Selous Scouts
 

Hi all,

Are there any Selous Scouts collectors out there? Would be interested in seeing what others have and share what I have.

Cheers,

James

I cannot tell a lie. After meeting an ex Selous QM I got bitten by the bug and bought everything I could find to the regiment. I think I've got just about everything (except an Officers sword, but I know a man who has - still not got a jumps log book ). A couple of contemporary prints, as well as rank, wings, cap, collar, uniforms, beret etc. Post UDI the QM went to 5Recce, then to EO, but tha'ts another story/collection.

Ian H

Laurie Crittens. Died in England years ago.

Selous Scouts jump book

Laurie (there won't be any OPSEC issues now he's no longer with us) mentioned that one of his regrets was burning all the unused jump books when they moved out. Dis any of you ever see his den? It was full of MFO boxes stuffed with souvenirs. Wonder what happened to it all? He had a large Scouts badge from the mess hall as well, but I just couldn't afford everything I wanted. I did get all my rank slides from him though.

Ian H

Photos of some bits:

Nice Ian. I've always wondered why white Selous Scouts had issued wings to black Selous Scouts.
The Despatchers wing is particularly scarce.

Are we now waiting for James (Jamesm) to display his Ron Reid-Daly wing and uniforms.

Selous Scouts Dress Greens
 

Here is a set of Dress Greens to an officer who had also served in the SAS and RLI.

Scouts Wings
 

Issued Scouts Wings.

Laurie was a personal friend of mine and we often visited while still in Rhodesia. His "den" was an excellent treasure trove of militaria. He owned a Marmon Herrington armoured car and occasionally drove around in it in Salisbury!

He inherited the family business here in the UK and returned to run it. Much of his collection has been sold. Have attached his own Selous Scouts beret for interest. He kindly donated it to me after much nagging!

Regards

Dudley

I attach below a short selection from my 'Collection List' that I have kept for years. This shows me what I have (and more importantly what I therefore still need). I've 'cut a pasted' just a few short bits. Some of you will have seen the original living document and some of you may even have seen some of my stuff:

Uniforms:
Selous Scouts Uniforms; Greens, Major + backings, 3 Miniatures(all from one man)
Medals, Wings (not numbered)°
Beret + sb cap badge
Pullover
Flying Suit°
Cam Jkt°, Shirt, trousers
Black Baseball Boots
Black Anti-tracking Boots
Selous Wallshield°

RLI Greens
Grey’s Scouts Greens, WO2°
Para Pea Greens jkt & trous°
SAS Pea Green shirt, Major°
SAS Cam shirt W.O.C. short-sleeved°
SAS Cam shirt W.O.C. long-sleeved°
SAS 1st patt Cam shirt°
SAS “deniable” Green shirt (US) °
SAS Woolly Pully
Selous Pea Green shirt, Lt°
RLI Mess jkt, trous & w'coat, Lt°
Selous Scouts T-shirt°

Headdress:
Selous Scouts beret°
SAS Offs beret°
SAS beret
2x SAS beret°
SAS beret (sb cb)°
Zimb SAS beret
Psyops beret
RLI Offs beret°
Grey’s Scouts Slouch°
Grey's Scouts Offs beret
3x Grey's Scouts OR's beret
Rhod Brig Dress Cap inc cb

Rhod Stable Belts:
Selous Scouts
SAS (Brit made)

Print:
Pamwe Chete dedication (no. 1/25) framed°
Large Selous Scouts (no. 0048)framed°

Book Plate Prints:
S Scts°
RLI

Ian "I'n not mad, I'm normal" H

(and the spacings have gone wibble too)

A few more items, rank slides.

Unissued berets as well as the Selous Scouts Padre's Beret.

Paraphernalia.

Insignia, issued and unissued.

It appears this thread has plenty of hard core Selous Scouts collectors, please see the link provided below as it may be of interest to someone here.

You guys have some pretty nice looking items. You almost make me want to expand my collecting field.


http://www.regimentals.co.uk/viewpho...h=60898&phqu=8


Cheers from Canada.

Camo shirt named to Maj. John Duncan, Selous Scouts Stable Belt, camo shirt named to Lt. Col. Reid-Daly.

Hello Jamesm,

Very nice looking group. I can see a beret in the picture you provided, is this original to the group? Can I see pics of that?

Cheers.

I have several berets, about 7-8 in all. Both Officer's and OR's. Was there a particular version and shots you'd like to see?

Cheers,

James

I don’t know much about Selous Scouts paraphernalia, so I’m open to anything you’re willing to share. I collect war time para berets, so seeing other maroon berets are always of interest!

Selous Scouts berets were not maroon they were chocolate brown. Primarily made by Botswana Cap and Helmet Manufacturers in Lobatse, Botswana.

Depending on the lighting the photo was taken in etc then the colour can look slightly different as any photographer knows. There is also the fading to take into consideration.

