What do these filed cuts on beret badge mean?
 

I picked up this Algerian War period French Airborne coloniaux maroon beret at an insignia show last weekend. I wanted it because of these file cuts along half the perimeter of the beret badge. I've seen this once before on a French winged dagger beret badge of the type worn by the French Foreign Legion paratroopers. I thought maybe these cuts referred to combat jumps (16 to 17?) but the same photos were sent to a collector and former paratrooper in France who doesn't know what they signify but they are not for combat jumps. The beret badge is missing the loops on the back and sewn directly to the beret. The manufacture of the beret badge is Coinderoux. Does anyone know what these cuts were for?

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Maybe years of service.

Marc

You are probably correct. I just received information from another source that said this beret probably belonged to a conscript or draftee who couldn't wait to get out of the Army and kept track of his time in service by filing these cuts into his beret badge. Does anyone know for sure if this was a practice for I guess discontent soldiers?

I was about to say the same thing - the equivalent of the of the British National Serviceman's "chuff chart" or "days to do chart". The file marks would be months and possible, the hatched period (c 2 o'clock) - 3 weeks mid-service leave? Mike

Posted in error.

Starting in 1950, conscription,for military service,in France was for 18 months but was increased and maintained up to 30 months in certain cases.
One thing to mention in this case is, that all paratroopers units whether "coloniaux"(maroon beret) or "métropolitains" (light blue beret up to 1956-57 then maroon) were made up of volunteers only....so the hashmarks on your badge could signify the time the para already spent in service....*

Jo

* in this case your guess is as good as mine....

Thanks for everyone's input.

Cuts on beret badge
 

I have also been told they do signify combat jumps. This may be a practice which varied between units, so one paratrooper may not be aware of what other units did....the French did perform many combat jumps in Indochina and Algeria, so cuts on a beret badge would be a visible tally for an old sweat.

17 jumps? How many para jumps did they do in Indo China and Algeria?

In Indochina, there was 153 jumps made by 14 Para Battalions (6 were French,6 Vietnamese Para Batt.,1 Laotian,1er BPL, and 1 Khmer,1er BPK).
52 jumps were made at the company level,63 at the battalion level for re-enforcing garrisons, and 33 at battalion level on search and destry missions.
You have to remeber that at that time, all paras units serving in Indochina were made up of volunteers* only and were used as "troupes de choc" by the French HQ and most of the time as "firemen" whenever their services were required.

* All French,Sengalese,Moroccan,Algerian troops serving in Indochina were volunteers serving for a period of 24 months and, but more often 30 months.

Jo

As for the Algerian conflict I'm trying to find the total jumps made......