Hungary Prototype of the HUPR Free Fall para badge

[Gordon Craig]

Lst summer, Charles and I visited the medals curator of the Hungarian Military Museum in his office. He showed us lots of medals/badges etc. with us picking those that interested us the most. For me it was the para badges. One of those shown to us was a prototype of the Free Fall para badge. I was lucky enough to find an original one of these protoypes, although a slightly different one, in a militaria shop in Budapest a couple of weeks ago. The badge measures 67mm (3") wingtip to wingtip. It measures 50mm (1 15/16") from the top of the chute to the point of the number one. This badge is of exactly the same design as that in the museum except that the museum one has white enamel between the shroud lines and on the inside of the numerical shield. I have pictures of the museum badge but do not have permission to publish on the web. Here is the one in my collection. The front first.

[Gordon Craig]

The back of the badge.

[Gordon Craig]

Here is a picture of the free fall para badge that was actually adopted. I do not know if this badge was considered in other variations.

[Gordon Craig]

The back of the adopted badge. The markings on the left hand side of the nut are the "PV" mark of the state mint.

Edited October 11, 2007 by Gordon Craig