hunyadi

I would not say so much recycled parts - just simply a single die for use. The parade badges especcilay were handed out en-mass, so it makes sense to not make production complicated...

Book will be in next week and ready for sale and delivery. Once they get me the final quote - I believe the price should be $59.99 + shipping. At any rate the price should be somewhere around that. Be mindful - 1/2 of the book is the history of the HUPR and the other half of the book is the militaria behind that history - 250 pages with 280 photographs and numerous diagrams to boot. There are only 200 being published in hardbound with the special "red" cover. All the books published by the Party publisher during the HUPR all had a similar shade of red cover so that the AVH could come to your house and easily inspect your bookcase to see if you were a loyal Party reader. This book is no different! I will post these books for sale with the "for certain" price on the Sale section when I get them in hand this week.

Anyhow - so much for trying to peddle my wares. As for the cases - the one for the Excellent Soldier is a typical 1970's form, but very rare and unique. The Parade badge case is of course from the 1970's as well and they could be used for several of the pinback awards. I have an example that has a recessed form of the badge where it would have been inserted. As for the other items; I would place the Service to the Fatherland in Gold in the early case and the other two in the "newer" ones.

OK - just to recap....

Post #1 is the Excelent Soldier Badge - late 1970's era... never seen a cased example - so very nice find.

Post #2 is the badge worn for the April 4th 1970 Victory Parade. Cased examples are hard to find so again - very nice find.

Post #3 medal cases from left to right: Left is a reissue 1970's era from older parts - the marble scuff plate is the dead giveaway these parts seem to have been "found" in the warehouse and assembled - the interesting ones are the cases with the flocked plastic inserts. Center is a typical 1960's - 1970's issue case. Probably a carboard, cloth medal insert with padded silk lid liner. Right - very nice transitional case - case was made in the 1950's but not finished until after the 1956 Revolution - probably from the late 1950's.

Post#4 - case bottoms of course

Post #5/6 left to right. Left: Service to the Fatherland in Gold early production as it has a solid back, not die struck - typical post Revolution to early 1960's. I would put this one in the far right case. It would have been issued with a plexi / plastic ribbon bar for the insert. Center is a Service to the Fatherland in Silver, typical mid 1960's to the end of the HUPR. Stamped details and the "I will break son if you man-handle me" wide flange hook is typical of the 1980's. Right Service Medal for 15 years - post 1963 production.

Hope that helps...

WOW - that is an amazing Red Star! Now I am itching to get my 3.4 million #ed Star researched...

I believe this is the entrance to the Technical University on the Pest side near Szabadsag hid (Freedom Bridge).

Iver - many thanks! These are great - the detail esp. :love:

Peter - what a fantastic archive of historical photos. I wish that I could have asked you for permission to use the one for the Magyar Radio for publication. (BTW - the book is at the press as we speak = more details to follow! IE 2 weeks)

I would certainly get these images into the 1956 Archive or the Hungarian National Musuem. I think the Magyar Radio one is perhaps the most significant. Its also errie to see those and know I have walked those hallowed avenues...

Iver - can you make a shot of the reverse of the ribbons as well? I love to the variations they used to hold them on the bars, strings

Another type of boards, the King's cavalry regiment

Do you have a period photo of what this type of uniform looked like? Still eagerly awaiting what the gendarmerie baords are...

The Police is blue, like the Doctor boards. But I do not know about the gendarmerie. And BTW there were two of them - Gendarmerie in the Army, established in the beginning of the 20 century and Gendarmerie in the Police, established on 19 February 1944, to fight the partisan plague.

Once again - thanks for the information. I hope you may be able to find out the colors of the board for me? I have a gendarmerie uniform with the brown collar and litzen, but no boards. I would assume this would be an army gendarmerie?

Theodor - many thanks. I have been searching on the web, and nothing. Do you know what the color combination is supposed to be for the police and the gendarmerie?

Looking for some help on any information about the WW2 era Bulgarian shoulder board system. IE - what were the colors of the boards for the various units and service branches? A nice color plate would be a big help.

Thanks in advance!

