hunyadi

?

Here is a rather large and interesting photo that I picked up this weekend - it is what appears to me to be a husband wife photo of a Hungarian volunteer to the German army. He has what appears to me to be a M40 (ish?) tunic - a shooting lanyard, rank chevron and OS cap - what is interesting is the WW1 Hungarian commemorative medal that appears to be suspended with a string sewn into the tunic itself. (A common method of attachment for Hungarian tunics.)

Zsolt - Imadom! Those are some pieces that I have been hunting for! Can we please see the interitor of the award documents? - those are rare! (want to sell one??)

Here we go -

Excelent Red Cross Workers Badge - Voroskereszt Kivalo Dolgozoja

Awarded by the Leadership Council of the Hungarian Red Cross for distinguised work over a period of time concering the technical operations of the Red Cross (machines, equipment, etc...) The award was bestowed about 10 times per year and the recipient received a 1500 huf bonus.

Rare - very rare....

Charles,

You didn't miss the two awards. The chap that sold them to me was just unpacking as I walked up to his table. He was in the first row on the right, just over halfway down the row. The only bandit was the guy selling the awards and his price! However, I didn't want to pass these up as I had never seen them for sale previously.

Cheers,

Gordon

Ah-yes - that guy...know him quite well. Two years ago I was foolishly buying my Order of the Red Stars from him for the prices that they go for today...now I dont even bother to ask as he sells stuff for what they will go in another two years I am sure...Still - I would have probably jumped on the red cross one even at his prices - that is a rare one. I'm going to try and find the link to the award criteria of it...

So I guess I didnt find everything at the market - you made out like a bandit - I have been trying to get an example of the Red Cross one and anther 1948-49 Ace Worker! Your eyes were better than mine! Nice haul Gordon!

and the reverse

Hello folks - I have no idea on this, but would welcome your opinion. It does not glow under black light but I know that good fakes are around that dont do that eitehr. Many thanks in advance!

Of interest and a bit off topic - but the Dohany street scene with the deaths of the Jews from the Ghetto has an interesting twist of hisotry. According to Ervin v. Galantay a 14 year old member of the Vannay Batalion in 1944/45 who actulay lived in the Ghetto as his parents had a home there amid the Jewish community - Arrow Cross and Police forces activly worked at keeping murdering bands out of the Ghetto. According to him he revealed at the publication of his book at a meeting in the Caslte District that Soviet archives revealed that of the Dohany street Ghetto masacre when the bodies of the Jews killed there were examined only 45 bodies were found with gunshot wounds - the hundereds of others had died of schrapnel and collapsed lungs as a result of massive artillery bombardments that the Soivets had exacted uppon the ghetto - from his research the Soviets had fired uppon the known Ghetto in thought that massive concentrations of German and Hungarian forces were hiding in there. During the breakout of February 12th 1945 - they again emplyed a massive rocket and artillery bombardment uppon the soldiers and civilains that were trying to break out of the besieged castle district. He recalled that bodies were sometimes two meters think at the current Moscow Square. All this of course in contrast to the book "Liberated Hungary 1945-1960" published in 1960 by Panonia Budapest pg 7 states "The Soviet troops had been ordered to employ methods of attack designed to spare the city and the hundreds of thousands of the civilain population from otherwise certain destruction...The Soviet soldirers spared the civilians hiding in thier shelters in Buda, the unarmed women and children, often at the cost of their own lives" - not to forget that most of those unarmed women were raped repeatedly, their houses looted multiple times and what of the protection of the children who were slaughtered to such an extent that suitcases were used for coffins in Buda so that the hungry bands of dogs would not eat the remains? I know

The three pointed star has always had some symolism with the effect of "when tossed around it always lands with the sharp point up" - just after WW2 as in WW1 things in Hungary were a mess and the future looked unceratin to yet another generation - adopting a symbol that no matter which end got turned the business end would alwyas point up was probably adoped to intsill a sense of security. "No matter what happens to our land my fellow Hungarians - the seucurity forces will be here to protect you!" - I say all of this of course with no backing in literature, just my own personal interpretation - next?....

I'm gonna lean towards a two piece item - if you look int he background of post #6 it looks like you can clearly see a seam on the 12 o'clock arm. The end shot also has what appears to be a slight seam on the left side. Monday or Friay cross - thats one of the rare cases in the world where you want to own one of those - definitely not a factor that one looks for in a set of wheels or the coffee maker!

WOW - if the quality was not there - I would almost question this one - but clearly of the early quality! Very nice.

WOW - very nice! That paper just breaths history!

MAP....

Lets ask tomorrow!

A study many years ago found that eggs - though high in choleserol and generaly percieved as 'bad' actualy have tons on good stuff in them. The study followed people who had suffred a heart attack. One group increased their egg consumption by one egg a day - the control group followed their traditional habbits of eating. The egg group did something like 90% better in terms of medical condition after five years.

Anyhow - it was my pleasure to have memories of my great-grandfather infantry in the 88ID in WW1. Thankfuly my other relatives were able to salvage a few of his stories - like the French black woman who cooked the soup at the field hospital and put her hair in it to add flavor...

