Hungary Annual Parade Badges

[Gordon Craig]

Diszszemle jelv?nyek

Parade Badges

These badges were awarded to all those who took part in the parade. There is also evidence to support the fact that they were presented to visiting dignitaries who came to attend the parade.

This special board was prepared to hold examples of each parade badge. The parades were held on the 4th of April each year to celebrate the liberation of Hungary by the USSR in 1944. The first parade badge on the board is dated 1949. There were parades held before 1949 to celebrate this event but since the Communist Government only came to power in 1948 this type of badge only existed from 1949. In the beginning, the badges were numbered each year. The badge design changed from time to time as you can see from examples on the board. The silver plates that say ?OKLEV?L? indicate the years when a ?diploma? was issued instead of a badge. I have never seen one of these diplomas so I can not show one or describe it. The first ?OKLEV?L? plaque is not correct. It is there to represent the year 1954 but there was a badge issued for that year and I will show a picture of the one in my collection. The blank spot in the second row is for 1957 when no parade took place. This was as a result of the Hungarian Revolution in Oct/Nov. of 1956. I believe that this board was made either around the time of the 1970 parade (25) or shortly thereafter. I say this because all of the badges up to that point do not have pins on the back and are glued directly to the red cloth. After that the normal issued badges, complete with a pin on the back, have been used in the holes provided for them. You will note that as of 1975 badges were issued only every 5 years instead of annually. There are two large patches on the back of the board, where the red cloth is not present, which leads me to believe that the board was originally glued to something, possibly a case of some type, and later pried out of, or off of, whatever it was attached to. In the Spring of 2007, Charles and I paid a visit to the Curator of Medals at the Hungarian Military Museum and he showed us a board very similar to this one. There were some differences though. On the board in the museum there are small silvered metal plates below each badge with the year of the parade badge in black on it. In the blank spot for the 1957 parade there is another small silvered metal plate that seems to read as ?VOLT DISZSZEMLE?. I am not sure the first word is entirely correct as in the photo I have of the museum?s board there is a spot of reflection from the flash of the camera that obscures part of this small plate. The museum board is dated up to the year 2000. This board is a recent acquisition from the Militaria Show on Saturday the 1st of December, 2007.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited December 2, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

Here is a picture of the 1954 Parade Badge.

Edited December 2, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

For a better view of the badges produced from 1961 through 1964 here is a close up of a 1964 badge from my collection.

[Zsolt]

Hi Gordon,

This was the third variety of the presentation set's, in the usual big red box.The inscription on the top of the box : "?LJEN ?PRILIS 4 HAZ?NK FELSZABADUL?S?NAK ?NNEPE" (Viva 4-th april, celebration of the liberation of our homeland !). Dimensions: 32x26x4 cm.

In front of the badges are little plates with the dates. Behind the date 1957 is other little plate: "There was not parade". The places for the badges of parade 1990, 1995, 2000 remains empty for ever.

These badges were made specifially for these sets: without pin, and the early pieces were with cold enamel too.

Regards: Zsolt

Edited December 4, 2007 by Zsolt

[Zsolt]

And the top of the box:

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

Thanks for posting your pictures of the third set. I would imagine this was the last type of set made? I didn't know there were different versions for sure until you posted your pictures. Obviously the one I have is an earlier version than yours? Would it have been the first or second type set? Were the boxes the same for all of the sets? Now I know what the boxes look like I can recognize one when I see it. I guess I'll just have to get a box made for my set.

Regards,

Gordon

[Zsolt]

Gordon,

What are the dimensions of Your board?

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

The board is 31cm long and 24cm high.

Regards,

Gordon

[Zsolt]

Gordon,

Just the same !

I think, only the little plates are missing from Your board.

Zsolt

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

Thanks. Looks like I only need to have a box made and get some plates. There is no indication that the small metal plates were ever on this board. Would you please send me a picture of the inside of the top, the hinge on the back and the outside measurements of your box. I'll see if I can have one made to house my board.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

I've been looking at your board and it's case as compared to my board. I would say that over the years a number of these sets would have been made. All with the same main board and box but I suspect that the logo in the centre of the top of the box was different. Your logo gives the dates 1945-1985 (which is interesting in itself as the Parade Badges only start at 1949) and the 40 in the centre indicates 40 years of parades. All of your badges had no pins and are glued into the box just as the one we saw at the museum was. My board, however, only have badges glued onto the board up until 1970. After that date, parade badges with pins have been placed in the appropriate position. I don't think that my board is missing the small silver plaques. I don't think it ever had them and that it was produced around the time of the 1975 parade. A number of them could have been produced and given out at the 1970 parade and perhaps afterwards as well. In that case, I would expect to see the logo on the case that my badge board came out of to use the years 1945 and 1970 with a "25" where you have a "40" on your case. Have you seen other cased examples of these badges? Where the logos on the top the same as yours or different?

