Fake Holocaust Survivors: Tomi Komoly

Continuing on with my series on so-called ‘Holocaust Survivors’ I recently saw the story of a Hungarian jew named Tomi Komoly who is pleased to be touring around schools in the United Kingdom telling them all about the so-called ‘Holocaust’.

To quote his account of his experiences as published in the Cumbrian ‘News and Star’:

‘Hungarian Holocaust survivor, Tomi Komoly, 81, has shared his experiences with students in West Cumbria.

Energy Coast UTC's years 10 and 12 students at Energus, listened closely to Mr Komoly revealing what he went through.

Tomi relives the horror of the Holocaust in each of his talks so he can share his experiences to try and prevent anything similar happening in the future.

"Now, at last, I can stand up and be counted," he said.

As a seven to eight year old boy living through the Holocaust, Tomi said the worst things that he endured was not having a father, no schooling, losing three years of his life and not having any companionship. He did not have a single friend of his own age.

Tomi was an only child from Budapest, Hungary.

In 1943 forced labour units sent all Jewish men aged 18 to 60 to the front to dig trenches, including Tomi's father.

The star of David was made compulsory to wear for anyone six years and older, Jewish property was stolen, segregation began and signs were erected banning Jewish people from shops, swimming pools, public transport. Warnings were put up saying 'Jews live here' - he said they were made to feel like dangerous animals.

After one year at the front, Tomi's dad was given three days leave to visit his wife and child. The janitor in their housing reported this leave to the authorities and men with guns came and took his father away. That was the last time he saw him.

He suspects that his father was one of those that were lined up on the east bank of the Danube river, told to strip, then shot.

Tomi and his mother moved in with family. She tried to replace income by baking cakes and biscuits, not an easy task as Jewish people had a fraction of the rationing allowed to everyone else.

As a child he recognised the engines making the noise of the bombs that were dropped, British by night and US by day and felt pleased when he heard the engines as it meant someone was coming. He said: "At seven years old you become a lot older in thinking than what you are."

Tomi's mother was one of hundreds rounded up in the street to be put in the ghetto and knew if she was taken her son would be completely on his own. So with four armed guards trying to shoot at her she made a run for it, zigzagging up the street to avoid the shots. The other women stood there, too terrorised to move.

After this her father found a Christian family willing to hide them in a basement. They took their stars off and were eventually liberated by the Soviets.

They discovered that half of his mother's side and two thirds of his father's siblings had died.’ (1)

The detail that is easy to miss but telling is:

‘After one year at the front, Tomi's dad was given three days leave to visit his wife and child. The janitor in their housing reported this leave to the authorities and men with guns came and took his father away. That was the last time he saw him.

He suspects that his father was one of those that were lined up on the east bank of the Danube river, told to strip, then shot.’

Komoly here is suggesting that his jewish father was sent to the front to dig trenches sometime in 1943. That is plausible but the idea that he was then given three days leave – like an ordinary soldier would be – but was then ‘denounced’ – after all how can you denounce someone on permitted leave? – and then shot by the Hungarian authorities.

That either suggests that Komoly is making up his story – as the details simply don’t gel – or his father didn’t actually have three days leave, but rather shirked his duty to the Hungarian state to work as part of the anti-Soviet war effort.

Regardless it rather blows a hole in Komoly’s testimony – and he is quite clear that he didn’t see anything anyway other than the uncontested fact that jews were subject to many civil disadvantages in Hungary at the time  - as he simply isn’t either reliable or honest depending which amended version of his story you are inclined to believe.

References

(1) http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/Hungarian-Holocaust-survivor-talks-to-UTC-students-62767d59-9720-494e-a177-f20b387fee79-ds