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  #1  
Old 05-05-21, 06:48 AM
Colin S Colin S is offline
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Default General Staff shoulder titles and insignia in WW2

When an officer was promoted to full colonel and above, they became members of the General Staff and started to wear red hatbands and gorget patches on their battledress. I’m presuming that they were expected to remove any regimental shoulder titles but kept any relevant Div/Bde insignia. Is this correct?
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Old 05-05-21, 11:35 AM
Staffsyeoman Staffsyeoman is offline
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In short, yes - provided. of course, that they remained with that formation.
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Old 05-05-21, 11:37 AM
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Short answer, Yes. Formation etc signs would of course be those of the formation they were currently serving with (if any).

Jon
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Old 05-05-21, 12:45 PM
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There are many pictures of General ‘Boy’ Browning wearing Grenadier Guards shoulder titles and red tabs on his Battle Dress. Who would tell him to take them down?

Tim
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Old 05-05-21, 12:58 PM
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He apparently designed and wore his own uniform? WTF?
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Old 05-05-21, 03:49 PM
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Thank you for all the replies. It was the picture of Browning that partly prompted the question! Guards officers seem to have had a problem giving up their shoulder titles!
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Old 05-05-21, 04:01 PM
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General Browning's wife Daphne du Maurier supposedly came up with the colour of the airborne beret so meddling in uniform design seems to have been a family trait.

Isn't it the case that some Staff Officers wore different coloured hat bands and gorget patches depending on the Corps, Medical and Ordnance for example?

Rob
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  #8  
Old 05-05-21, 04:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Miller View Post
General Browning's wife Daphne du Maurier supposedly came up with the colour of the airborne beret so meddling in uniform design seems to have been a family trait.

Isn't it the case that some Staff Officers wore different coloured hat bands and gorget patches depending on the Corps, Medical and Ordnance for example?

Rob
Selection of Gorget collar tabs including RAMC (Maroon), RAPC (yellow), RAEC (Cambridge Blue), RADC (Green) and RMAS Officer Cadet (White)

Tim
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Old 05-05-21, 06:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn View Post
There are many pictures of General ‘Boy’ Browning wearing Grenadier Guards shoulder titles and red tabs on his Battle Dress. Who would tell him to take them down?

Tim
Montgomery would have.
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  #10  
Old 05-05-21, 07:38 PM
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Montgomery would have.
Certainly within the chain of command it should have happened.
However, Monty was not himself much of a stickler for dress regulations, remembering his only instruction on dress in the 8th Army - “Top hats will not be worn!”

So let us picture the scene when the two ‘difficult’ personalities actually met:
Monty: “Well Boy you really should not be wearing those shoulder titles, you are a Lieutenant General.”
Browning: “But Monty, what about your black beret with two cap badges….”

Tim
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Last edited by grey_green_acorn; 06-05-21 at 06:56 AM.
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  #11  
Old 05-05-21, 09:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn View Post
Certainly within the chain of command it should have happened.
However, Monty was not himself much of a stickler for dress regulations, remembering his only instruction on dress in the 8th Army - “Top hats will not be worn!”

So let us picture the scene when the two ‘difficult’ personalities actually met:
Monty: “Well Woy you really should not be wearing those shoulder titles, you are a Lieutenant General.”
Browning: “But Monty, what about your black beret with two cap badges….”

Tim
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  #12  
Old 06-05-21, 07:10 PM
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Browning: “But Monty, what about your black beret with two cap badges….”
Monty: “What black beret?”
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Old 06-05-21, 09:07 PM
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I am thinking I'd seen a picture of Monty's black beret with near half a dozen cap badges on it? Did a quick Google search but didn't find it. I think I have the picture stored somewhere and if so I'll share it.

Terry
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  #14  
Old 06-05-21, 09:42 PM
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That would the Australian slouch hat covered in 8th Army cap badges.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...976_E19699.jpg

Tim
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  #15  
Old 07-05-21, 05:41 AM
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I wonder where it is? It must have survived? Montys HQ caravan and some of his kit is in the vehicle museum part at Duxford.
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