24th Lancers Officers Beret
 

All,

Please find below for your perusal some photos of the 24th Lancers officers beret I have in my collection (original owner wounded in Normandy).

FMT600

Wonderful, I like the wire embroidered badge. Thank you for showing.

Very nice something I had not seen before, do you know the name of the wounded officer that owned it?

I do but don't have the details to hand as I'm away from home. Once I'm back I will let you know.

Kind Regards,

FMT600

Hello FMT600
I was just wondering if you had a chance to see who the wounded officer who owned the beret was please?

Kind regards

Norton

Sorry still away.

Kind Regards,

FMT600

Sorry about the delay on the name, but here we go at long last:

Major PH Northern.

Landed on Day, wounded in August 1944 whilst serving with 2nd Fife & Forfar Yeomanry.

FMT600

Thank you for that FMT600 👍

Do you know When the officers have worn this beret was it a BD beret? I just wondered why officers had this type of badge and not a metal type. Unless it was for BD and just made officers easier to identify by the troops? Although that would seem dodgy as I'm sure the Germans could identify them as well. I don't know but was there was something in-between BD and their No1 please
Thank you

Unfortunately I don't have the Regimental History (Non Had Lances) to hand but off the top of my head.

The 24L when formed did not wear the black RAC beret, therefore the full spectrum of officers badges were made for the Regiment, Bronze for wear in Service Dress, Gilt and Enamel for wear on the No1 Dress. A Coloured Field Service Hat was also authorised on which a bullion badge was worn, on the adoption of the RAC beret the bullion badge was adopted for wear for officers and white metal for Other Ranks (OR's), the beret being worn when in Battle Dress (BD). The beret and badge would have been worn from early 1941 until disbandment (officially) late 1944, however Major Northern was wearing it in August when he was wounded whilst serving with the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, an unofficial practice which I'm sure he was not alone in, particularly when completely formed subunits of the 24L were sent together to their new Regiments where they continued to serve together on arrival.

Kind Regards,

FMT600

however Major Northern was wearing it in August when he was wounded whilst serving with the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, an unofficial practice which I'm sure he was not alone in, particularly when completely formed subunits of the 24L were sent together to their new Regiments where they continued to serve together on arrival.

Kind Regards,

FMT600[/QUOTE]

Ok thanks again,

I have also heard stories of some of the 24th lancers officers and OR's wearing their 24th lancers cap badges right throughout the rest of the war whilst serving with the 23Rd Hussars and SRY with very little in the way of challenges by their superiors.
I have a slightly blurry photograph of my grandad still wearing his 24th lancers side cap so must have been taken around 1941 before they were issued the black beret you can't see any badge but is definitely 24L era

I should have also said. I wondered about the officer who owned the beret because my grandads troop officer was also wounded whilst in Normandy but much earlier the major Northern
So I just wondered if by a slight chance it could have been his beret (lt Richard Leathers)

Kind regards

Norton

Hi Shaun and FMT600,

Personally, I think, 1941, is perhaps a bit too optimistic for the general issue of RAC black berets to these newly formed regiments. I seem to recollect late 1942 was the advent?

I will attempt to confirm this notion, as I am prone to confuse certain dates of things within the six WRC regiments..!

Best,

Marcus

Hi Marcus,

You may well be correct, as I said my last post was completely off the top of my head, hopefully their will be someone more knowledgeable who will be able to confirm when the black Beret was officially sanctioned for RAC Regiments, vis the RTC/RTR who, Territorials and all were wearing them pre war. I would think that once officially sanctioned the officers private purchase examples would be the first to come in to use. I know from memory that the Khaki side cap gets a mention in ''None Had Lances'' but can not remember if the introduction of the Beret is mentioned, if you have your copy to hand you may be able to confirm?

Kind Regards,

FMT600

Hi guys,
the date 1941 does ring a bell as being mentioned in NHL along with the berets can't remember where abouts in the book it might have been tho. in a picture I have of my grandad with about 6 other unnamed 24th lancers there is a mixture of black berets and side caps being worn all of the men in the picture are Sergeants.
Which makes me think the berets where being issued gradually to certain squadrons at a time maybe?