Hungary Major Racz Janos - A Veteran?

[hunyadi]

As Dan's recent purchase of a foreign table medal made some questions about a "Hungarian" box I thought I would add a little grouping that I found several years ago to further pose the question. This is the grouping of a Major in the mid to late 1960's. Branch of service is not known, but I do assume that it may be Air Force. Until the vaults are opened - one will know for certain. The grouping is "mundane" and "common" for a young man who was commissioned as a 2nd Lt at the end of his training in September of 1950. He was certainly a "riser" and probably made Lt Col or Col before he retired.

Edited December 4, 2009 by hunyadi

[hunyadi]

The interesting question is this little box which was found with the grouping from someone who had obviously pulled it out of the estate - probably on the day the family threw it away... too common, even today... Notice the features...

[hunyadi]

And notice the bottom scuff plate... seen very commonly on Hungarian cases before 1956.

Edited December 4, 2009 by hunyadi

[hunyadi]

And then it gets opened up... :jumping:

[hunyadi]

Reverse - the item is clearly of Soviet manufacture - it is numbered 44,076. The case and the interior are clearly Hungarian - so how would he have gotten it... :whistle:

[Ulsterman]

Good Lord! The Hungarians had advisers in North Korea (?). GREAT GROUP!! :jumping:

[hunyadi]

In one of my conversations with an old retired Airforce officer from the 1950's he related to me that during the Korean War several officers and ground crew did go to North Korea to observe the air war and then later came back and spoke of what they had observed in some of the classrooms. If they actaully engaged UN forces in aerial combat is unknown. He related that the contingent was no more than about 100 personel. To my knowledge there was never anything published about the event or the group.

Edited December 4, 2009 by hunyadi

[Guest Rick Research]

:Cat-Scratch: VERY interesting indeed! I can't remember EVER seeing a cased North Korean Order like this-- and it is FITTED to what it contains! :cheers:

[Gordon Craig]

Charles,

Very interesting that a case was made in Hungary for this North Korean award. Now that we have two foreign badges in Hungarian cases I guess it is safe to say that Hungarian cases were custom made for foreign awards. Very enlightening!

Regards,

Gordon