Para Regiment Hat Badges Assistance
 

Gents,

I would appreciate assistance identifying good from bad with these eight hat badges?

As you can see they are made of different materials, all have lugs on the rear and there are no markings on any of the badges.

Thanks for any assistance.

Paul

The one circled with the fat lion nearly falling off the back of the crown in much debated as they appear on Marbles & Beasley repro sliders plus several examples with modern looking footed lugs.

Commonly these examples possess several die flaws discussed in a couple other threads, however, there is an example lacking these flaws which does look much more period.

The others all look good to me.

Just an observation but when talking to a member of the British Airborne fraternity, it's never a good idea to use the term "Hat" alongside the words "Parachute Regiment".. could lead to all kinds of misunderstandings.....

PL

Ha ha, I missed that and you are sooo right! Brilliant. . .

Quite right - should read beret. Don't want to give the 'hats' any ideas!

Having once jumped for a living I'm disgusted with this oversight and have taken myself on a 'tab' to sort myself out.

Thanks for the replies

Paul

OK, I know the Airborne wear maroon berets, but am not familiar with the term "Hats". Can you all enlighten a Yank please?

FYI, "Suits" over here refers to management in the civilian world.

Thanks,

Terry

Soldiers who are not parachute qualified are known as 'hats' Terry.

Paul

Terry, its a shortening of 'crap hat' . . .I.e. anything that isn't an airborne maroon beret, is 'crap' . . Esprit de corps . . .

...and across the pond, we called them “legs.”

bottom right appears to be from the gaunt die

I'd be rather surprised if that term was in popular usage during the period in which the badges in this thread were actually worn, as far as I an aware, it was not.

Yes Frank it certainly wasn't used during the war.

Is that a good or bad sign being from the Gaunt dies Jerry?

At the moment U'm only tracking one dodgy badge from the 8.

Paul

Gaunt die is good Paul

Thanks Jerry.

Good collecting

Paul

Hi Paul
Dont Tab out....yet.:)

Royal Army Clothing Dept. pattern 12497 referred "Badge Cap, Parachute Regt." approved 25-3-43

Phill