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

On a couple of occassions, Charles and I have discussed when a particular parade badge could be worn. He suggested that it would only be worn on the day of the parade. My suggestion was that it could be worn longer but neither of us had any documantation to support our theories. Well, today I went to a flea market in the City Park for the last time this year and struck it rich. I found an Igazolvany (certificate) for the Anniversay Parade Badge of 1955. This badge is the largest of all of the Anniversary Parade Badges as it celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Liberation of Hungary by the Red Army. The purpose of this certificate was so that you would have something to carry on your person to prove that you had the right to wear this badge. This Igazolvany does't come in a holder but was small enough fit inside something that you could carry in your pocket such as your "Katonai Igazolvany" which was your military ID card. This small card has a picture of the badge on the front and the period of wear listed on the back. It gives the holders name "Szil?gyi J?nos" and says that the badge is awarded as a result of the 10th anniversay parade of the Anniversay Liberation Parade on the 4th of April 1955. It goes on to say that the badge is entitled to be worn until the 3rd of April 1965. Dated in Budapest on April the 4th 1955. It was printed by the Red Satr Printing Factory.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

The back of the card giving the conditions of wear and the back of the badge.

[hunyadi]

On a couple of occassions, Charles and I have discussed when a particular parade badge could be worn. He suggested that it would only be worn on the day of the parade. My suggestion was that it could be worn longer but neither of us had any documantation to support our theories. Well, today I went to a flea market in the City Park for the last time this year and struck it rich. I found an Igazolvany (certificate) for the Anniversay Parade Badge of 1955. This badge is the largest of all of the Anniversary Parade Badges as it celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Liberation of Hungary by the Red Army. The purpose of this certificate was so that you would have something to carry on your person to prove that you had the right to wear this badge. This Igazolvany does't come in a holder but was small enough fit inside something that you could carry in your pocket such as your "Katonai Igazolvany" which was your military ID card. This small card has a picture of the badge on the front and the period of wear listed on the back. It gives the holders name "Szil?gyi J?nos" and says that the badge is awarded as a result of the 10th anniversay parade of the Anniversay Liberation Parade on the 4th of April 1955. It goes on to say that the badge is entitled to be worn until the 3rd of April 1965. Dated in Budapest on April the 4th 1955. It was printed by the Red Satr Printing Factory.

Regards,

Gordon

Hi Grodon - I cant remember saying that it could not be worn after the parade. But miscommunication is just human nature. The regualtions for wear are sort of corny. Going off the 1949 and 1950 parade badge, one had to participate in the parade, or you could be recomended by the military command because you had such 'spirit of liberation' etc...You also had to wear the badge with the "spitit of the parade" and "emit the pride to the liberation", etc... Regualtions are not specific about wearing two parade badges at one time, but I would assume that it could even happen. The regualtions simply state that the badge is supposed to go over the right breats pocket at the center, unless there is another badge. When that happens the badge should be placed to the right of the other badge (what 'other badges' could perhaps even be another parade badge?)

Regardless its a nice find for the carrying document!

[Gordon Craig]

Charles,

Wearing the parade badge to the right of other badges that were worn over the right breast pocket would probably put it as last on the order of precedence. Some of the regulations I have looked at indicate an order of precedence from left to right. A single badge would be worn centred over the pocket flap. With two, each badge would be to one side of the centre of the pocket flap and so on as badges were added.

Yes it is too bad the set of badges wasn't dated or had a dated certificate with it. Perhaps we'll find one in the future?

Regards,

Gordon

[hunyadi]

just going off the 1949 and 1950 regs - things in the 60's and 70's may have changed. I have some period photos which show the parade badge to the left of a DISZ badge - but I think the DISZ badge was not 'officialy' recognized - or there is also the huge chance that many just did not know and the commanders did not care too much 'put this on your right chest above the pocket...that is all for now'...sort of deal..

[Gordon Craig]

Something to add to this thread as a result of Saturdays monthly Militaria Show. I was able to purchase several empty cases most which will need some work to identify what badge went in it. There are two that were identified by the vendor. There were said to be boxes for "the small early parade badges". Indeed they turned out to be just that. The inserts in these boxes will fit the badges from 1952,53,54 and 56. The badges for 1950 and 1951 are the same diametre (25mm) as the previously mentioned badges but the pin on the back is vertical while the pins on the backs of the four badges that fit these particular boxes are placed horizontally. The boxes measure 75mm (3") x 45mm (3") x 22mm (7/8").

Regards,

Gordon

The top of the box closed.

[Gordon Craig]

The bottom of the case.

[Gordon Craig]

The interior showing the 1954 badge.

[Gordon Craig]

A close up of the badge in the insert of the case.

[Gordon Craig]

Gents,

Time to eat a little crow here and it doesn't taste very good. My box above is not of the correct time frame for the badges I said would fit in it. It is probably a generic box for badges of this size and pin configuration but from a later time period. The red bottom on the box is the give away. I knew when I was making the posts that I should check on the bottom of the box colour to make sure I was accurate but I got lazy and now have to pay for that. Lesson learned (AGAIN).

Regards,

Gordon

[Verdun16]

Here is a small group which was given to me by the awardee,

Bryan