventure, courage, and ultimately, tragedy.
Endresz György, a skilled pilot, etched his name into aviation history. He served as a pilot in the 64th flying squadron during World War I, earning several distinctions for his bravery. His story took a dramatic turn when he was captured during a battle near Lviv in 1915. He managed to escape, not once, but twice, from Russian captivity, undertaking an arduous journey from Siberia to Sweden, armed with forged papers and unwavering determination. Back in Hungary, he played a crucial role during the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919, serving as the commander and recruiting officer of the 4th Red Flying Squadron in Győr.
His aviation career continued to flourish after the war. He became a pilot for Aero Express and later for the German Junkers factories. He then shared his expertise as a training officer for the Aero Association. In 1931, Endresz György embarked on a daring transatlantic flight in a Lockheed Sirius aircraft, aptly named “Justice for Hungary.” Accompanied by navigator Sándor Magyar, they took off from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, on July 15. Their goal was to reach Mátyásföld, Hungary.
Their journey was fraught with challenges. The earth induction compass malfunctioned shortly after takeoff, and thick fog obscured their vision. Despite these setbacks, they achieved a record-breaking time for the first half of the journey, reaching the Irish coast in just 13 hours and 50 minutes. However, the weather continued to deteriorate, making navigation increasingly difficult. Forced to make detours to avoid storms, they were unable to land at Mátyásföld. Near Győr, their fuel supply began to dwindle. Seventy kilometers later, the engine sputtered and died. They made a successful glide landing in a cornfield near Felcsút. While they didn’t reach their intended destination, they covered 5,770 kilometers in 25 hours and 20 minutes, an average speed of almost 230 kilometers per hour, setting three world records.
Tragically, Endresz György’s adventurous spirit met a premature end in 1932. While preparing for a meeting of transatlantic pilots in Rome, his plane crashed during landing. Both he and his navigator, Gyula Bitai, perished. Endresz György, a man who conquered the skies, rests here, his legacy etched in the annals of aviation history. A street in Budapest’s 19th district still bears his name, a quiet reminder of the pilot who dared to dream beyond the horizon.