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  #1  
Old 23-03-17, 07:14 PM
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Default 21st Special Air Service
GOV 8131
NATO Exercise STRONG ENTERPRISE, near Slagelse, Denmark, 23 September 1955. A paratrooper of the 21st Special Air Service walks off the dropping zone area after a night drop.
He seems to be wearing a B/B on the maroon beret....
http://media.iwm.org.uk/ciim5/32/966/large_000000.jpg
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Last edited by Voltigeur; 23-03-17 at 07:25 PM.
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  #2  
Old 23-03-17, 10:53 PM
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Default What does B/B mean please mate?
Blackened brass?
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  #3  
Old 23-03-17, 11:54 PM
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I don't see any badge at all.

Rgds, Thomas.
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  #4  
Old 24-03-17, 01:15 AM
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Blackened brass?
Yes.
Jo
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"There truly exists but one perfect order: that of cemeteries. The dead never complain and they enjoy their equality in silence." -

“There are things we know that we know,” “There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know.”
Donald Rumsfeld, before the Iraqi Invasion,2003.

Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese.
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  #5  
Old 24-03-17, 01:17 AM
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I don't see any badge at all.

Rgds, Thomas.
...or maybe what is left is an imprint of the cap badge.....
Jo
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"There truly exists but one perfect order: that of cemeteries. The dead never complain and they enjoy their equality in silence." -

“There are things we know that we know,” “There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know.”
Donald Rumsfeld, before the Iraqi Invasion,2003.

Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese.
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  #6  
Old 24-03-17, 09:56 PM
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Default 21 SAS 1955
21 would still have been wearing the metal Mars and Minerva beret badge of the Artists in 1955, so he probably removed the badge prior to the jump.
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  #7  
Old 25-03-17, 09:21 AM
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21 would still have been wearing the metal Mars and Minerva beret badge of the Artists in 1955, so he probably removed the badge prior to the jump.
Quite likely he has simply lost the badge as he would have made the jump wearing wearing the steel airborne helmet.

FMT600
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  #8  
Old 26-03-17, 07:23 AM
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Why?

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21 would still have been wearing the metal Mars and Minerva beret badge of the Artists in 1955, so he probably removed the badge prior to the jump.
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  #9  
Old 26-03-17, 08:08 AM
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I can only think it was a shiny white metal and he was being 'tactical' so he took it out for the exercise.
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  #10  
Old 26-03-17, 08:29 PM
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Default 21 SAS in Denmark
Friends,

From the 21 SAS exercise in Denmark in 1955 we know other pictures too. Quite fascinating for the collector as different shoulder titles were worn: the old '21st SAS (Artists)' and the then recently introduced 'Special Air Service (Artists)' shoulder title. As you can see the white metal Mars & Minerva beret badge was worn on the maroon beret and the classical Denison smock was worn over the battledress.

Cheers,

Johan
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Artists in Denmark 1955 2 CD UK.jpg (60.4 KB, 67 views)
File Type: jpg Artists in Denmark 1955 CD UK.jpg (68.5 KB, 64 views)
File Type: jpg Artists in Denmark 1955 detail.jpg (75.7 KB, 62 views)
Last edited by johanwiegman; 03-04-17 at 06:53 PM.
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  #11  
Old 26-03-17, 08:34 PM
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21 would still have been wearing the metal Mars and Minerva beret badge of the Artists in 1955, so he probably removed the badge prior to the jump.
He'd have removed the Beret too, and put on his tin pot.
Andy
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  #12  
Old 26-03-17, 08:38 PM
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Default parachute jump
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Originally Posted by grenadierguardsman View Post
He'd have removed the Beret too, and put on his tin pot.
Andy
For sure a para helmet would be worn during the drop! In the picture he is carrying the helmet in his right hand.
Last edited by johanwiegman; 26-03-17 at 08:46 PM.
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  #13  
Old 27-03-17, 02:31 AM
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Also wearing different styles of rank insignia.
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  #14  
Old 27-03-17, 05:47 AM
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It's the rifles brigade gold on black style mate.
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