Hungary Unknown Hungarian M. SZHSZ. Badge.

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Gentlemen,

I picked up the following insignia today its Hungarian Communist period, features a sitting man taking aim with a rifle,

under this are the following letters: M.SZHSZ.

The piece is quite attractive, enamelled, it carries no maker mark and a Vertical broach like pin to the rear.

Measurements: 39mm X 20mm.

Any information would be appreciated, Thank you,

Kevin in Deva

Edited June 23, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[hunyadi]

Nice little badge from the 1950's. From my understanding this is a placement badge for shooting within the sports association kown as the 'Magyar Szabadsagharcos Szovetseg' (Hungarian Freedom Fighters Associaiton)

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo hunyadi

thanks for the help to id the piece, have you any more information with regards the "'Magyar Szabadsagharcos Szovetseg - (Hungarian Freedom Fighters Associaiton)".

This was one of a few badges I found rooting throughba shoebox full of insignia and pins on a dealers table.

Kevin in Deva

[hunyadi]

Kevin -

Dont know a while lot about the origanization. We have a thread on the membership badges here

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=15508

but nothing concrete. From my own resraech the organization, though having a nice and elaborate name, was a sporting organization meant to foster physical fitness and the like. Later in the 1950's it melded in with another sports organization the 'Hungarian Army Sports Associtation'. So I would venture from the 'Freedom Fighter' name and the melding with the military sport organization - the idea was more of a para-military organization. Perhaps Zsolt could shed more light on the subject.

[Gordon Craig]

Kev,

We would like to have more info on this organization but there is little we can find on it. What we know is in the thread Charles posted a link to. I should add, the fact that the pin you posted was worn on military uniforms over the wearers right pocket with other shooting award medals. The award you posted normally rated below the military shooting awards.

Here is an example of the badge in wear on a uniform in my collection.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited June 25, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Charles and Gordon

many thanks for the information with regards the badge,

seems looking into boxes full of pins can pay off no and again

if you want we could merge this thread with yours.

Kevin in Deva.

[Guest Rick Research]

Well, I just found one too in an out of the way spot... will post scans when it arrives.

[Gordon Craig]

Rick,

Looking forward to seing your badge. I have more of these I could post but since my wife has gone to bed I will have to post them tomorrow. Since this thread started we have learned a little more about the MHSz. They conducted a lot of activities that were directly related to military occupations. In the thread I started on Academy Badges there is a statement that says that to gain entrance to an Oficers Academy you had to show a military aptitude. Belonging to the MHSz was one way they could show that. Another statement concerning Political Officers is even more germane to the MHSz orgaization so I will post it again here.

"Political officers were trained in military colleges but took different courses. A background in the Communist Youth League and the Hungarian National Defense Association (Magyar honvedelmi szovetseg--MHSz) helped in selection for this career. Older candidates were chosen from the party apparatus or from those with degrees in the "science of Marxism-Leninism." The Ministry of Defense's Main Political Administration oversaw the selection and screening of political officers."

Regards,

Gordon

[Guest Rick Research]

Arrived today. Here it is compared to the Zrinyi Academy badge for comparative sizes:

[Guest Rick Research]

Front and back:

[Ulsterman]

Beautiful!!!

[Gordon Craig]

Rick,

Nice to see that you consider some of these small badges worth collecting. Most are very well designed and finished. I found a motorcycle one at the Coin and Stamp show this week but someone had removed the star so I left it there. Here is a picture of one of the shooting badges of this type that I have next to one with the military engineers insignia on it. These are very hard to come by. Shooting must have been either the most popular activity or the one the MSZHSZ pushed the hardest as these are the most commonly found badges.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited January 25, 2008 by Gordon Craig

[Greg Collins]

I realize this is an old thread but I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in anyway. Picked these up recently... a shooting and cycling MSZHSZ badge (still looking for an engineering variation). My shooting badge seems to be a silver-plated variant.