I Certainly Missed the Action On “That Thread !!

[Lachlan09]

I couldn’t help notice a penalty-Box thread about berets. I’m Scottish, as those here who know me, are aware.

I feel things get too precious sometimes. I’ve never worn any sort of hat with my kilt, but that’s my choice. I’m from a generation which didn’t wear hats, mainly because it messed up my blow-dried hair !!. However, for me, anyone who wants to wear any form of headgear is just fine by me. Some perhaps look odd when you’re used to seeing certain types of hat, but why not ? Must it always look traditional ? Is there no room for sartorial elbow-room ? Wear a beret ? Go for it !!

As regards the history of berets, I think you’ll find that the main form of beret originated with the Basques, however 18th Century French Corsican infantry wore wide berets with a tassel on the top. The Légion Étrangère (Légion du Papa) adopted a wide red Spanish Basque beret when seconded to the Spanish Queen’s Royal forces during the Carlist War of 1835-37. Of course, the large Beret Basquaise is most closely associated with the Chasseurs Alpins and Infanterie Alpine from the 1880’s onward.

A small, close- fitting black beret was worn by French tank troops during WW1, its size was handy in an enclosed space and the colour disguised dirty marks from hands and engines. French fortress troops in the Maginot Line adopted a khaki beret before WW2, again for practical reasons. The Démi Brigade de la Légion Étrangère adopted a reasonably close-fitting khaki beret in 1940 for the Norwegian Campaign. Many of those same Légionnaires continued to wear it (alongside those in the Képi Blanc) with the Fighting Free French forces in the British 8th Army fighting against Rommel.
It should also be noted that the German Panzertruppen wore a large black beret worn over a crash-helmet before and during the early part of the war.

Meanwhile, the British copied the French and in 1923 adopted a mid-sized black beret for the Royal Tank Corps(later Royal Tank Regiment). It was later adopted by the Royal Armoured Corps just prior to WW2. The 11th Hussars also adopted a brown and maroon beret-like cap. In 1942, Britain’s developing airborne troops adopted a maroon beret to give a unified “corporate” appearance to a previously maverick-dressed force and also a much handier headgear for Airborne troops than forage caps or peaked caps. The maroon colour derived from the maroon/light blue Pegasus/Belleraphon Airborne device/arm patch designed by Maj Gen “Boy” Browning’s wife – Daphne Du Maurier. The “Red Devils” maroon para beret soon became iconic, as it still is today, copied by many countries including Canada, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland and the USA. Likewise, the dark green beret adopted by Britain’s Army Commandos and Royal Marine Commandos during WW2 has also become iconic, being associated with elite forces. Then in 1944, the most infamous piece of uniform to plague the British soldier was issued in the form of the 1943 Cap GS, a beret-like sewn khaki cap looking rather like a khaki Tam O’Shanter minus the toorie. It was replaced post-war by the dark blue “Beret Basque” in 1949.

The United States military did not adopt berets during WW2 or Korea. Only before Vietnam did US Special Forces adopt it. Of course now it is widely worn by the US military in different colours.

The modern beret worn close-fitting and tilted over the eyes, was in my opinion, introduced by the French. By the late 1950’s, Légionnaires of the 1er and 2e R.E.P in the Algerian War and elsewhere were wearing their dark green "berets verts" very tight and close-fitting, with the two tightening tapes ironed and hanging down the back of the hat. This matched their “boule a zero” haircuts, the convict-like cropped all-over hair. Their Tenue Leopard camo suits were also tailored to be close fitting, to add to their panache. The RCP and RIPMa paras adopted the same look including small maroon berets. Years later, after the Falklands, the British Army cultivated a similar tailored look. But whereas the British soldiers soaked and shrank their berets to fit tight, the French berets were made already close-fitting, requiring a minimum of shrinking is desired.





US Forces wear their beret in a different manner than the British or French. Whereas the British and French have their berets generally moulded close to the head all over, the American style is a little larger and is moulded above the left eye to form a raised backing area for the badge.

Last of all, the last model of dark blue TOS worn by the Black Watch was of small size, almost beret-like. Compare that with the previous larger (1950's to early 1990's) model shown here from my collection !



Anyway young man, do whatever rings your bell – I’m on your side.