SAS Regiment beret and brass badge - 1960s

[slick_mick]

Special Air Service Regiment beret and brass badge.

The badge is brass and with a slider. This beret came from a SAS Vietnam veteran (to provide some providence).





I have decided to edit this until I get more info. Since there is conjecture about my original post, I will confirm from the source.

[Chrisr]

Sorry to disillusion you Mick.

That is NOT a 1960's Australian SAS beret. Prior to 1965 the unit wore a red beret. The beret worn from 1965 to the mid 1970's was Australian made and had a fawn coloured cloth headband. It was also a light fawn colour rather than the grey fawn colour shown in the photo. The beret shown is British with the black leather headband which started coming into service in the mid 1970's. I have worn both and was in the unit when the change to the British beret was made. Tried to find my old Australian one to put a photo up but I gave a lot of my stuff to the AWM and it may be there.

Nor did we wear a brass hat badge. The unit has always worn the A/A. Any brass badges were private purchase and there is a discussion on it here. http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ead.php?t=1447 and here http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ead.php?t=1774 which we discussed earlier. This badge is a private purchase and worn sometime after 1974 but more probably the 80's or 90's.

I have spoken with former members of the unit at the time it became a Regiment (Sep 1964) and none of them know of a brass badge badge being worn. If your source wore that beret in Vietnam than it was private purchase not issue. No-one in our squadron wore them

Cheers
Chris

PS. If you can PM your source's name I can actually check if he did serve with one of our squadrons in Vietnam. Unfortunately we have more people claiming to have been in the unit in Vietnam than actually served there!

[slick_mick]

Hi Chris,

I'm 99% certain that it came from a Vietnam veteran who was over there with the SAS. It's in my mate's collection and he has one of the largest collection of Vietnam War insignia and uniforms (he's been collecting since 1970s and has dealt with many veterans).

I'll give him a call and see what more I can find out. It may well be that he was a SAS veteran but the beret was worn in the 1970s or so.

Stay tuned...i'll see what more I can find out.

Mick

[slick_mick]

A couple of more pics...





Mick

[Chrisr]

Hi Mick.

Thanks for your reply.

It may well have come from an SAS Vietnam veteran but I am 100% sure that beret and badge were NOT worn by the Regiment in the 1960's/early 1970's. The brass badge is certainly not an official issue - always been A/A unless they have changed in the last 10 years. In fact I would surprised if he wore that beret and badge in Vietnam.

Cheers
Chris

[slick_mick]

Hi Chris,

I do recall having a conversation about the wearing of the said beret in Vietnam. My mate said he was told that it was hardly ever worn over there and that there mostly wore bush hats.

But as I said before, I'll try and call him and get some more info. Everyone I have so far is 2nd hand info.

Mick

[Chrisr]

Originally Posted by slick_mick

Hi Chris,

My mate said he was told that it was hardly ever worn over there and that there mostly wore bush hats.

Hi Mick,

This indicates to me that your mate and his source know very little about the matter. The beret was worn quite often in Vietnam when not out on patrol. It was worn both in the Nui Dat base when outside the squadron lines and when outside of Nui Dat on R&R, R&C or visiting Vung Tau, Saigon or other bases.

On patrol either a bush hat or a sweat rag tied around the forehead was worn.

This is not 2nd hand info Mick - 1st hand experience, what I have written is accurate. What you have posted is duff information

Cheers
Chris

[slick_mick]

Original post edited. If I get in contact with my mate I will post the full story - if not, end of the thread for me.