Although these berets photograph with a red tinge, giving the impression that they are possibly maroon, they are in fact brown. It seems to take of the reddish colour when a flash is used. When in natural light, it shows the more natural colour.

Here are a few different shots of an Officer's beret, with the ribbed cloth/nylon sweat band, and an OR's beret, with the vinyl sweat band. In natural light, you can see the natural brown colour in the first photo. Keep in mind that this has been worn in the sun and faded a bit. Although both berets were made by the same manufacturer, there are differences in the construction.

Peter beat me to it, but he'll likely cover everything and more!

I guess my post saying that “I don’t know much about Selous Scouts paraphernalia” proved to be true! :o

Thanks for posting the picture and setting me straight.

Hardly! I'm out of this thread. I try to choose my company.

As a side to the Selous Scouts, maroon berets that can be attributed to them, after the majority of them left as Rhodesia came to an end, is the berets for the SA Recce's and Transkei Special Forces, whose ranks were augmented by the former Scouts.

Welcome James !
 

Great to see you started this thread - always good to have an expert like you on board ! will post some of my selous stuff !

A few Selous curios not covered in other posts -- I believe there were 3 different colour T shirts .. The blazer badge is current association one .. Does anyone have a pic of an older Rhodesian made one?

few more Selous items , the WO badge has the brown felt under the badge . My officers beret - it still has the Botswana label in it ...

Nice items! Thanks for posting, Steve.

Transkei
 

Transkei Special Forces uniform showing how wing backing were cut in similar style to the Selous ones

Very cool stuff, thank you to everyone who posted pictures.

Cheers

To put the shirt I posted earlier, in better of perspective. Here it is when it was originally worn. After the original photo was taken a few things changed. The Selous Scouts Wings were introduced and members of the Scouts, who were eligible, could trade their normal para wings, or SAS Wings, for the Scouts Wings. If you look at the current photo, the SAS wings were placed in their former position, but, you can also see where provisions were made, above the right breast pocket, for the Selous Scouts Wings to be worn. Other differences are that the "Army" title that was worn on the right sleeve had been changed to be worn above the right breast pocket as well.

Selous Scouts Insignia
 

Hi James, What is the small Scouts badge? For wear on a civvie jacket?
Cheers, Dave

Hi Dave,

Yes, it's just a lapel pin for civvie clothing.

James

It all starts to add up after a while...

wonderful stuff James , thanks so much for posting !

These plaques were made by Larry Critten when he was based at 5 Recce .. Think these were given out to members as souvenirs but have no info on them ..

I guess it does, especially when you make deals with two people that were meant to be friends and then you lie and renege on the deals.

Why don't you explain to everyone Morgan how you made a deal with myself (Peter Garratt) and Craig Fourie not to bid on the auction in South Africa that was selling Ron Reid-Daly's items so that you would have less competition and would therefore possibly get the items cheaper. That if you won the lots that you would then sell to Craig and myself the few items we had agreed on at close to the price you paid.

That one shirt that would particularly go to Craig that you have since been quite happy to splash on forums all around the world. What was it 10 short sleeved shirts in one lot? Yes I just checked Lot 161 it sold for a total of R11,200 including commission. So the shirts cost US$106 each excluding freight. A bargain price I would have thought for shirts that had been owned by the founder of the Selous Scouts, especially after he had written his name in each one. And yet you told me by email after the auction that Craig wasn't getting that shirt. And he sent you unpublished photos showing Reid-Daly wearing about three of those shirts and you still reneged on the deal.

As for our deal, well I can't be bothered even discussing it except to say you lied.

You have a short memory Morgan, it was people like myself and Craig that helped you when you first started getting interested in Selous Scouts militaria.
You're the worse kind of collector, a user and a liar.

I will mention that I did bid on the scarlet mess dress uniform as I was the only one interested in it.

Peter,

I suppose I could enter into a debate with you about this, as I know you cherish such things, but I’ll not be drawn in. Tell you what; let’s all say you are 100% correct...there, I feel better, it’s off my shoulders...now what would you like to argue about now that that’s out of the way?


With the wall hanging I had posted above, does anyone know story behind them? I’ve heard several versions as to what they were originally for, beside a wall hanging. I had been told by a former Scout that they were made by their soldiers as a form of occupational therapy while recuperating from operational injuries. I’ve seen several variations and no two being identical.

I think it only fair morgan to reply to Peter here as you did indeed ask us both plus another local collector here to stand down so you could bid for all of us.. You didn't have the photos of RRD wearing these shirts so I provided them for verification.. Why would you do this to collector friends who took you in and shared our knowledge on Selous Scout militaria,something we didn't have to do but did what we thought was right?? I would call it an inferiority complex in trying to be noticed for what you managed to secure from your friends.. Well done im sure Uncle Ron would have been very proud of you..