✚11435✚ Hungarian Army WW2 General Qualification Badge Mesterügyességi Jelvény

Original WW2 Hungarian Army General Qualification Badge (Mesterügyességi Jelvény), IN VERY GOOD CONDITION, ALUMINIUM VERSION, INTACT HARDWARE, DIAMETER: cca 51 mm, RARE BADGE

HISTORY OF THE AWARD:

The 1944 Royal Hungarian Defence Forces’ Qualification Badge System - Employed to reward the achievements of the rank and file in the field of training, the Royal Hungarian Defence Forces’ qualification badges were inherited from the armed forces of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and were used throughout the interwar period. By the end of the 1930s, their regulations had been modified several times and their number had reached a total of 28 insignia of different design. By order of the Minister of Defence, the number of the badges had to be decreased, and a simplified structure of qualification badges had to be devised. As a result, a draft of the regulations for the awarding of the badges was issued by the Ministry of Defence in the spring of 1944. (The final and official introduction of the new qualification badges in the Defence Gazette did not happen until the end of the Second World War, though.) The little booklet discussed the design of the new badges (see pages 4 and 5), the conditions under which they could be earned, the process of awarding, and the manner in which they should be worn. The aim of the introduction of the new insignia was to replace the outdated badges with ones that reflected the changes that the Royal Hungarian Army went through in the late 1930s and early 1940s, concerning training and structure. When elaborating the new system of awards, the characteristics of the branches of service and the modifications of regulations were also considered. The instruction introduced eight different kinds of qualification badges and four types of sports qualification badges (the latter had existed for almost two years by then). It was also laid down that previously won (old-style) qualification badges were allowed to be worn until 1 October 1944. The new qualification badges were made of aluminium due to the shortage of raw materials (such as copper) in Hungary. One of the new elements of the simplified structure was the Best Subdivision Badge, which was meant to be awarded on a yearly basis, similar to a challenge trophy. It was to be awarded to the best subdivisions of units in the fields of combat training; knowledge and handling of firearms and equipment; formal and sports training. Each enlisted soldier of the subdivision was entitled to wear the badge, with a cloth backing in arm-of-service colour. According to the plans, badges were to be passed on to the subdivision doing best the following year, in case the original recipient of the title would not have maintained its priority within the unit. A large version of the badge was also intended to be presented to the “best subdivision” symbolically, and would have served as an ornament in their barracks. The new Assault Badge was to be awarded for those who completed the assault course or the tank destruction course with an excellent result. Those fulfilling the requirements for firearms training with rifles, submachine guns or pistols, could earn the Expert Rifleman’s Badge for Individuals, whereas the Expert Rifleman’s Badge for Squad Members could be won by the operators of light and heavy machine guns, trench mortars, antitank or anti-aircraft guns for excellent results in shooting. The Gunner’s Badge served to reward outstanding aiming proficiency of the members of mortar and gun crews, while the Infantry Heavy Weapon Squad Commander’s Badge could be awarded to commanders of squads, half-platoons and platoons for fulfilling the requirements for command proficiency in weapons training. The Armoured Vehicle Driver’s Badge could be gained by first-rate drivers of armoured vehicles used by the troops of the Royal Hungarian Defence Forces. The criteria for the award included driving, and operation and maintenance of vehicles throughout the year of training. To cover all the aspects of military training, a General Qualification Badge was also introduced, which was the main means of making the old structure of Qualification Badges more reasonable. The badge was manufactured in the same form for all the branches of service, with a curved band bordering the lower edge, where the name of the field of training, for which the badge was to be awarded, could be engraved. (It would have meant about fifty different versions of text to be engraved, but all the existing examples of the. General Qualification Badge seem to be unnamed., In addition to other factors, this also suggests that the 1944 Qualification Badges, though mass produced, were never actually distributed to the soldiers.) According to the regulations, those decorated with the qualification badges were (theoretically) ensured priority regarding promotion; longer leave and holidays; and monetary rewards as well. Their names were also meant to be displayed on the bulletin boards of the barracks. The qualification badges could be awarded by subdivision (company/battery) commanders or, on the recommendation of tournament committees, by troop (regiment/battalion) commanders. The badges could be won by students of the military officer training schools; by all soldiers of the rank and file; and by the reserve members of gendarmerie battalions. Soldiers who would have qualified for the respective insignia twice, i.e. in both years of the training period, were entitled to keep them, and wear them on civilian clothes, but only on festive occasions. Students of the military officer training schools were only allowed to wear the badges until they were inaugurated as officers, but “double-winners” could keep them as souvenirs. The aluminium qualification badges were supposed to be worn in the middle of the right breast pocket of the tunic. Theoretically, more than one of the badges could be displayed at the same time, according to the regulations. In their order of precedence, the Best Subdivision Badge ranked at first place, followed by the others (as listed above). Winners of the Gunner’s Badge and the Infantry Heavy Weapon Squad Commander’s Badge, as well as the Assault Badge, were also entitled to wear a lanyard (together with the metal badge when in gala uniform) across their breast on the left (from the left shoulder strap to the second button of the tunic). On the field uniform only the metal badges were permitted to be worn, whereas only the lanyards were permitted on the greatcoat. Students of the military officer training schools were only allowed to wear the metal badges. The badges and certificates entitling soldiers to wear them, had to be issued to their winners simultaneously. The Sports Qualification Badges, which the 1944 instructions ranged among the newly introduced qualification badges, had been in use since 1942, and formed a separate group of insignia, and therefore are not being dealt with in this article.