Traditional Beret Colours and thoughts on the tan beret?

[9Tiger9]

It was just brought to my attention through a broadcast on the dnd website that new SF unit(s) in Canada would be wearing the tan beret. What are some thoughts out there? An interesting allegory perhaps?, IE (the history of the tan beret resides traditionally in Guard regiments in the UK) therefore Canada's new guards. I don't know perhaps a folly idea but interesting none the less. What about the aesthetic value? Would you like to wear a tan Beret? Any Ideas on a future Cap badge?

PS sorry if this is a repost, re-direct in needed

Cheers

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Guard Regiments?  Tan (sand) beret is the traditional colour of the SAS... a special operations unit, which is what CSOR will be.

It's a good fit, especially since the CF co-opted the green beret of Commando troops into everyday dress for everyone in the Forces.

British Commandos also wore the cap badges of their parent regiments, and guess what - that is what CSOR will do too.

 

[9Tiger9]

Very true as your statement is, I was simply compairing the first porters of the brown beret which was inteed adopted by the SAS in the second world war, as an adaption from the Guardsmen beret.


Cheers

Ref:
Tradtional headress of Commonwealth Armed Services, Richard Peterson Circa 1973

 

[enfield]

There is very little real tradition with beret colours. The only colour with a world-wide, accepted meaning is maroon. Anything else is up for grabs.

Green could be Canadian Army, US Special Forces, French Foreign Legion, or British Marine Commandos. among many others.
Black could be the entire US Army, Commonwealth armoured corps, or until a few years ago, the US Rangers.
The only units that I know of that wear Tan are US Rangers (and they were pissed when their black berets were taken away) and UK SAS (what do the Aussie/NZ SAS wear?). And who knows how often the SAS actually wear their berets....

I'm a little confused as to how an army as small as ours has somehow managed to create four beret colours - black, green, maroon, and tan. Seems like quite the rainbow for an army that can't muster a division.

Personally, I'd have given the CSOR maroon berets...

But, it doesn't matter except as an internet conversation point. We have the beginnings of a real light infantry/SOC unit - they would wear pink balmorals for all it matters.

 

[9Tiger9]

hahaha well put, I ment only for the sake of argument. Yes I think maroon would be a better colour myself..... Although pink scotish attire would be an interesting touch... perhaps with a neon green pom pom and a gold and mauve tartan to match....

 

[baboon6]

I think the SAS started wearing the tan/sand coloured beret (adopted in 1942) before the Guards started wearing khaki. In fact most of the British Army (and Canadian) were wearing khaki (as in about the same colour as battledress) berets by 1943/44, the exceptions being armoured corps (black), airborne forces (maroon), commandos (green). The first units to start wearing khaki berets were motor battalions- soon other infantry started wearing them and they quickly spread, replacing the much-hated field-service cap. It was only post-war that khaki berets became a specifically Guards thing in the British Army (with most of the army wearing dark blue from 1947/48). However over the years a number of other infantry regts have adopted khaki berets (eg Royal Anglians, KORBR), as well as some starting to wear green (Light Infantry and RGJ). The Royal Tank Regt reclaimed black as their own after the war, other armoured regts going to dark-blue, with a few exceptions such as the King's Royal Hussars (dark brown) and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (grey- they are descended from the Royal Scots Greys).

Aussie/NZ SAS wear the same berets as the Brits.

You forgot one beret colour Enfield- MP red.

 

[enfield]

You forgot one beret colour Enfield- MP red.

I was trying stick to just Army Combat Arms, but I guess a sprinkling of red would also show up on a Canadian Army parade square, so ok. I believe some US units also wear red berets too, don't they?
Oh, I forgot, Canadian Navy also wears black.

How about tiger stripe camo berets? They look cool in Tour of Duty...

 

[ouyin2000]

I was trying stick to just Army Combat Arms, but I guess a sprinkling of red would also show up on a Canadian Army parade square, so ok. I believe some US units also wear red berets too, don't they?
Oh, I forgot, Canadian Navy also wears black.

How about tiger stripe camo berets? They look cool in Tour of Duty...

