Hungary Hungary - WW2 Tunics

[hunyadi]

Going to start a thread about Hungarin WW2 tunics. Several factors need to be noted.

1) Hungary was a "poor nation" and subsequently had a very small garment industry that was not able to cope with the huge demand of unifomrs required when the military was mobilized. As a result one can find a huge variety of uniforms manufactured in various ways. It was not uncommon for a soldeir to be required to manufacture his own uniform (IE - go to the tailor and get one made) This included some combat grade uniforms. Most uniforms that survive today are dress uniforms for officers as they were only brought out on rare ocasions and worn for the parades and such. However as the war progressed the demand for uniforms increased and the availability of combat uniforms decreaesed and many offciers and NCO's were sent to the front in modified (mostly by the soldier himself) dress uniforms.

2) The government of course did manufacture under licence combat grade uniforms. This consisted of a heavy wool dark brown material similar to design of the dress uniform and they are usualy stamped with manufacture marks (which thankfuly include the year of manufacture) Though this was a combat uniform and was normaly worn without any imbellishment save for rank - it is very common to find examples that have been modified to hang badges and medals on for parade use. For the summer grade uniform there are examples made of a light blue (almost faded denim shade of hue) HBT material. Again the cut is similar to the dress uniforms and again soldiers would convert these for use to wear during parade (but less often as the blue shade was not the traditional brown)

3) as stated before one can even find the combat grade uniforms that were custom made by soldeirs!

Below is a recent pinacle of my collection, a Lt. Col Csendor uniform. This one was originaly a stand up collar (originaly tailored in Debrecen before 1938) and as per the 1939 regulation was converted to a laying down collar. The Csendor (Genarmerie) unfiroms are also supposed ot be a green shade (rather than the brown of the regular army) but it is not uncommon to find some very rare Csendor uniforms made from the regular army brown stock. Csendor uniforms are rare - probably one step down from Arrow Cross as they were the equivalent to the Algimenie SS (spelling?) They were used to keep the peace and quiet within the borders of Hungary and as Hungary joined in operation Barbarosa they were sent to keep the peace there as well and as a result engaged in fighting partisans - for which this Lt.Col was doing alongside German troops. He was awarded the EK2 and the EK1 for his 'acts'.

Edited January 9, 2007 by hunyadi

[hunyadi]

Though the photo's dont show it very much, the background 'green' color of this forum is more like the actual color. Here is the back of the tunic

[hunyadi]

Here is a detail shot of the collar. Notice how the material for the laying down collar is grafted on - professionaly though.

Edited January 9, 2007 by hunyadi

[hunyadi]

Though it has been posted before this is my ultra rare Paratrooper combat grade uniform to a Corporal. This is a government issued piece and is stamped for the year 1938. It has been modified for the 1939 regulations and the wearer at the same time had it modified for comfort by the addition of the breast and shoulder padding. Combat grade uniforms are devoid of this feature. There are only a handful of such uniforms in existence. (less than probably 20-25) It is beleived that this uniform was used by an individual as a parade and combat tunic and that the individual was perhaps killed in training or perhaps during the one and only combat jump made by Hungarian paratoopers during the invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941. The tuic was a "closet find" with the wings. One factor for these being so rare is that in order for an individual to retain ther jump wings, they had to make a yearly quota of jumps to maintian the priveledge of wearing the wings. Many simply trnsfered out of the paratroopers and were put into the infantry (where they served valiantly) The wings on this are the early style and have been on the tunic for a long time.

[hunyadi]

Here is the shot of the interior. Notice the padding and the manufacture stamp on the lower skirt

[hunyadi]

the stamp

[hunyadi]

Here is a nice feature - the holes for the prongs of the paratrooper wings. Also notice the nap wear to the region.

[hunyadi]

Just for refrence - the wings themselves.

[Ulsterman]

That paratroopers' uniform is a treasure! One of the more obscure and dramatic battles in Hungary took place when the Hungarian paratroopers and the german King Tiger Abt. outside of Budapest destroyed an attacking russian Brigade (s). There is an upcoming book on the siege of Budapest (and it is depressing reading) and this was an incredible encounter.

[hunyadi]

Unfortunatly the Saint Laszlo Division was uttlerly destroyed by the end. The badges one can find are nealry all ground dug. I had this one but sold it. Tragic...

[hunyadi]

the reverse

[hunyadi]

A few more shots of the Csendor tunic - here is a shot of the interior.

[hunyadi]

Here is the reverse of the interior -

[hunyadi]

A couple of features that are common - but not all the time - with these custom made tunics. First off is a shot of the 'end of the roll'. At the end of the bolts of gaberdine wool material (as far as I understand) there was a strip of the national colors. Here we see a small portion of it poking out of a seam.

[hunyadi]

Also - following the theme of "Hungary was a poor nation" - was the fact that Hungary did not have a big button industry and so therefore we see many imports from other nations. I have seen buttons from Germany, but perhaps the more intresting were the buttons (and even bolts of wool fabric) from England! Here are the 'gut sucker' interior belt buttons

[hunyadi]

Picked this one up this weekend - Lt. Col to the Hussar units (Panzer). Not highly decorated, but still a rare rank to find and with the awards (minus the long service award )

[hunyadi]

detail shot of the upper half

[JohnHajnal]

Here are some uniforms from my collection. Sorry that the photos arnt that great. The first is my quartermaster captian's field tunic. I placed a junk medal i got at a flea market where the fire cross should be on both tunics.

[JohnHajnal]

Close up on the collar and medals...

[JohnHajnal]

All the next photos are of an infantry captian's set I recently bought, although I think the cap and greatcoat have 1st Lt insignia on them. Here is the tunic...

[JohnHajnal]

Collar / medal close up...

[JohnHajnal]

cap side...

[JohnHajnal]

cap front...

[JohnHajnal]

riding britches

[JohnHajnal]

riding britches