Bombing

I was stationed in Gyor during the summer and fall of 1944 as a "munkaszolgalatos" (inmate of a labour camp). Our barracks were along the main Budapest-Vienna highway on the west side of the city, just short of the Raba river bridge. Our unit consisted of about 120 people and half of us worked a day shift and the other half a night shift at the MAVAG factory.

During the summer, probably sometime in August (I don't remember the exact date) when I was on a night shift (we alternated every week between day & night shifts) at about 11:00 a.m. the sirens sounded and woke us up from our sleep. We were used to air raid sirens, since practically every day American bombers flew overhead, but they never dropped bombs until then on Gyor since our arrival. That day however was different and we were in a "carpet" bombing that lasted only a few minutes, but part of our masonry barrack was hit and the roof collapsed, choking 6 of our comrades (we were lying on the floor of the barracks, sleeping).

We buried them in the Jewish cemetery and I remember the local newspaper's sarcastic article, that the Jews got killed by the Americans.

Unfortunately the bridge on the Raba river (which I think was really the target) was not hit. I remember only the name of one from the 6 killed, his name was Steiner Gyorgy.

I don't know the exact date when the Jews of Gyor were deported, but at the time of that bombing raid, there were no more Jews living in Gyor.

I myself was born and living in Gyor up to the deportation in June 1944. I do not remember the exact date of the 1st bombing of the factories near the city, but it happened sometime in april 1944. We were still living in our home, even not in the ghetto. During the attack we stayed in the shelter of our house, hoping that the bombing will hit the target, without harming us.I remember that the house of mine frend (a yewish family) near the Bathanyi park was completely destroyed, remained only the outher wall of the house.Probably Your description deals with an other attack.