hunyadi

Does anyone have the Sept 1944 medal. See them on Eban - and I love the enamel on them - but???? Besides the big auction house - anywhere else to get these orders for a god price - I am getting hooked....

more odd's n ends - the RK's and the PLM are post war....

US Hero's

OK - back to German - my tank killer

One of about 8 known originals to exist - 1941 era Hungarian Corporal Paratroopers Field Tunic

Hungarian WW2 2nd Lt Artillary pre 1938. (stand up collar)

Hungarian Don Front 1st Lieutnant

Austrio Hungarian

a few other items

another shot

Here is the 3rd Reich Stuff

Gentleman - I didnt think it was medicaly possible - but my butt just fell off from laughing. Of course the seller may have similar symptoms as he takes his money to the bank. My goodness... Anyone dared to contact the expert?

Holy Cow and the Pasture! When you lightened the photo I just found out that this one is maker marked! The mark is for Budapest - but cant make out what is written below that - the prongs are in the way and make too much shadow to make it out - I dare not move the prongs as they break off easily. The dimensions are 56mm tall and 38mm wide.

There are several varaitions between the three that I own - two with me the third in storage. Just looking at these two in front of me there are slight differneces to the crown, to the enamel on the shiled (horizontal lines on the red sections more pronounced on the left, the oak leaves are deep set enamel on the left as opposed to the right, the color blue is deeper on the left that the right - it can go on and on. Thankfully the modern strikes are easy to spot. Poor cold applied enamel, one piece construction, and clutch back pins for attachment to the tunic. But they are modern originals.

and the back - note: there are several forms of this - numbered (very rare!) maker marked (rare) unmarked (rare) with silver sword (rare) with bronze collored sword (rare) This is an unmarked plain reverse.

Here is an example of the Vitezi Rend (Order of the Knight) that I got today! (well its at least exciting for me)

sorry about the poor photo the enamel kept shining back with and without the flash...

Hi Darrel -

As you have stated yours is a 1970's version (did it come in a dated box?) and your suspension loop is soldered. Mine is too. It does look like one could break it off, but that would leave some 'flash' behind I am sure - not to say that it hasn't happened. But all of the modern strikes I see - perhaps 80's - 90's all seem ot have the loose suspension ring. Perhaps this is a streamline process to avoid an extra step in production. There is a clear quality difference between your 1970's one and the recent stike.

here is a more detalied shot of the rear - little rusty and the detail is lost on the oak leaves

Here is my one and only prinzengrosse EK2 on a KUK ribbon. It has a few interesting variations as the suspension loop is a little small ring through a nub at the top of the frame. The frames are unfortunatly polished silver while the core is a little rusted. Core is blued and not painted. Core moves freely within the frames. I know these are privatley made for court and highly decorated indviduals - but I would be most interested in see what others have and the types that they encouter. (photo next to my 'WP' - ???? - 938 marked full size EK2 for comparison)

That is interesting as I have been led to believe that these were the early strikes by Balfour - perhaps other manufacturer's made variations. I know that the Legion Of Merit Legionaire and Officer grade with the enameled reverse is a specialty and those constructed of silver were also desireable. I am just trying to figure out how and when you can date these things when they dont seem to have makers marks and the only variation I can find is: beveled edge / no beveled edge solid suspension loop / free suspension loop. As one can buy these things on Ebay with the free suspension loop and the non beveled edge for about $100 it makes me wonder if they were made in 1960-70- or today?

Actualy there is a big push today for veterans to be proud of their fight against communism. Those memebrs of the Hungarian 2nd and 3rd Army were told they were stupid and foolish for fighting against thier Soviet friends during the communist era. A book written in the 1970's gave propoganda information as such, though Feh?r Ernő probably felt differnt when he dispatched nearly 50 of his future "comrades".

