hunyadi

And - my search for one of these is now over...

It was a good weekend... I have doubts about the award document for the Kivlao Dolgozo as the badge and the case do not seem to go with it - but thats how I got it - so I will leave it alone...

Hi Zsolt - I said 1951 as for some reason that is what I had put on the file folder. My mistake - here it is with the 1953 document - but modified for 1954

Thanks for showing these!

FYI - I have another meeting with Agnes Godo next week if all timing goes well. Should have a database then for the 'original' partisans then. Will see...

OMG!!!

How did Farkas lose that?

How do i get one (with documents)?

You cant....

Well - to let the cat out of the bag... 48 hours ago I learned of an auction that i had never heard of or been to. But a kind fourm member showed me and I was shocked by what was being offered. (thanks Zsolt & Sohn) There were some pretty rare items being offered from WW2 and items of the HUPR. I would say a good portion of the HUPR items were overstock / unissued pieces that were sold by the Hungarian Mint back in the early 1990's and resided in a collection (s?) until yesterday when they went up for auction. Items like the rare WW3 medals, prototypes of labor medals from 1949, etc... offered in the lot was an 'extra' musuem piece or for the WW3 medal sets of the Hero of the HUPR. But that one went way above what I could ever afford... this is not one. But its made just like the ones issued to Farkas, however the ribbon is of the Hero of Socialist Labor and in the center of the star is the HUPR coat of arms. The final version issued has the coat of arms on the ribbon and the ribbon has the 'military' alternating colroed triangels.

In this auction the order was listed as a 'prototype' that was to be issued for the joint Soviet space flight. SO - its what Farkas might have gotten, but it didnt make the cut on approved designs. At least thats what the catalogue states and probably what the original owner was told when he / she bought it. Perhaps another explination is that it may also have been a prototype for a new Hero of Socialist Labor as the ribbon is the same as that type of order. Eitehr way - there is what - perhaps this one or maybe two ever made? Though its market value and 'sellability' may be extremely low - for me its an interesting and rare piece of history - now - if I can get into the archives to find the proposed design....

Yes - its gold - but some books say 'gold plated'. Either way these were hand made.

bbbb

...

Hi Jim -

What you have there is an 'Domestic Trade' Excelent Worker badge of the first award (I beleive). This is one of the early forms. I have a documented set from 1954 as you can see in the picture below but this has the roman numerals II which to me suggests that this is a second award.

Hi all!

I have a series of photographs dealing with a Hungarian unit and its deployment to the Soviet Uniion, 1942. I know they went through Kiev, as there is several shots of wrecked buildings there. The only information I have is:

A 37./III/zlj

This is marked on most photos of the unit or the units cemetary. Can anyone give me a history of (what I assume) is the 37 Infantry regiment? I have found the III Hungainian Corps unit history, but the 37th isnt listed as a reigment. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance!

Hi Chris - can you post a scans? 'Getting the whole picture' may help?

Hello Jim -

Welcome to GMIC! We would love to see you badge!

No - they just come that way

scratching my head to remember, but postal (as I recall) would have been a red wine color (at least it was with the Hungarain side??)

My assumption was the shoulder straps which would make him of an enlisted variety.

Something interesting here - can you give me the dimensions of the box itself?

Yes - with the better scan I can now "see" better the frame. Close - but no cigar...

Alex - looking at it I think you even posted the correct maker. I think this is a W&L? But there are frame characteristices that I see in both of these EK's.

Hi Chris -

really hard to say for sure. probably a senior NCO or even a warrant officer (known as a 3rd Lieutenant in Hungarian 'Zaszlo' (sp?)). He did his time thats for sure and then got out, only to be drawn back in.

Hi guys -

Something is fishy about this one -

1) Fire Cross with two wound stripes (no problems there)

2) Then it should be a WW1 Commemorative Medal - But somehow a repeat Fire Cross has been added to it. This device should be between the two wound strips indicating that he got a 1941 Fire Cross and then a 1942 / 43 Fire Cross..

3) Long Service

4) Return of Upper Hungary or the First Vienna Award of 1938.

Though the device is wrong and not in the right place (perhaps embellished?) This is a great little bar - the owner was a WW1 veteran, probably conscripted and then later during the war inter war years served his time enough to get the First Vienna Awrd medal and his long service under the Horthy regime. Then he probably mustered out (missing the 1940, and the 1941 medals) and went into the reserves. When the war started against Russia he was called up again and served at the front during two years at least and got wounded twice.

And for those of you who dont know the best way to start a bar brawl between Hungarians and Romanians is to have a friendly conversation over the definition of 'Lost' and 'Stolen' when it comes to Transylvania

The collar could be one of several colors from the BW photo - I would venture to guess that he is Artillery. His rank is that of Corporal.

These things are confusing to say the least - here is what I can decipher.

1) 1953 version "type I" was a continuation of the Order of Labor from 1953 which was in essence just the 1948 Hungarian Order of Labor. Both of these have the 16 rays from the star. "Type II" introduced in 1954 was a production change over to the 32 rays with the enameled national colors at the bottom. But these came in one "class" - Gold. So in essence - the gold ones can be 1954 Type II issues, but hard to prove.

2) The Order of Labor Type II was issued until 1964 when in 1963 the decision was made to break it up into three classes (Gold, Silver, Bronze) The design reamined the same (3 piece construction, 32 rays, 3 rivets, etc...) as the 1954 Type II so its nearly impossible to determine if a gold class would have been made prior to 1964. This type remianed until at some point (probably in late 70's early 80's to a 'varaiation' of the one piece flat back. But still conisdered the 1964 type

3) Order of Labor of 1985 then was made into the concave one piece type.

Trust me - its a confusing subject....

BTW - your Order of Labor in the Bronze (uncased in post 9 & 10) has the ribbon variant - the threads were white and then dyed to make the interesting pattern. I have one that was at one point the ribbon for the Distinguished Service Medal, but was dyed at the factory.

Ulstermann - according to the National Museum and the Military Museum all medals were manufactured at the Hungarian Mint, which to this day still is in operation and is the sole governing authority to manufactue medals and currency.

This is the reverse - three piece construction. Wreath - center enameled section - and the star.

Though its not a bronze class, but a gold..Here is a cased 1964 two piece type for comparison to the others. This one is in the earlier case (blood red) - probably from the 1960's - early 1970's

From what I have seen these one piece flat 1964 types probably began appearing in the late 1970's and early 1980's - hence the 1980's pin opn the back (overstock) These one piece flat are actualy not that often encountered.

Interesting that the document is for a badge and the star type badge - but the doucment speaks about awarding it because of 24 years after the freedom of the nation - IE - the Red Army came to set up Communism for us. From what I can gater from translating this is not a 'good boy at the desk (factory?)' but more - hey its 24 years after the last German soldier left Hungary - lets hand out badges! Interesting...

Reading agian ---- you had already noticed that about the liberation part