Hungarian Royal Budapest XIII/1 Auxiliary Honvéd Security Battalion (“KISKA”) armband in good condition.
National-color band sewn together at both ends.
Stamped with “M. kir. Bpesti XIII/1 k. seg. honv. karh. zlj.”
A particularly interesting and rare relic.
After the Arrow Cross takeover, the Auxiliary Honvéd Security Force (KISKA) was created. Members of KISKA units typically served in civilian clothing but wore a military cap with a cock’s feather reminiscent of the gendarmerie and a national-color armband.
Their duties included combating small enemy partisan and parachutist groups, preventing and countering acts of sabotage, guarding militarily important assets, and, when necessary, securing rear areas of military operations.
The best organized KISKA unit was the XIII/1 Battalion based in Angyalföld, commanded by Lieutenant Lajos Gidófalvy. They guarded important strategic points and utilities such as Nyugati Railway Station, the Electric Works, and the Káposztásmegyer Waterworks, which ensured the capital’s water supply.
