25. SS div. "Hunyadi books??

[ben haynes]

hello to all not sure if this is the right place for this post but here goes does anyone know any books that deal just with the 25. SS div. "Hunyadi i have Richard Landwehrs Hungarian waffen ss volunteers but i am really after pictures i think to date i've seen maybe two Hunyadi ss pictures wearing the H collar tab. thanks for any help best regards Ben

[Janos Zoltay]

Hi

I am researching the 25. SS ,,Hunyadi" myself and I'll think you find that the seigrunen book and the series of articles in other seigrunen issues are the only ones with a good amount of detail about the unit in english. There are some good Hungarian books and mags that contain info but they are not available in english. If you can speak german you have a chance of some info. Photo wise its even more limited. There are 3 photos that I know of with the 'H' collar tab on show. 2 are of staff officers (1 has a officer wearing a ,,Hunyadi" cuff title ) and a soldbuch photo (but it does not state which of the 3 Hungarian divisions that wore the 'H' tab he belongs to) A Hungarian web site claims that there is a photo of 2 rows of soldiers on parade complete with ,,Hunyadi" cuff titles (this could be in the seigrunen mags) If you managed to find some extra info let me know.

[Askold]

I never heard of Hunyadi cuff title being worn. Is it possible for you to post the photo?

[J. Csernus]

I haven't seen any photos aswell, but there is an interview with a Hunyadi guy in a local newspaper from Győr, called Nemzetőr. The newspaper was published in 1944, the man who made the report is mentioning that the guy is wearing a Hunyadi cuff title and tricolor shield above it. So maybe....but there isn't any photo either.
and I've heard rumors that at least one parade regiment has become several from the cuff titles. But I would be very glad to see that picture wich is in your possesion dear mr Zoltay.
regards:Jani

[Janos Zoltay]

Hi

I dont have my notes with me so I cant post the photos. The photos I have are not very good quailty except for the one Ben sent me which shows a 44 pea dot suit with a 'H' collar tab and a ,,Hunyadi" cuff title.

According to Siegrunen. 5000 'H' collars tabs were made (please note that all insignia is Hungarian made) 600 went to ,,Hunyadi" 1000 to ,,Hungaria" and 3400 to the sturmjaeger regiment (which consisted of the ski battalions from 25 and 26 division) 5000 other insignia (cuff titles, arm shields etc) were made (numbers of each unknown) and distributed to the divisions. The ,,Hunyadi" insignia was apparently worn by divisional staff and two honour guards. It also says that various homemade insignia were made.

According to siegrunen helmet insignia were also worn.
Right Side – A shield bearing the capital ‘H’
Left side – A shield containing an ‘Arrow Cross’
Apparently a small workshop was set up in Roth to paint the helmets. At the end of April Roth was over run and the workshop closed down. Again homemade insignia is said to have been made.

Do you have a copy of the newspaper interview? if so could I have a copy?

If you have any more information I would appreciate it.

[ApathyL]

I wanna see pics LoL

mutassatok kepeket amennyit csak lehet



hope to see some.

Cheers.

[Askold]

Its a very interesting information, however the only known example of Hunyadi tab is actually the German made Dachau example. The officer version had also existed. If there was 5000 locally made tabs, they were bound to surface. I also came across a vet lot which had self-made Hungarian shield - not a typical waffen SS example, but a larger one, similar in shape to WH volunteer shields.

[J. Csernus]

I'm rying to find the copy in my archives, and yes If I have it I can send it to you. It will take a few days.
There's an other picture with the H collartab in a private collection, wich I've recently seen. There are two guys on the pic one with a pea pattern tunic, with no insignia, and the other guy is wearing a m43 SS tunic with the H collar tab and a M44 cap with combined insignia. So there must be several out there, as I can recall I've seen 4 pictures about the H collar tab in wear, at least two of them was mentioned by you too.
An other inf o wich is maybe intressting to you, my grandfather was a Honvéd doctor at the 1. Egyetemi Rohamzászlóalj (Student Stormbattalion or something liket that in english) They were togheter for few days with a part of the Divison in the Dresden Breslau area. He told me that a few guys cut their H collartabs from food cans.
Üdv:Jani

[Janos Zoltay]

The photo of the 44 is taken in a museum and its in a case. Could you send me copies of the other photos I have never seen those. Could you please send them by e mail as I have limited access to the net.

Its funny the 'H' made from tin cans is mentioned in the same article as the other insignia.

Can you clear something up for me. Well two things.SS Brigadefuhrer Fanzlau and Gruppenfuhrer Berger Gottlob inspected the Hungarian SS units on 31/12/1944 was this the Hunyadi division or the Hungaria division?
Secondly were 8000 men "transferred" from Hunyadi to Hungaria to help start the unit being built?

I did read that a German version had been made but that it had noty been issued.

[J. Csernus]

My informations are far from certanity but as I can recall the inspected troops were from the Hunyadi Division mainly from the former csendőrs wich was the most experienced part of the Divison. If I rememeber correctly there was an article about this in one the hungarian militaria magazins in the nineties.

I have the same info about the transfer, there were about 22-25000 volunteers and about 8-10000 men transferred as the core of the Hungaria division. The remaining 15000 men formed the Division Hunyadi.
I've sent you a mail.


Askold: do you've got a picture of the particular arm shield you mentioned? I woul like to see if possible.
Thanks a lot
J

[Askold]

I would have to look for it - it was many years ago. Regarding photos - there are two soldbuch photos from Hunyadi division with guys wearing the tab (one of such soldbuchs was sold from German Militaria site).

[Janos Zoltay]

Thanks for the information. I have translated some Hungarian from a book and wasnt to sure if I had done it right.

I have seen a lot of soldbuchs from Hunyadi on the net but none with photos of the collar tab. I do have a photo of a Hungarian soldier that comes from a soldbuch but it does not say which of the 3 divisions that used the tab he comes.

[J. Csernus]

Askold: Thanks ,I would like to see that shield if you find your photos.
Here is an other H collar tab in wear, I don't know if this the particular wich you were reffering, this one comes from a soldbuch aswell. It is not in my possesion and I don't know the owner, so I hope he does not mind posting it here.

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxbaC59

J

[Askold]

Hello Scernus,

Very interesting photo, but the one I seen was a pic of enlisted man with H collar tab.

P.S. Tried finding that photo of the lot with Hungarian shield in it, but no results - this was "two computers" away from my current one and I have no idea where it could be

[Janos Zoltay]

Hungarian SS Website

I found this site on the net (it is still under construction by the looks of it) if you interested.[URL="http://hunyadi.co.uk/"]