1943 RM Commando Beret

[RoyA]

Greetings everyone,
I'd much appreciate some comments about the badge on this wartime RMC beret.
Both the globe (JR Gaunt London) and the Lion/Crown appear to have been on the beret forever.
However I believe the globe is a collar badge.
I've read on a couple of forums that this was common practice amongst officers during the war.
Can anyone offer more information?

Thank you!

[Irv]

Looks like a collar badge. Wonderful beret! Not sure why they would have gone for a collar badge instead of the beret type.
Regards
Irv

[RoyA]

Reverse of globe...

[RoyA]

Thanks Irv.
I found this photo in another thread...seems to be a collar badge as well.

[tedwardland]

I'm no expert on RM, but don't Officers wear a two piece set up?

[tommy t bag]

Great beret,i wish i had one like that in my collection.Cant help you with the badges.t bag

[RoyA]

I think I just answered my own question.
The outline on the beret is a perfect match for that badge.

[Mike Jackson]

Originally Posted by tedwardland

I'm no expert on RM, but don't Officers wear a two piece set up?

I believe RM Officers and possible WOs 1 invariably wear the headress badge in its divided form ie separate crown. This was certainly the case in the early 1960s, but cannot prove that it was the practice in the 1940s.

[Belly]

Ted and Mike are spot on, regular wartime officer's badge, there are plenty of examples in the CVA gallery, such as this great pic:

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/...geViewsIndex=1

Cracking beret!
Paul

[Jibba Jabba]

Warrant Officers usually wear a two part gilt badge. I have seen Kings crown examples of these. I have never seen a WW2 period beret with one of those fixed to it.

I have definitely seen the officers full size S&G badges worn on an authentic WW2 berets. Green beret popularity is one of the reasons why the officers badge cannot be purchased for less than 60 pounds now.

[Frank Kelley]

Hello Roy,
I really like that beret, bet it was not cheap either, I took a very quick look at the Circulars of the Adjutant General Royal Marines for 1943 and I hope the following will be of some interest to you.

Adjutant General RM, 14th August 1943, RM Headdress.
1, With referance to RM Circular No 3562/42.Q. dated 1st July 1943, all RM officers and other ranks in the SS Force will wear a green beret in lieu of the RM blue beret.
2, The badge to be worn by officers in the green beret will be as laid down for the blue beret in the above quoted circular.

So I went back and looked at that and it states,

Adjutant General RM, RM No3562/42.Q. Circular 1st July 1943, Blue Berets.
Corps Cap Badge (officers) on the scarlet patch superimposed by lion and crown, the bottom of the crown being a quarter of an inch above the top of the globe.

So there you go, green berets and two piece officers badges (minus the scarlet patch, of course!) to be quite honest with you, I think I would be very happy with it, a collar badge yes, but does it really matter, officers had to pay for all they wore!
When I was seven or eight I do remember seeing a lot of wartime 1943 and 1944 green and maroon berets from a well known manufacturer, all perfectly original and still tied together in bundles, they were all left overs in both small and large sizes.
Well, back then I had no interest in the Royal Marines or Army Commando so I had my long suffering father pay the bill for a couple of airborne ones
I've often wondered what happened to them all, if only we could go back in time!
Kind regards Frank

[Sunray9]

Apparently the first ever Green Beret issued to a Royal Marine was to Major B.J.D. Lumsden RM, it used to be in the Corps Museum adorned with a RMLI Officers collar badge - bullion laurels with a silver gilt globe. Hopefully it's still there.

Ritchie

[Frank Kelley]

Guys,
Just going of topic for a second, did any of you see that program on Dieppe the other night, quite interesting, with Ian Flemming revealed as now being involved!
Regards Frank

[wright241]

Originally Posted by Sunray9

Apparently the first ever Green Beret issued to a Royal Marine was to Major B.J.D. Lumsden RM, it used to be in the Corps Museum adorned with a RMLI Officers collar badge - bullion laurels with a silver gilt globe. Hopefully it's still there.

Ritchie

Richie, According to my source, the museum is still there and hopefully won't go the way the others are going......
"One has to assume", that the powers that be, won't be making the same sorts of cutbacks that they are making elsewhere??? But, who knows....
David

[Ray6930]

Does anyone know when this sort of collar badge was introduced? It looks like the current officer's bronze collar badge for lovats i.e. laurel tight to the globe and single, sharply pointed laurel leaf at each end of the wreath.

The officer's collar badge and lower part of the cap badge used to be gilt wreath and silver globe. As mentioned above, WO badges were same designs but gilt, with the cap badge split like the officer's but all gilt and no silver globe, SNCO's were design of OR badges (double leafs and not as tight to the globe) but all in gilt.

I wonder if identifying when this badge was introduced would indicate if it was contemporary to the date of the beret. Personally speaking, if I was an officer in a Commando beret I would not necessarily want a nice silver aiming mark on my forehead - which might have prompted using a plain collar badge perhaps?

Ray