Hungary True 1956 Revolution Tunic

[hunyadi]

Got this not too long ago and I had my doubs about it for a while. It a Rakosi era tunic and appears to be marked for 1953 manufacture (could also be 1955?) When I got it I sighed a little as I figured 'great' now I need to get Rakosi era shoulder boards for a tank unit. Not very easy! Not very available. The seller said - dont put them on! Why? Becuase this tunic was used from October of 1956 to January of 1957! The stars on the collar he said were used for those three months until the Kadar regime took power and re-designed the uniforms. I still had my doubts - but the price was great. Took it home and figured that it would not bee too much to at least start looking for shoulder boards.

Uppon closer inspection I found that the stars have been there for quite some time - rather crudely attached, nice, but not "perfect". Then I found what looks to be very period thread closing over the hole where the button for the shoulder board would go through the seam and be held in place by 'shoe-string'. My curiosity peaked. Then just this week I found a nice little book that had reprints of the newspapers from October 23rd 1956 to November 5th. In it was the Military Newspaper (Magyar Honved) from October 31st, 1956. On the third page is a nice little article showing the new Ministry of Defence 'temporary' uniforms. It instructs all soldeirs to remove thier shoulderboards and remove thier stars from the shoulderboards and attach them to the collar tabs in the tradition of the Hungarian Army. (one small star 2nd Lt, two stars Lt, 3 stars Capt, one large star Maj, 2 large stars Lt. Col 3 large stars Col, Generals already had a bullion oak leaf - and their stars were to go over the oak leaf. NCO's were to use tress. plain - PVT, one stripe Cpl, two stripes Sgt, etc...) The aritcle also goes on to say that buttons with the Kossuth coat of arms were going to be produced and that they should recieve new buttons to sew on the tunics as well as the hats. The Rakosi era hat badge was to be removed from the hat completely. It also promises that new uniforms were being produced.

So it would seem that I have here a 1st Lt's panzer tunic from the revolution era. Its got some pretty good wear to it - how I wish it could speak....

[hunyadi]

Here is a detail of the collar. In 1956 the Tank units took on a new collar tab design. Black field with a red boarder. This was probably done to remove confusion between medical and engineering as the colors are really close.

[hunyadi]

Here is a shot of the regs...

[Paul R]

Not my field at all, yet congrats on getting one of the very few remaining pieces. There cannot be too many of these about!

Paul

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

A great finding indeed! I think most of the uniforms were destroyed after the rising had been suppressed. Thank you for the photo of the rank insignia used during the rising. I am an editor of http://www.uniforminsignia.net and the insignia used during the Hungarian Rising of 1956 have not been covered yet. Would you mind if I used the information from you to make the chart? Does the book you found mention tab colors used in other sevices as well? It is interesting that the Ministry of Defense did not decide to restore stars for non-commissioned ranks as well and kept Soviet-styled stripes on collar tabs.

I have found a photo of P?l Mal?ter, one of the heroes of the 1956 Rising, in a colonel's uniform. The photo is quite small but the stars on the tabs are clearly visible.

[hunyadi]

Hi Lukasz -

please feel free to put the information on the web for all to see. I dont have an 'official' listing of the colors, but from what I have read and found from other period peices I can give you this list.

Black tabs - Tank units (shoulder board color was red as artillery) then in 1956 the tab had the extra red border.

Dark Violet (its just a shade lighter than black) - Medical

Oil Black - Engineering

Red - Artillery

Light green - Secret police and Border Guard

Dark green - Infantry

Wine - quartermaster and accounting

Sky Blue - airforce and airborne

Blue - police

Dark Blue - river patrol

various units also had special insignia aplied to the collar (IE anti-aricraft, signals, tank, construction, etc...) here is another 1956 era panzer tunic with the collar devices present. Above each tank is another hole from long ago that you can feel as you put your finger over it. Its my belief that this one had a star there - probably for a 2nd Lt. After the Revolution, he probably went back to his unit - minus the star on his collar.

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Thanks, Hunyadi - this will help a lot. All credits given of course!

[hunyadi]

Forgot one -

Brown - transport

[Gordon Craig]

Hunyadi,

Great to see that you have been able to authentic what you were told about the tunic being worn during such a short period. What a lucky find!

Cheers,

Gordon

[hunyadi]

Just to bring more to light - in my ever current mission of tyring to find tunics from before the revolution, has been dismal at best. Here is one that I recently got. Its an AVH (State Security) Tunic as recognised by the manufacture stamp and by the dark blue piping around the cuff. During the revolution there were many accounts of AVH personel remving their collar tabs and shoulder boards to avoid detection as many were lynched (in front of reporteres no less) - so much for this poor chap who was issued one with the cuff piping. Also many accounts give details of Revolutionary elelmnts raiding the AVH offcies and warehouses (and military barracks) and taking off with uniforms. I suspect that this AVH officer did the former as there is evidence that the shouder boards were on it for some time and that at one point it did have collar tabs. Sadly, I find it unethical at this point to restore it to the pre October of 56' condition

[hunyadi]

This one is another anomoly from the period. I would date this one to early 1957. The regulations had been written for new uniforms, sew in shoulder boards and new button designs, but production and distribution are the bane of every government / military. This is a M1951 tunic that has been modified to accept the sew in shoulder boards, but still retains the Rakosi Coat of Arms buttons. Probably when the owner got his new uinform, he elected to keep this one in the closet just as he had left it in 1957.

[Gordon Craig]

Charles,

Nice tunic. I should have paid more attention to it on Saturday!

Cheers,

Gordon

[hunyadi]

Found some photographic evidence. A photo from 1957 that shows signlas offcirs with a panzer officer (double breasted tunic.) notice that they wear the sew in shoulder boards. As per regs the M1954 Panzer Tunic (which he is wearing had sew in boards, however they were the Soviet Style of sew in. He has replaced his with the round ended type. Rare photograph to be sure.

[Ulsterman]

neat-have you seen the Osprey book? Ever see any Kadar hussars tunics?

Edited March 16, 2007 by Ulsterman

[hunyadi]

a better shot of one - He is clearly wearing an M51 Tunic (similar to the Kitel tunic) with the pre 1956 buttons and the 1957 style boards - chaotic time!

Edited March 16, 2007 by hunyadi

[Gordon Craig]

Ulsterman,

Which Osprey book are you refering to?

Regards,

Gordon

[Ulsterman]

The "Hungarian Revolution" one. It has some nice pictures in it.

[hunyadi]

A Kaddar Hussar is a hard one to verify as they used the padded winter jackets without rank. Gordon just got a nice pair of pants from the era and I passed on an unmarked version of the jacket this past summer the only thing that is certian from the era and the Kaddar Hussars is the cap. Similar to the Horhty era cap, but with old Tily (Kossuth Coat of Arms) Buttons and a differnt liner than the WW2 version. Sadly I have seen one with Horhty era buttons on it - trying to be WW2 not the more rare Kaddar Calvalry.

This one was on the evil bay a little while ago - but is truly a Kaddar Hussar cap

[Gordon Craig]

Ulsterman,

Thanks I have that one and I agree about the pics.

Regards,

Gordon

The "Hungarian Revolution" one. It has some nice pictures in it.