HQ 3rd Aust Motor Brigade beret????
 

Hello all

Can anybody confirm if this is a HQ 3rd Aust Motor Brigade beret?

The only difference from 492 in Keith Glyde's reference guide is that this beret has the grey felt backing.

Any info will be appreciated.

regards

Dennis

The grey backing just means the wearer had enlisted in the AIF for overseas service. Odd that there's no evidence of a rising sun badge in front of the patch. How is the beret marked inside?

There are no markings whatsoever inside the beret.

As you says unusual there is no rising sun or indication of it ever having one. This is the first of this type of beret that I have seen that has no rising sun badge.

Australian-made berets have a maker's tag inside. It could be UK-made but with the stamps washed out or faded.

Perhaps he was the Salvation Army, Red Cross or other philanthropic organization representative attached to the brigade. They weren't allowed to wear rising suns and I don't suppose their organization badges were always available.

Here are a couple of examples of variations of this era beret.

First is 2/9th Armoured Regiment with large Rising Sun and tag on inside.

Second is HQ 1st Aust Armoured Div with small Rising Sun and no maker tag on inside. Very similar to original beret in this thread.

Both nice examples. The 2/9th beret should also have the small rising sun badge. The large one was adopted for wear on the black beret which replaced the khaki model from about mid-1945.