Hungary Whats more Rare than a RK, Victoria Cross, or MoH?

[hunyadi]

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.

Edited October 15, 2006 by hunyadi

[hunyadi]

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

Edited October 15, 2006 by hunyadi

[Paul R]

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

The first one I have ever seen. Is the veteran still alive today? Is the medal made of solid gold?

Paul

[Ed_Haynes]

Just happened to see this -- normally don't look in on this forum -- nice! Is it named or numbered?

[joe campbell]

hunyadi-

uncommon bravery from a common man.....

a very simple medal, but impressive in its'

rarity!

thanks!

joe

[hunyadi]

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.

Edited October 15, 2006 by hunyadi

[Guest Darrell]

Considering the era and timeframe of this award ... is it one that a person would proudly wear today?

[Ed_Haynes]

Considering the era and timeframe of this award ... is it one that a person would proudly wear today?

I'd doubt it, but in today's Europe, you never know . . .

[hunyadi]

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!)

Edited October 15, 2006 by hunyadi

[Ed_Haynes]

Interesting.

I shall withhold potentially divisive political comment.

[Dave Danner]

Considering the era and timeframe of this award ... is it one that a person would proudly wear today?

The question is not likely the pride in the award. As hunyadi notes Hungarian soldiers can and will take pride in their valor. The question would seem to be the attitude in modern Hungary toward Horthy and whether they would be allowed to or feel comfortable wearing an award with his portrait on it.

Hunyadi seems to indicate that veterans are wearing silver bravery medals, so apparently they don't feel a taboo. I don't know of an official restriction. Horthy's image may be salvaged somewhat by having opposed Hitler at various stages and having been overthrown by the Germans and ended the war under German arrest. The Soviets and the Western Allies both prevented him from being tried as a war criminal, as Tito's Yugoslavia wanted to, and he was the only Axis leader (not counting Doenitz) to survive the war. However, it would certainly seem that he did more than enough to tarnish his name and image.

On German awards, it isn't surprising that de-Nazified versions aren't legal to wear but are still worn by veterans. I know of a few countries where the original versions with swastikas are still worn by veterans, even at official events. Finland and Estonia are the two most obvious, but for them the swastika was a national symbol before the Third Reich, so it doesn't have as strong a taboo. At least during the Franco era, German veterans living in Spain like Skorzeny wore their regular awards, but I don't know what the post-Franco practice would be, among Spaniards or non-Spaniards.

Teasing us, you can just barely see the edge of the Iron Cross under the cloak of this Romanian Knight of the Order of Mihai Viteazul, at this year's Ziua Forţelor Aeriene Rom?ne (Day of the Romanian Air Force). So we can't see if he's wearing the original or a de-Nazified version. Romania, of course, like Italy managed to successfully change sides, though that didn't save either of their monarchies. The current Romanian republic's awards are modelled after many of the royal era ones, but the royal family itself isn't viewed especially positively.

[Kev in Deva]

Teasing us, you can just barely see the edge of the Iron Cross under the cloak of this Romanian Knight of the Order of Mihai Viteazul, at this year's Ziua Forţelor Aeriene Rom?ne (Day of the Romanian Air Force). So we can't see if he's wearing the original or a de-Nazified version. Romania, of course, like Italy managed to successfully change sides, though that didn't save either of their monarchies. The current Romanian republic's awards are modelled after many of the royal era ones, but the royal family itself isn't viewed especially positively.

Hallo Dave.

I have come across pictures of this WW2 vet (he was a fighter pilot) on another Romanian Forum, these shots from 2004, and again hard to tell if its an original, and it has been stated he wears the original WW2 EK which is surprising, seeing the swastika and iii reich items are banned from public display in Romania, no matter how much the supporters of the iron guard, whine about it.

With regard the current medals being issued by the Romanians they are of a very poor quality and look a little similar to the old Royalist medals, but once in the hand they are like something you would give a child to play with, and in my opinion not very collactable.

Kevin in Deva

Edited October 16, 2006 by Kev in Deva

[Ulsterman]

Really good thread. Great medal!

[Carol I]

Teasing us, you can just barely see the edge of the Iron Cross under the cloak of this Romanian Knight of the Order of Mihai Viteazul, at this year's Ziua Forţelor Aeriene Rom?ne (Day of the Romanian Air Force). So we can't see if he's wearing the original or a de-Nazified version. Romania, of course, like Italy managed to successfully change sides, though that didn't save either of their monarchies. The current Romanian republic's awards are modelled after many of the royal era ones, but the royal family itself isn't viewed especially positively.

This is Gen. Ioan Dicezare, a distinguished WWII fighter pilot.