Partisan Badge

[ELVTARS]

First pattern Partisan Badge issued in late 1945 to aproximately 1000 members of the Hungarian Partisans. These members were drawn from the individuals who were captured POWs and under a program devised by Matyas Rakosi given the opportunity for freedom (and better treatment) by swearing alliegance to the Soviets and entering political and practical training in one of the ten Hungarian partisan schools. The first school opened in May of 1943 with 40 students. Uppon graduation each member was given an NKVD identity and status within the Red Army. Many were placed in front line positions facing former Hungarian comrades with the duties of reconnisance (slipping back into the Hungarian lines and gahtering infomration), sabatoge (of the rear areas) or propoganda with the intention of drawing out fellow countrymen to come over to the Soviets. By the end of the war there were over 20 various Hungarian Partisan units operating as sinlge individuals or as small plattoons. Some of the Hungarian Partisan units were paratrooper trained and dropped into the Hungarian nation to operate radios and to form or support internal partisan groups.
These badges are extremely rare as they were superceeded in 1954 by a second design, but membership who were authoirsed to wear these first type of badges is just over 1000 individulas. After 1954 partisan membership became more political than of actual partisan activity. Even though the second pattern was distributed to less than 7000 individuals.

[ELVTARS]

This is the 1954 issue of the Partisan Badge for comparison.

[Lapa]

Elvtars,

Great badges Do you have any information as to the metals used, size, weight, etc?

Marc

[ELVTARS]

These early type one badges appear to be made of silver as well as the pinbacks. First strikes were the screwback type and are 36mm in diameter (with the points of the star - 34mm wreath alone) The screwbacks are 3mm thick, while a second strike (pinback) is 4mm thick. As I dont have a scale, its difficult to guage the weight. Though the screwbacks are lighter than the pinbacks for obvious reasons. Below is a pinback, but as commonly with these badges the parachute and PPSH's is missing.

[ELVTARS]

Here is a photo from the magazine RUBICON (Jan 2007) of Tompe Andras - the leader of the National Political Police from 1945-1946. He was an engineer turned partisan at the end of the war. His coleague was Gabor Peter was in charge of the Budapest Political Police - however Gabor had friends in higher places when in 1946 the Interior Minister Laszlo Rajk combined the two departemns into the AVO - or State Security which was trained and operated by the NKVD. Notice the uniform (WW1 vinstage?) and the partisan badge

[Vasko]

Hello Elvtars!

I'm hungarian too. Do you know anything about the non-serial number issues? I have one of these, there isn't any signs on it's back. Maybe it's a late issue, and didn't take it anybody. What do you think about it?