Guards Khaki Beret
 

Can anyone enlighten me as to when the Guards replaced their blue berets with the khaki version please?

Jon

I have circa 1971. Might be wrong.

Marc

And the badge backing in1989.

Edit: 2nd October 1989.

Agree with Marc, adopted and issued in the early 1970s although apparently discussed and approved in the late 1960s. Likely that full supplies were needed to re-issue the Brigade at the same time (circa 6,000 berets?) There should be some photographic evidence out there!

Tim

The dust jacket of "Forces 85" shows a Coldstream Guards Sgt ,brown beret ,no backing. Also normal stripes on his combats not the subdued type.

An illustration/ colour plate in "Uniforms of the Foot Guards from 1661 to Present" by Bryan Fosten and W.Y. Carman shows a Welsh guardsman in Northern Ireland combat dress in 1971, wearing a khaki beret & WG badge, with no backing.
The old Almark "Coldstream Guards Dress and Appointments 1658-1972", illustrated by Chas. Stadden shows a guardsman circa 1972, again in combat dress, with khaki beret & badge WITH backing. The book was published in May,1973.

Almost forgot! I have a Grenadier Guards khaki beret, with cloth backing & the blackened badge.
Inside, the label reads: 54 ( size)

8405-99-132-2254

& then care instructions, etc.
I am assuming the 99 is 1999?

99 in the NSN indicates UK

Tim

The badge backing was not worn during the Falklands War so it must be post 1982.It dates from when other infantry regiments started to adopt khaki berets.

Didn't realise that. Colin Firth clearly got it wrong then!

My thanks to all for the information.

Jon

Is that the black and white illustration, no. 67?
I don't think it is showing a badge backing.

The Osprey Men at Arms book "The Grenadier Guards" published 1973 shows an illustration representing a Guardman of "the 1970's" wearing khaki beret with a blackened badge, no badge backing.

1GG were wearing khaki berets with embroidered cloth grenades with no backing during their tour in 'Derry 1974/75, an ex-member of Queen's Company has told me that some men wore NCO's embroidered grenade arm badges in lieu of the correct beret badge.

Yes, it's # 67. I assumed the dark area behind the badge was a patch; it is rather indistinct.

Colin Firth got it right! I was talking about the blue-red-blue Guards ribbon badge backing now worn by all Guardsmen on their berets. The exception was (and still is) the Scots Guards officer’s tartan backing, which was indeed worn by their officers in the Falklands War, but not by the Scots Guards Other Ranks.

I just recalled my trip to London in 1976 ; everyone I saw at Wellington Barracks was in some sort of full dress, but when walking past Chelsea Barracks, I was startled by an armed guardsman behind the fence ( can't remember the regiment) in combat dress with a khaki beret.