FOCUS ON PHILATELY: The Hutsul Battalion (06/03/01)

FOCUS ON PHILATELY

by Ingert Kuzych, Roman Dubyniak and Peter Cybaniak

The Hutsul Battalion

During the early years of the 20th century, two of the western provinces in the Austro-Hungarian Empire - Halychyna (Galicia) and Bukovyna - were both populated with large Ukrainian populations. For the most part these East Slavic subjects (referred to as Ruthenians) in this multi-ethnic empire were satisfied with their lot as Austrian citizens. When World War I broke out, Ukrainians in the empire rallied to the Austrian cause in the hope that victory might allow for the liberation of their countrymen under Russian autocracy.

Initially the fighting did not go well. During the early months of World War I (August to November 1914), Russian troops occupied all of Eastern Halychyna and Bukovyna. The Austrian army stiffened, however, along the Carpathian Mountains. With German aid, the combined forces were able to counterattack and drive the Russian troops from Bukovyna in February of 1915. Chernivtsi was liberated on February 18 and the local military took control.

In Eastern Halychyna in 1914, a Ukrainian Legion of volunteers was formed - the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen (Ukrainski Sichovi Striltsi) or Legion USS. Their bravery in battle against the Russians earned them the respect of the Austrian authorities as well as the civilian Ukrainian population in Halychyna. The USS are frequently credited with being the only Ukrainian unit in the Austrian army, but such was not the case. A smaller, less well-known formation also was organized. Hardly ever mentioned in any Ukrainian encyclopedias or textbooks, we have had to reconstruct much of its existence from alternate sources.

Putting the pieces together

The story of this military unit begins with the outstanding diplomat Mykola Vasylko (1868-1924), who was both a member of the local Bukovynian Diet and the Parliament in Vienna (1898-1918). In early 1915, with the aid of a Maj. Fischer, he obtained permission from the military authorities in Vienna to form a Bukovynian Legion of volunteers comparable to the USS unit from Galicia.

This new legion was formed into two battalions reflecting the two main ethnic groups of Bukovyna province: a Romanian one and a Ukrainian one. The latter was given the epithet of the Hutsul Battalion, its full name was: K. k. ruth. Kriegsfreiwilligenbaon (Huzulen).

At that time in the Austro-Hungarian army a battalion was composed of four companies, generally of about 250 men each. So the full complement of the Bukovyna Legion, with its two battalions, would have been about 2,000 men. The Hutsul Battalion was stationed in Chernivtsi.

Little is known of the Hutsul Battalion, its date of formation, its exploits in battle or its final fate. From two surviving postcards we know the names of a few of their leaders: Lt. Baron Stefan Vasylko (Wassilko), the addressee on the earliest known Hutsul Battalion item sent on May 1, 1915 (Figure 1) and Platoon Commander Ihnat Hurban (of the 3rd Company of the Hutsul Battalion), who mailed a card two days later (Figure 2).

From the published war orders of the Austro-Hungarian Army during the years 1914 to 1918, several brief mentions allow us to piece together a sketchy chronology of the Hutsul Battalion. The first reference to a Bukovyna Legion is an army order dated May 1, 1915, that shows two volunteer battalions (Hutsul and Romanian) as part of the Infantry Brigade Obstlt. (Oberstleutnant) Papp. (It was customary to name army formations after outstanding military officers.) This brigade was part of the XI Corps, itself a component of Army Group PflanzerBaltin, which changed its name to the 7th Army on May 8, 1915, while retaining its commander.

Five months later, on September 1, 1915, mention is made that the Brigade Oberstleutenant Papp was now composed solely of a Volunteer Division (Freiwilligen Abteilung) of Ukrainians and Romanians formed into three companies, i.e., some 750 men. What happened to the other 1,250 or so volunteers? They were possibly casualties (killed, wounded, or missing in action) or they could have been transferred to other units.

From June 4, 1916, is the note that the Infantry Brigade Obstlt. Papp consists of a Volunteer Battalion (Freiwilligen Baon). However, which battalion (Hutsul or Romanian) is not specified, perhaps the two were merged.

The final mention in the War Orders about the Volunteer Battalion in the Infantry Brigade Obstlt. Papp is from June 28, 1916. No subsequent traces have been located in these sources.

The above chronology would seem to indicate that the size of the Obstlt. Papp Brigade continued to shrink over time. Whether this was due to simple reorganization, attrition in battle, or both, is unclear.

Brief references in Ukraine: A Concise Encyclopedia would seem to show that at least some remnants of the Hutsul Battalion survived to the end of the war in November of 1918. Mention is made that a battalion composed of volunteers from Bukovyna fought on the side of the Ukrainian Galician Army (Ukrainska Halytska Armia) - the military formation of the Western Ukrainian National Republic - which functioned from November 1918 to June 1919.

Does anyone have any further information they can supply regarding this enigmatic military unit?

Mystery of the fieldpost card

The fieldpost card in Figure 1 has an interesting history. It was sent by Baroness Rosa Vasylko to Lt. Baron Stefan Vasylko on May 1, 1915 (whether Stefan was related to Mykola Vasylko, who helped organize the Bukovyna Legion, is unknown but possible; Mykola belonged to the Vasylko line of nobility in Bukovyna). The baroness wrote from Vienna, but addressed the card to Chernivtsi, Bukovyna, recently liberated from the Russians. The card was redirected to the Territorial Division Office (Fieldpost No. 52) where on May 25, 1915, it was marked with the cryptic statement: "unsuitable, return to sender." Why so?

A strong and ultimately successful counteroffensive of Austrian and German troops into Eastern Halychyna began on April 19. Army records show that from May 16 the 7th Army, which included the XI Corps and the Brigade Papp, was part of a supporting deployment to retake the remainder of Bukovyna (Figure 3). So, had something befallen Lt. Vasylko, or could he just not be reached? The answers to these poignant questions remain to be resolved.

If any reader can help provide answers to some of the queries raised in this article, please contact Ingert Kuzych at P.O. Box 3, Springfield VA 22150 or at [email protected].

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