Parachutist Badge (Hungary)

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Parachutist Badge (Hungary)

The Hungarian Defense Forces award four classes of parachutist badges to military parachutists. The current version has been used since 1990. The badges are awarded to personnel of the Hungarian Defense Forces and allied nations and are still being awarded today.

History and design
- The first official parachutist badges were introduced on February 14, 1940, in the Royal Hungarian Army. They showed a parachute over wings with a skull and two crossed knives on green cloth. Officers wore gold badges, while noncommissioned officers and enlisted personnel wore silver. The badge was worn above the right breast pocket and was about 80 by 36 mm, with parachutes about 25 mm wide.
- During the war, easily removable metal badges were issued for combat uniforms so paratroopers wouldn’t face penalties if captured by Soviet troops.
- After Hungary became a republic, a new badge used Hungary’s coat of arms instead of the skull and knives.
- In 1950, under the Hungarian People’s Republic, new badges with a Soviet red star appeared, in three classes: parachutist, master parachutist, and instructor.
- After the Cold War, the current Hungarian Defense Forces era began. In 1993 new cloth badges and ratings were introduced. Officers wear gold thread, warrant officers and noncommissioned officers silver, and enlisted soldiers bronze. Badges are worn on the left side above ribbons.
- Since December 14, 2021, parachute-qualified personnel may wear an embroidered version of the 1940 skull-and-knives badge again, now called the 1940/2021M Parachutist Badge.
- There are four classes of modern parachutist ratings.