Hungary Factory Guard Uniform

[hunyadi]

As Gordon has found an interest in the factory gurads recently (though I cant find the thread for it!) I managed to find (what I beleive to be) a pair of uniforms to the same indivdiual. This is a late 1970's manufacture M65 style tunic. What is interesting is that the shoulder boards appear to be almost 'Postal' in color - a deep pink color - but they are not exactly the same as the postal shoulder boards. The stars on the bards are reminiscint of the postal/rail type. The tunic is a gray, though not police gray, almost fire department gray. Buttons are Interior Ministry buttons. The interesting factor is the cog wheel with crossed rifle and hammer collar devices.

The ribbon bar is also interesting as it has: Serivce to the Fatehrland in Silver, 25 year, 20 year, 15 year and 10 year military serivce, 10 year defense medal, 15 years police service (silver class), 5 year police serivice (bronze class)

Also there is waer above the ribbon bar where it looks like a medal bar was attached for parade use at several times.

The Factory Gurads were (according to information gathered from several sources) individuals who were in a small para-military organization charged with gurading vital armament factories essential for a possible 'war economy'.

I have found several cap badges and caps - but never the uniform - till today.

[hunyadi]

Close up deatil

[hunyadi]

collar device

[Gordon Craig]

Charles,

You couldn't find a thread on Factory Guard uniform because I hadn't started one yet! I was going to start it later today. These are great uniforms. Thanks for the text message. I have returned it and I'll call you later. I thought I might never see one of these in the flesh, so to speak. I knew they were grey and I have a picture of the shoulderboards. Here is the picture which shows one sew in and one slip-on shoulderboard. I'll add more info on this organization later today.

Edited March 9, 2008 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The back of the boards.

[Gordon Craig]

I don't know a lot about this organization but here is what I do know. Orginally they were named Fegyveres Biztons?gi Őrs?g (FBŐ-Armed Security Guard). At some time that I have not ascertained yet their name was changed to Polg?ri Fegyveres Őrs?g (PFŐ - Civic Armed Guard). I have two badges to the Factory Guards. One is a KIV?L? PF ?R which indicates that it was produced after the change of name. The other badge is the same size and has no wording on it but is identical to the cap badge. What I find interesting about these two badges is the difference in the stars. One star has the small dots in the background as you find on badges and awards. The other has the star with lines from the centre to the point of the star like that which is seen on cap badges.

Edited March 9, 2008 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The back of these two badges. I didn't take the badges off the piece of cardboard they came on until I got home. It was then I discovered the liberal use of crazy glue on the one badge. I have seen several of these badges at the Tuesday Coin and Stamp club meetings but have never looked at the backs of them. Now I will have to check them out to see if they have prongs for attachment to caps or pins for attachment for uniforms. The elderly gentleman that I bought these badges off of seems to take "liberties" in assembling some badges that are not always what they seem!

Edited March 9, 2008 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

Here are some photos of the cap worn with these uniforms.

[Gordon Craig]

A better view of the cap badge.

[Gordon Craig]

A side view of the cap.

[Gordon Craig]

The interior of the cap.

[cimbineus]

Gents,

Let me join this thread too, please. Here are some variants of the mentioned badge.

Regards,

cimbineus

[cimbineus]

.

...and the backs:

[Bobfender]

Hello Gents,

Here is a factory security forces field cap I've recently bought on EBay.de with some others hungarian caps. There is specific badge and two subdued police buttons.

The Hungarian name of these units is "Polgari fegyveres örseg (PFÖ), it seems to be created in 1956, just after Budapest uprising till the fall of iron curtain.

It's very difficult to find documents on this unknow units,  I've found these pics on a hungarian site taken in 1984 in a training camp. Let's see pics

[cimbineus]

Unfortunately my earlier pictures vanished but I gladly repeat them here.

Here are the reverses of the badges.

Here are the miniatures of the badges above.

Now, some information about this organisation. It was founded in 1953 under the name "Iparőrség" ("Industrial Guard") with the aim to lessen the burdens on police and military in guarding industrial facilities. This organisation acted under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior. That is the main reason of the stupid secrecy surrounded the Industrial Guard at that time. In 1964 it underwent a reorganisation and received a new name: "Polgári Fegyveres Őrség" ("Armed Civilian guard"). The next reorganisation came in 1970, the secrecy was eased and the separate organisations of different industrial branches were united into one organisation with some 6000 men in total.

Edited December 28, 2016 by cimbineus

[Gordon Craig]

bobfebder,

Nice hat and impressive pictures.

cimbineous,

Thanks for the pics of the badges and for the history of this unit.  What industrial units were combined in 1970?  Be interesting to know so we could trace badges, uniforms etc.

Regards,

Gordon

 

[cimbineus]

Gordon,

Before 1970 the structure of this organization basically followed the structure of the national economy and consisted of separate branches. In 1970 all those partially separate sub-organizations and branches were united into one overall organization which covered the national economy as a whole. After the fall of communism this organization fall apart again and was replaced by a big number of private enterprises of this kind which process basically ended in 1997. Since that time this business/task of the civilian armed guards is fully privatized.

Regards,

cimbineus