The P B on the pins stands for PARTIZ?NBAR?TOK SZ?VETS?GE or in English - Friends of the Partisans. I am not sure when this orgaization came into being but one of the documenst I received was a letter dated 1947 so probably shortly after the war. Here is a scan of the letter. I haven't translated it yet.

Well - without getting the dictionary out this page should nail down the formation date of the organization. The letter is from the presidents / directors offcie of the Freinds of the Partisan Association. The letter is a request to change a section of the by-laws (basically the addition of some words conering the guarding of the honor of the heros who gave thier lives for the nation etc...). I would guess that this was an ammendment shortly after the foundation so probably the fall or winter of 1946 at the out-most. Perhaps in the earlier months of 1947. This would make sense to get this document with the letter as it may have been included with whoever received it to give "guidelines" as to the purpose of the organization. Great find. Someday I will have to pull out my pins. As I recall these were about the size of an American nickel.

Rick - very nice pieces. There is an interesting sideline to the ribbons during the HUPR. The ribbon bar devices werea added after 1957 (1960's??- dont have the material right in front of me, but certainly post Revolution) Ribbons it seems were made in mass and not always "perfect". I think that many of these ribbons were factory errors that were masked up with extra red dye or the dye on the silk did not imbed properly giving the "brickwork" pattern. There is also clear evidence in the Big Book #600 where the ribbon was redyed from the Order of Merit of the Hungarian Peoples Republic (two parallel stripes of the national colors). My theory is that there were massive stocks of old ribbon or defected ribbon that was not discarded (the Hungarian Peolpes Republic ran their economy into the ground) but due to the nature of economic forces, they simply "made do" with what was available. In my opinion the M1954 model has the correct ribbon on as it has the black laquered gromet for the ribbon hook. This was a process that was seen on the eariler ribbons and many of the WW2 styles. The bare steel was a bit more of the latter 1950's and onward. The ribbon bar with the device was probably a "left over" section of ribbon that was formed and then thrown into a box - be darned if the ribbon matched - though who knows what the ribbon looked like after it was dyed - there is nearly 1/2 a century of fade going on here.

The other interesting side note which I have mentioned before is the use of old cases from the early 1950's being issued with plastic inserts which began to appear in the mid to late 1970's. This supports my opinion that the State Mint had allot of things just lying around for decades...

Thirdly - what I sent to you was the way that I aquired it.

This seller is quite prominent on Ebay and well, in Hungary as well. None of his bars are what I would call "original". The parts are original, but the set up is probably not. Recently one sold on Ebay with "new" ribbons, old medals and a communist era mounting bar....

OK - many thanks - now off to find one.... :rolleyes:

and a shot of the bottom edge which has the most "color" to it....

here is the reverse

will post photos of the reverse - does anyone have a image of the Hessian medal in the mean time?

This was recently sold in the sales section... It is clearly a simple bar - but it is missing the last medal on the bar. I am at a loss as to what the medal should be. As you can see from ribbon, it is a simple white field with orange/red stripes. Anyone have any idea what medal should go there?

WOW!

That is amazing as it was awarded in 1974 - this beings to bring more pieces into the puzzle. I have a couple of award documents somewhere...will have to drage them out and compare numbers and award dates.

:jumping:

That is not Hungarian. No tilted cross on the crown, but with the flowing tassles I would say Bulgarian? Five sided suspension was only used in Hungary for a handful of medals for a very short time.

\

Not too common - but you can find them - The problem is finding one with the pin on the back - the solder used on these badges was very poor and the pin is broken off of about every one. I have about three - only one still has the pin on it.

What is interesting is that the badge was intended to go to members of the Interior Ministry (Police, Fire, State Police) and the Ministry of Defense (Military). Then they issued the Flood Defense Medal in 1954 as well, this was to be awarded to everyone who participated in the flood relief efforts in 1954. So technically the badge and the medal could be awarded - but this is the first time I have seen a photo of the badge in wear by a member of the military... :rolleyes:

Deatail of the board. Major I presume?

Here is a recent find - it was off Ebay and I could not resist.... Apparently it is a M1936 (?) Chaplains Summer Uniform. Cant confirm the boards as I dont have any reference for boards (anyone got a link?)