Beret colours

[portcullisguy]

Ok, I figured out long ago that armour wear black berets, the jump coy‘s (QOR for example) wear maroon ones, and arty and everybody else who doesn‘t have non-beret headwear seem to wear the green. Of course, that bright blue is for UN ops.

This week while getting kitted out, I noticed a box full of scarlet berets. Who the heck wears those ones? Military police?

Are there any beret colours I am missing?

...can‘t wait to get the Balmoral...

 

[Harry]

International Orange-SAR
Parisian Blue-UN
Scarlet-MP
Sky Blue-Airforce
Black-Armour, navy
Maroon-Jump
Green-everybody else.
Orange-The Multinational Force (non UN-Sinai)

PS. Do the Cameron‘s still wear red, or have than gone green?

Could the reservist list off some of their traditional head gear?

 

[rceme_rat]

I understand that sailors will tell you that their beret is "navy" while troopers will tell you it is "black", even though they both wear the same stock number beret. Sure looks black to me, though, but that could be my army bias.

 

[Harry]

The navy did trial a deep navy blue beret, but like everything else it went by the quayside, err, wayside.

 

[TOW2B]

The tankers wear the same black beret as the Navy does because the original tankers were Navy.The original tanks were officially known as His Majestey‘s Land Ships and were manned by naval gun crews.

 

[rceme_rat]

Is this one of those family secrets that are supposed to be kept hidden?

 

[Yard Ape]

Originally posted by Harry:
[qb] Sky Blue-Airforce[/qb]

I always thought the airforce beret looked more like a Navy blue.

Yard Ape

 

[Harry]

Don‘t tell the Airforce that,

The beret thing is still a sensitive scar in some circles. Even though the venerable Wedgie was originally an army lid.

 

[Spanky]

Tommy, Tommy, Tommy..... tsk tsk tsk. You‘ve got it reversed. The navy wears the armour beret. The black beret originated because crewman required a headdress that was easy to wear inside an AFV. The black was because it hides grease, oil, etc.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Anyone remember when gunners wore black berets, too?

More importantly, can anyone tell me exactly when, for how long - and why? My dad wore one in the late 50s as part of 53 FD RCA. I suspect they were lost upon Unification.

Can anyone verify?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I think you‘ll find that before unification, the RCEME and the Arty wore a dark blue (navy) beret.

 

[McG]

The few I‘ve seen looked sort of purple up close. Mind you, the berets did belong to Arty cadets and it is possible that thier units were "inventing tradition" rather than holding onto one.

I could share another story about a Cadet CWO I saw sporting a UN blue Sr NCO sash, and the colourfull responce of the RSM of his sponsoring unit when instigated by my inquiry as to the significance of this mysterious fashion accessorry.
. . . but I think you all can picture it for yourselves

 

[rceme_rat]

Recceguy is correct.

I‘m not sure if the navy blue beret was limited to RCHA or if it was also worn by the RCA. Our (EME) only throwback now is that some maintainers can wear spurs with mess kit if they so choose.

 

[RCA]

Navy Blue was worn by all gunners.

 

[Art Johnson]

Scarlet Berets were issued to Infantry Regiments during the early ‘50s, Highland, Irish and Scottish Regiments excepted. I still have mine.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

A little self serving plug here :

The black beret was first worn in Canada, as Regimental Headdress, on May 9th, 1937 by The Essex Regiment (TANK), now the Windsor Regiment, from Windsor, Ontario. This makes it the first Armoured Regt in Canada to adopt and wear the black beret.

 

[Marauder]

Your tracktoad forebearers gave up that awesome balmoral and McGregor kilt when they jumped ship from my proud Regiment! Shame on you all!

 

[Alter Ego]

There is a reference to a navy blue beret in an OLD copy of the Canadian Grenadier Guards RSOs...don‘t know if we ever wore it, but interesting all the same. I think my favourite piece of headgear has got to be the forage cap worn by Guards regiments...blue and scarlet, much nicer than those green bus driver things that were around in the late 80s.

 

[comiss]

And now the scarlet berets in the highland regiments are extinct but I still got my good ‘ ol caubean.

Irish all the way hourah!

 

[portcullisguy]

Originally posted by Tommy Atkins:
[qb]The tankers wear the same black beret as the Navy does because the original tankers were Navy.The original tanks were officially known as His Majestey‘s Land Ships and were manned by naval gun crews.[/qb]

Where‘d you hear this!?

I always thought tankers were reformed pony-jockeys ... otherwise known as the cavalry! "Royal Canadian Dragoons" and "G-G‘s Horse Guards" come to mind. Can‘t think of the others right now...