Thankfully today the 2nd and 3rd Army veterans are viewed as heros. At some of the military graduation ceremonies I have attended I have seen a few old veterans walking around in modern parade unifroms with Bravery Medals (no Large Golden though) and Fire Cross's. The Order of the Knight (Vitezi Rend) is again being bestowed, to new members (for exemplarary serivce to the state) and to the sons of Knights, knighted by Horthy from 1922-44. There are even jewlers making re-strikes for the veterans to make new medal bars as so many of them buried them in the garden out of fear for Soviet retaliation after the fall of Hungary. These restrikes are of one piece and are only a shadow of their original counterparts - dont fear!

Though not legal to wear in public, Ervin Gatanyi a 14 year old Vannay Battalion member who fought during the battle of Budapest who was awarded the Infantry Assault Badge and the EK2 by the Germans proudly wears the decorations on the photo of him and his book "Boy Soldier" (Militaria, 2004) He was later bestowed the Vetezi Rend in the mid 1990's for his actions in fighting the Red Army in 1944/45. He is only one of seven who ever made it out of the castle district from the battalion. So far no one has seemed to question his display of orders and decorations (he does not wear 1957 versions eitehr!)

Hello all - thanks for the comments so far - unfortunatly the medals are never named or numbered. I hope the post did not lead anyoe to believe that this was his medal. Unfortunatly most of the history to these are lost and I am unaware of any current survivors. This example is a late war version probably 1943-44 era. It is made of gold plated bronze. Examples can be found in sliver with a gold plate and bronze with gold plate. I have only seen one other at an auction here three years ago. The web site lists 39 NCO and Other Ranks recipients and 20 officers. However there is some speculation of others awarded during the battle in Hungary and the Batlte of Budapest. These were made on paper only, and seem to have surfaced after the 1990's. These claims boost the number of NCO awards to around 54 (as I recall) Either way it still remains to be a rare award.

Award Number 8

Hrdlicska Istv?n was a private born in Garamk?vesd Hungary in 1915 - On April 13th 1941 Near Szőreg during the Balkan campaign, his column was pinned down by an armored vehicle's machinegun. The private, without any regard to himself, charged the armored car. Though mortaly wounded by the withering fire, he mangaged to destroy the vehicle with hand grenadges saving the lives of many comrades. Posthumiously he was awawrded the Lagre Golden Bravery Medal.

and the reverse (for the tales of such events - in Hnugarian, here is the link http://www.akm.externet.hu/rendjel/adatok/mave.htm#1

I would normaly post this specimin under the Hungarian WW2 items - but it is the crown of my Hungarian Axis collection. The Large Golden Bravery Medals issued from 1939-1944 are a very rare breed as fewer than 70 were ever issued, and only a few hundred ever probably produced. The requirements and the reports of bravery are notable....Though not atributed to this medal - the stoires of those that attained such awawrds can be reflected below.

Feh?r Ernő was born in 1916 in Pal?nk Hungary. He led an average Hungarian life until the start of the war in Russia. By 1942 he was a corpral with the - Second Hunarian Army 4th Division 2nd Battalion, 4th Company as an anti-tank gunner. In the morning hours of August 6th, 1942 He witnessed 60 T-34 tanks pouring towards the Hungarian lines. The Russians had taken the reconnisance to find the Hungarian lines weaker and more spread out that the German partners to the north. Ernő set his gun into action despite overwhelming odds. In the fierce battle that lasted for 40 minutes he was able to dispatch 11 Soivet tanks, the last one falling victim to his gun at lass than 30 meters away. As the period paper that relates the sotry claimes - his action tunred the Soivet assualt saving the lives of nearly 10,000 men. Perhpas a little exagerated, but dispatching 11 T-34 with a small (probably 37mm) cannon is no short feat. For Feh?r Ernő's actions he was bestowed the Large Golden Bravery Medal in January of 1943. He was the 24th recipient of the medal.

Here is my only example of such a rare awawrd.

Thats very interesting as I am led to belive that nearly all US recent strikes have makers marks on them. Anoyone else have some more info?

Here is a full shot of her - she came without a case and the lapel pin is a BB&B marked piece.