Its sad to see nearly the last one go...but history progresses.

Drink Listerine and eat eggs and perhaps see a little more of it?

Nice!

So the Killian badge was awarded 1957-89? Was it commonly awarded?

What was the criteria: 100 push ups, sit ups and a 6 minute mile or something?

I went to a fair nearby and picked up a few hungarian items for almost nothing -8 Euros got me a killian badge, a brigade badge (bronze), academy badge and workers' militia badge. The man selling the stuff had piles of old Warsaw bloc stuff in a bucket-including a lot of Cuban and Albanian (which i did not buy as I had blown my extra walking about cash on "exotic" ribbon bars a few tables before).

I did get this one below though-seems quasi official to me, some sort of commemorative or "I met my 5 year plan goals" or "Communist Youth 5 years service" award..

Gordon has done a little more research on the KISZ badges than I have. As for the Sport Badge - there was as Gordon mentioned many revisions. Future article for sure. Dont have the regs in front of me but I do have my short notes - in 1947 they made regulations for a "Honved Sportteajesitmeny" badge. It was to be oval in shape 50mm tall and 34mm wide. It was to come in three forms 1) Olympian 2) Honved Sportproba Bajnok Badge - in enamel 3) Honved Sportproba in gold. silver and iron. The lowwer part of the badge was to give the form in name (IE "Olympian") and then upper was supposed to have a mark for the grade (probably I, II, III??) The badge was supposed to be worn where the Horthy era Combat Leadeship Badge was worn (I recall the regs actually said that!) The badge came with a 1000 HUF award for the Olympian, 500 HUF for the second and 100 HUF for the third. These regs were bvery vague and never specified the requiremetns for the badge. Then in May of 1948 the whole thing was scrapped and it was decided to make just the "Haditorna" badge in three grades. Gold, Silver and Iron - but then the wording got interesting "it may be circular or oval but not to be more than 40mm in diameter eiter way. The badge may be held on with two prongs or a screwback. The badge will have the Kossuth coat of arms as the central feature" (the use of "MAY" indicated that they wrote these regs, but still had no idea as to what the thing was supposed to look like!) Then we hit paydirt on Sept 1, 1948 when it shows up with the requiremetns of the sport performance and the offical line drawing of what the badge was to look like. It was the star with the crossed swords and a central disc with the Kossuth coat of arms, below and between the lower arms what the banner for "Haditorna" - then in 1949 we find the first list of individuals who were awarded the first Haditorna badges - all eleven of them - so if you ever wonder why you will never find one with the Kossuth coat of arms on it....that is why. I did look into 1950 and 1951 at the lists of individuals who were awareded the badge - I would guess that about 1500 individuals won the badge each year. After 1951 they quit printing the lists...

Humberto -

Thanks for psoting the photo - sorry - I had not looked at this post in a while....

Whoever she was - she did not sit down on the job - perhaps I might find her in one of the Hungarian lexicons the next time I am at the library. I would say with two of these she set herself up for the potential of greater things. For more information on the documents of the "Sztah" - they mostly deal with the awarding, wearing, and regulations (last page mentions loosing it for "un-Hungarian" activity - such as takling to capitalist frogmen while inderwater after falling into the Duna (only Decker will probably get that one) "Its a little yellow....its a little bitter.....ah....but its Hungarian!"

The next time I have some time - I will hash out the transaltion of the pages.

The document is indeed #15 (szam) and also II Jelveny - refers to the 'second' award. As mine from the same woman (not a man here!) and is dated 1952 - this is her second award. What a working gal! - reunion of some sort should happen here....

Hi Jeff -

As for lists - I have not looked through every volume, but there are volumes of the monthy regulations, promotions and of course medals earned at the military library - probably more complete than the Gazzete. For 1944 alone there were seven volumes of just promotions and medals awared. 1943 looked to be just one big book about 8" across. As for the Csendor Zsebkonyv all they have at the museum library is the 1922 and 1927 issues. Very disapointing - I passed up the 1938 one two years ago and after going to antique bookstores I have heard on two occasions "a couple of years ago we had several" - grrrrr - As for the banner - my assumption is that these were a generic banner. I dont see how they would be able after gettting it in the bag like this of embroidering a name on it. But anyhting is possible. When I am back I can take better measurments.

and the back its about 15" by 9" (rough guess)

Finally found a "Szocialista Brigad Zsaslo" or Banner of the Socialist Brigade. interestingly enoiugh this one was never issued still in the wrapper and form what I can gather was probably made in 1975 from the inspection sticker.

Hi Robert -

Welcome to the GMIC! I wish I knew more about these to tell you more - but its good to see you here! Your going to be a valuable member here.

Here it is. I hope it helps.

This is an extremely rare piece, coz there is no other copy I could break the needle's catch of...

That is very rare - I have never encountered a "19 Sztahanovista 53" with the nmbers like that, even though I have a coupe of 19-53 types - none have a number. WOW!