If you want to go a bit further than the Canadian Army, don't forget the orange-ish berets of the SARTechs...although i've heard a few of them get MP Red berets, since the colours are so similar

 

[baboon6]

Here is the full run-down on British Army beret colours (remember many units wear forage caps with No.2s, the khaki service dress, and therefore only wear berets with combats):

khaki: Foot Guards, Household Cavalry, Honourable Artillery Company (TA), Princess of Wales's Royal Regt,
        Royal Anglian Regt, Green Howards, King's Own Royal Border Regt, Duke of Wellington's Regt
light grey: Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Queen Alexandria's Royal Army Nursing Corps
brown: King's Royal Hussars
black: Royal Tank Regt
dark (Rifle) green: Light Infantry, Royal Greenjackets, Royal Gurkha Rifles, Royal Irish Regt, Queen's Royal
Hussars 
                       
maroon: Parachute Regiment, other troops serving in airborne role
sand (tan): SAS
sky blue: Army Air Corps
cypress (grass) green: Intelligence Corps
scarlet: Royal Military Police
green: Adjutant General's Corps (how this shade of green differs I don't know)
navy blue: all other Army units (except Scottish line infantry regts), Royal Navy, Royal Marines who are not  commando-qualified
Commando green: commando-qualified Royal Marines, other commando-qualified troops serving in commando units
RAF (grey) blue: RAF (including RAF Regt, who are the only ones who often wear berets)

I'm sure there are mistakes in there. I'm not even going to try to go into hackles and badge backings!

 

[SHELLDRAKE!!]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beret

 

[Michael Dorosh]

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

 

[Gunnar]

hahaha well put, I ment only for the sake of argument. Yes I think maroon would be a better colour myself..... Although pink scotish attire would be an interesting touch... perhaps with a neon green pom pom and a gold and mauve tartan to match....

If you're going into battle, you should clash!

 

[dutchie]

perhaps with a neon green pom pom and a gold and mauve tartan to match....

Cheerleaders have pom poms, Highland soldiers have torries!

That's 25 push-ups! 

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Cheerleaders have pom poms, Highland soldiers have torries!

That's 25 push-ups!  

50 for you, they're called toories...

 

[dutchie]

50 for you, they're called toories...

Achk! I knew that! Blasted spelling.....

1, 2, 3, 4.....

 

[Pencil Tech]

I'd like to see Artillery, Engineers, EME and log units get midnight blue berets back, instead of rifle green, which is the colour of light infantry.

Interesting that the black beret is the choice of all armoured regts in Canada as it comes from the Royal Tank Regt of the British Army, which is the only armoured regiment that is not cavalry. Most of our armoured regts, including the Dragoons and Strathcona's are cavalry, but all wear the black beret.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The Black Beret was first worn in Canada as regimental headdress on May 9th, 1937 by The Essex Regiment (TANK), now the Windsor Regiment, assigned to Windsor, Ontario.

The Essex Regiment (TANK) was the first Armoured Regiment in Canada to be formed as tank unit, and not reroled from Cavalry, or other. The only one in Canada to have a tank for their badge, and (IIRC) wear the double white stripe of a tank regiment on their Mess kit pants, instead of the Cavalry yellow.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

The Black Beret was first worn in Canada as regimental headdress on May 9th, 1937 by The Essex Regiment (TANK), now the Windsor Regiment, assigned to Windsor, Ontario.

The Essex Regiment (TANK) was the first Armoured Regiment in Canada to be formed as tank unit, and not reroled from Cavalry, or other. The only one in Canada to have a tank for their badge, and (IIRC) wear the double white stripe of a tank regiment on their Mess kit pants, instead of the Cavalry yellow.

The Essex Regiment (TANK) was an INFANTRY REGIMENT.  The CAC wasn't created until after the war started and tanks were considered part of the infantry until 1939 or so. ;D

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The Essex Regiment was Infantry. The Essex Regiment (TANK) was a new unit formed from volunteers of the Essex Regiment and the surrounding area. Which is why we share the motto of the still existing Essex (and Kent) Regiment. We put on the Black Beret of the Armoured in 1937

 

[Michael Dorosh]

The Essex Regiment was Infantry. The Essex Regiment (TANK) was a new unit formed from volunteers of the Essex Regiment and the surrounding area. Which is why we share the motto of the still existing Essex (and Kent) Regiment. We put on the Black Beret of the Armoured in 1937

Nope.   The Essex Regiment (Tank) was an infantry regiment when they put the black hat up.   *sound of bubble bursting*

Check out period documents; there were three types of infantry regiment

Infantry (Rifle) (not to be confuse with a Rifle Regiment   :)
Infantry (Machine Gun)
Infantry (Tank)

EDIT - yeah, it's a technicality and a silly distinction but its true...the war sped things up in a hurry, and tank regiments actually got tanks, and the new Canadian Armoured Corps came into existence.

And you guys stole a ton of infantry regiments, too, many of which you kept.  I think just about as many armoured regiments started as infantry as they did as cavalry...

Tell me how many tanks you had to train with in 1938, by the way....heh....the Calgary Regiment (Tank) had....umm, I think zero...