hunyadi

until today....

such a rare badge that I cant even find documentation on the badges... probably were from 1950 after the 'HV' (Hatarvadasz - Border Hunter) badge was discontunued. They came in three grades or Gold, Silver and Bronze. But - never thought I could ever find one...so very very rare....

But certainly... you never expected that lighting could ever stirke twice! I remember saying to Gordon 'look at these! so rare so little known about the border guard badges' 'oh well, take a photo, just to have a reference of what one looks like'

But if you wait - if you ask - even as a slight jest to an old man - you never know what they might say..... 'yep - I got one of those!' 'oh - you want to buy it?'.....

Yep - I have.... that is the Kiv?l? Politikai Tiszt Badge... (Excelent Political Offciers Badge) Nice fuzzy little photo taken this past summer at the Hungarian Military Museum. Small little badge - only 34 x 37mm. A red enameled political offciers badge at the bottom with the 'international' flags behind it. Awarded to political officers who performed above and beyond the expectations of the political offcier corps. The award was a state award and had to be returned if the owner failed to live up to the expectaitons of the badge. It was instituted in 1949 and through its short use only 19 were ever awarded....

Ever gone to the museum and pressed your face to the galss and wished that you could personaly own an item in your grubby little hands? Ever looked and said "sigh....its so rare....I will probably never see one of those again....never own one....snif...." But you pay your xtra money and take some rahter crummy shots through the glass anyways. Your chance to hold a moment with a piece of history...

just going off the 1949 and 1950 regs - things in the 60's and 70's may have changed. I have some period photos which show the parade badge to the left of a DISZ badge - but I think the DISZ badge was not 'officialy' recognized - or there is also the huge chance that many just did not know and the commanders did not care too much 'put this on your right chest above the pocket...that is all for now'...sort of deal..

I think you are right - can you post dimensions. I have seen many more "stuffed" onto bars and then the generals bar that I got a while ago where he was very sparing in the spacing.

All that I know about the introduction is what was relayed to me by the Lt. Col at the Signals Museum in the now obsolete Bolyai Janos Military Colledge. He stated that these badges came into existance in 1975. It would have been nice to have seen a date on that case! Glad you got a better deal on it! Wonder if they will bring out more inventroy now that you bought it!

Hi Grodon - I cant remember saying that it could not be worn after the parade. But miscommunication is just human nature. The regualtions for wear are sort of corny. Going off the 1949 and 1950 parade badge, one had to participate in the parade, or you could be recomended by the military command because you had such 'spirit of liberation' etc...You also had to wear the badge with the "spitit of the parade" and "emit the pride to the liberation", etc... Regualtions are not specific about wearing two parade badges at one time, but I would assume that it could even happen. The regualtions simply state that the badge is supposed to go over the right breats pocket at the center, unless there is another badge. When that happens the badge should be placed to the right of the other badge (what 'other badges' could perhaps even be another parade badge?) Regardless its a nice find for the carrying document!

I have archived all of the documents (about 200 of them!) but it appears that the family was Catholic so they would not need such documents. I think that Kovacs was sort of a 'building warden' who was responsible for "keeping track" of the Jews living in his building, hence the discrepancy over the papaerwork and why he would have them and not the jewish people living in the building. More translation is coming - but I regret that I wont be able to do much more of the awards...more to come.

Wow - gotta find one of them!

last page - not in the best of shape

page 2 of the court proceedings

The previous document did not give any specifics, but instead was a document that he could keep should anyone wish to 'prosecute' him for his actions during the war. As you can see the document was 'officiated' on September 12th 1947. What came next was the details of the trial! The process began in August 10th, 1945. From the accounts of others who were prosecuted for war crimes, I can only imagine what the man went through at the hands of the State Security Forces. From the doucments the story unfolds... On November 14th, 1944 one of the Arrow Cross squads that was going around and rounding up the Jews in city appeared at Honved Utca 18 where Kovacs Imre lived. The Arrow Cross were lokoing for a Jewish man who had defected from his labor unit (those of the jewish faith who were in the miltiary or who were called up went into labor battalions - basicaly pioneer / engineering units who built bridges, made trenches, etc...) When they found the man he promptly jumped out the window of the 6th floor to his death. The Arrow Cross were apparently outraged and sought to remove all of the jews from the appartmetn building. Imre refused them to take away anyone making claims to the men that all of the jews in the building had the proper documentation that exempted them from deportation. He even locked the main gait of the building to prevent their entry. For these actions the court in 1945 could only praise Kovacs Imre. Enraged that the older Air Force commander hed refused to allow blood for the pogrom, the Arrow Cross men returedn at a later time. This time they rouned up everyone but there was an elderly man by the name of Szommer Miklos who remained hiding in the building. As Kovacs was being taken into the courtyard with the others in the building he started calling out for Miklos who apparently could retreive some of the documents for some of the jews and thereby prevent them from being deported. But Miklos was hiding because he was old and ill with diabeties. Due to his calling for the man the Arrow Cross found him and took him away regardless. The man died two days later of a diabetic coma. Kovacs maintained in his defense that Miklos could have come out on his own will and delived the paperwork and there would have been ample opportunity for him to have slipped away during the confusion fo the monent. Later the Arrow Cross then went to look for the Jewish women. Many of the women had documents that exempted them from deportations as their husbands were in the military and working in the labor units. Apparently Kovacs was in charge of these womens documents but he did not give some of them to the Arrow Cross men as he claimed to the men that the papers had expired as their husbands had been removed from the military already and therefore the papers were invalid. However the documents had not expired. Because of the play on words three women were taken away. Only one returned and the other two disapeared. The only thing that exhonorated Kovacs was that the woman who survived gave testimony that she had two previous chances to escape but she had not taken them. The final part of the document claims that even though Kovacs did not actualy kill these men and women by his own hands, his refusal to help in hiding the men and women from the pogrom made him just as guilty as their executioners. From the documents it looks like he was not exhonerated of the charges for another two years. In a short biography that he later worte about himself (which he omits any role in the armed forces!) the whole court proceedings ahd occured because people in his building did not like him. As a result of the trial he was also denied a promotion at work for five years. Page 1

