# Beret colours



## portcullisguy (28 Apr 2002)

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...


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## Harry (28 Apr 2002)

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?


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## rceme_rat (29 Apr 2002)

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.


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## Harry (29 Apr 2002)

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


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## TOW2B (29 Apr 2002)

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.


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## rceme_rat (29 Apr 2002)

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


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## Yard Ape (29 Apr 2002)

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


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

  Yard Ape


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## Harry (29 Apr 2002)

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.


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## Spanky (29 Apr 2002)

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.


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## Michael Dorosh (29 Apr 2002)

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?


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## Fishbone Jones (29 Apr 2002)

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


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## McG (29 Apr 2002)

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


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## rceme_rat (30 Apr 2002)

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.


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## RCA (30 Apr 2002)

Navy Blue was worn by all gunners.


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## Art Johnson (30 Apr 2002)

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


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## Fishbone Jones (30 Apr 2002)

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.


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## Marauder (1 May 2002)

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


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## Alter Ego (2 May 2002)

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.


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## comiss (2 May 2002)

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

      Irish all the way hourah!


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## portcullisguy (5 May 2002)

> 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...


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## Fishbone Jones (5 May 2002)

The only reason for the navy connection was because of secrecy. The word "tank" was used because the originals resembled large navy storage tanks and the navy got the original job because the army brass didn‘t think the tank was a viable weapon and wouldn‘t buy into it.


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## TOW2B (13 May 2002)

Yep,so all of you Armoured types should be singing "Anchor‘s Away" and saluting the poop deck when you mount up!!!!
  The calvary connection came about later,after the tank was seen as a success by the Land staff.


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## Spanky (13 May 2002)

Saluting the poop deck when we mount up??? And me with no cigar tube!   
ARRRR! Ever been to sea Tommy!


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## Michael Dorosh (21 Feb 2004)

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/uniforms/berets.htm 

Does this look accurate?  (see link above)

Anyone have any idea when SAR techs adopted their berets?


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## miranda (21 Feb 2004)

Artillery Beret was a Royal Blue.Navy no thanks.


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## Roger (21 Feb 2004)

I was a reservist in 1972 in the infantry, we still wore the battledress as a dress uniform and I was issued a scarlet red berret. In the fall of 1972 I was issued my CF green uniform and the green beret.


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## 1feral1 (21 Feb 2004)

Australian Army Beret Colours as fol:

Current as at today, this is what comes to my mind.

Dark Blue - RAEME
Light blue - Army Avaition
Tan - SASR
Green - Commando
Maroon - Para
Red - MP
Black - Armd
UN Blue - UN

All other corps were the Gr 2 slouch, including RAEME, and a gr 1 for parade.
RAAF wear a blue slouch and/0r a blue puggaree, UN can wear a blue puggeree too, as some other units have different colour puggerees too.

Now your going to ask WTF is a puggeree?

In the field we all wear wide brim AUSCAM giggle hats


Cheers,

Wes


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## D-n-A (21 Feb 2004)

for the US Army

Black - All soldiers (before, it used to be only for Rangers)
Maroon - Airborne units (Paratroopers) 
Tan - Ranger Battalions 
Green - Special Forces units


US Air Force

Black - Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), Air Liaison Officers (ALO), and Air Mobility Liaison Officers (AMLO)
Maroon - Pararescue 
Red (scarlet) - Combat Controllers
Royal Blue - Security Forces 
Grey - Combat Weather


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## fleeingjam (22 Feb 2004)

My regiment the Toronto Scottish Regiment has green berrets with blue and white....how should i say this " Pom Poms" does anyone know the reasons for the Pom Poms?


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## Michael Dorosh (22 Feb 2004)

It‘s a glengarry, peanut, not a beret.  And Canadian military hats do NOT have pom poms.

You are thinking of a "toorie".


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## fleeingjam (22 Feb 2004)

yes i am :{ sorry about that should have phrased better.


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## Ex-Dragoon (23 Feb 2004)

Geez Usman what would your RSM say if he saw that mistake? That is if you are "actually" in the Regiment...


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## bossi (24 Feb 2004)

(sigh ... some mothers do ‘ave ‘em ...)

Highland and Scottish Regiments wear glengarries, balmorals, Tam‘O‘Shanters, or Kilmarnock bonnets.

And, yes - that‘s a Tourrie on top - NOT a pom-pom (and, yes - I DO hope the RSM finds out you said that ...)

The tails on a glen are symbolic of the ribbon used to tighten up the headdress (and in hot weather happen to do a reasonable job of shoo‘ing flies away from the back of your neck, as related to me by my grandfather who served in the Boer War)

Irish wear the Caubeen (as already ably pointed out, but I‘m doing a recap ... no pun intended)

I recall the Plough Jockeys used to wear the red beret, but I haven‘t seen them on parade in ages (and, of course, the CF Fashion Co-ordinator would be oh, so offended if they clashed with the Meat-heads)


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## Bruce Monkhouse (24 Feb 2004)

RE: U.S. beret colours, Just a little thing that was quite amusing at the time. I was in Fort Bragg in 1984 with ‘E‘ Bty[para]. I was in ‘D‘ Bty. at the time but went down with them on this exercise as a cas. para. So to the E Bty guys I was just the"leg" they brought with them but the U.S. guys upon seeing my green beret thought that I was the one that was "slumming". Had to "yank" a few chains on this one.  CHEERS


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