Sometimes you find treaures within the treasures. Unfortunatly I wont have the ability to show all of the items for some time. But I met with my translator today and I pulled out some documets from the lot of Kovacs Imre who as far as I can find is the uncle of the woman whose lot this mainly is. What we translated today is almost a movie in the making... Kovacs Imre was born in 1904 and was a bank clerk for most of his life. During the war he was a commander in the Air Force and during 1944 was living in Budapest. The fisrt document that we translated was a 'copy' of his aquital of 'war crimes'...my interest was peaked!

Dan - what a beautiful collecton!

The other side of the card natrually revelas more. There is anohter fold which certifies that Sandor is #16 (possibly for the district) and that he is certified to have the first class of the badge. Next is 'Munka' (Work) here he was required to do 20 hours of 'voluntary socialist labor' for which he went a little overboard and completed 24. Then there is 'Tanulas' (learning) For which he studied at a techincal school for the year of 1961. Then 'Kultura' (culture, what else) for which Sandor went to the theatre and saw a film on bicycles, the Eifel tower and another one that I cant decipher. To sum up the badges, it looks like certain requriements were required in the fields of work, learning, culture and sport for which each member had to provide evidence of making a 'movement' forward for socialism. For each additional time that the KISZ member completed the requirements they were probably awarded the next grade of the badge. Perhaps more was required each progressive time, but the document seems to be uniform, IE 'fill in the aproproate blanks for the proper badge', so its still uncertian at this time if it got progressivly more difficult. In essence these badges ring similiarly to the skill badges from the Boy Scouts, but with a little more emphasis uppon furthering the socialism rather than tying knots or learning fishing. More to come...

Well today a bit of the puzzle revealed itself. Ask and you shall recieve. Last week I was talking with a Budapest dealer about these and he recaled that the badges were given out according to the grade one recieved on a test about the KISZ organization. Well - he was partialy right, but he also managed to find me a document for one of these badges which sheds a whole bunch of light on the subject. The document had pinned through the cover all four of the badges in the previous post, and from the looks of it probably other pinse were there at one time as well. The document forlds out so what you see below is the cover and the back pages. 'Igazolas' means "certifies" that Kiss Sandor in the "Ifj?s?g A Szocializmus?rt" (youth for socialism movement) completed for the year of 1961 the 'Movement First Class' badge. Given December 26th, 1961. You also see 'Sport' (one of four subjects in which the KISZ member had to participate in some manner) For this one Sandor participated in the August 1961 "MHS radio study group"

I am starting this thread and will add to it when more information becomes available. Ifj?s?g A Szocializmus?rt Mozgalom ?Youth Socialism Movement? Badges To begin this thread we have for several years now seen these little pesky badges at the flea markets and dealers shops. They are very inexpensive. The large badge merked '5' is 35mm tall and 30mm wide; '4' is 22mm tall and 25mm wide; '3' (not shown here) and '2' are the same size as '4'; '1' is 20mm tall and 25mm wide. Like with most things associated with the KISZ youth organization, very little documentation remains, and few really recall what the badges were for or how they got them it seems.

The 'ribbon' has been there for years, so I would not want to try replacing it. I recall in other threads how you see many Indian groups without the ribbons as they dont do too well in the monsoon season. This ribbon is 'thick' and probably was used to make it personal and to make it last. History will be preserved...fear not! Any significanse for the two bands? Or was it for the regiment?

Impressed rim - so would $65 be worth the purchase?

This has baffled me for some time now. Ribbon is - odd to say the least - though I know very very little about British awards. Also the rim is engraved: 3180 DR-L-NK. ALIF DIN, 3 S&M To me it looks like the ribbon has been there a long time along with the devices. Can you help tell me if this is a 'fantasy' ribbon that was added? Also - what does the rim engraving mean? Thanks in advance

You gotta love the Thieves Market where those who cant afford to pay for a spot sit outside the market and peddle their wares...got a pile of photos from the 1970's. What I thought was a group of guys wearing Hungarian qualification badges is actualy a group wearing the Soviet type. They are also wearing Soviet academy badges. The group is from the Engineer / Pioneer branch. The one guy has an Excelent Soldier / Political Offcier badge! Probably all thsoe with the Soviet Academt badges went on to at least Colonel or General if they stayed in the service...