SADF beret balkies - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Milmed · #1 13-09-12, 04:18 PM

Hi,
I am looking for info on when the SADF adopted the corps beret balkies (colour flash). Does someone out there have an official document showing adoption dates?

I am aware that certain corps (Signals etc) did use cloth colour flashes on the beret from as early as WWII. I have also seen pictures c.1971 showing infantry wearing 1st pattern balkie (green/black), but when were the 3 colour version adopted?

Thanks in advance
Steven

iaindh · #2 13-09-12, 04:52 PM

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Arthur R · #3 13-09-12, 05:22 PM

Wasn't the present system of enameled metal balkies introduced at the same time as the enameled metal shoulder flashes, and the 'stepout' uniform, circa 1974-75?

Milmed · #4 13-09-12, 05:51 PM

Arthur,
You may be onto something there. Maybe the 3 colour epoxy coated balkies were issued at same time as new step out uniforms and epoxied metal flashes.

Some earlier balkies were hot (or maybe cold) enamelled onto a metal backing plate. Still would like to see official documentation. I have a copy of the sadf quartermasters badge reference book (c.1986) but unfortunately does not show balkies or flashes.

Steven

Madziro · #5 13-09-12, 07:06 PM

Have the 1st issue QMs Catalogue for Badges and Insignia in the SADF which is dated June 1970. It also does not have the beret bars in it. As an aside, however, it does have a complete list of all cloth embroidered shoulder titles as worn at the time!

Have attached a WW2 1944 dated beret to a signaller attached to the 6th SA Armoured Div that has the WW2 pattern bar on it as well as a few other pattern Sigs bars for interest.

Dudley

Arthur R · #6 14-09-12, 09:43 AM

Failing a copy of the dress regulations, one approach would be to browse through back numbers of Commando/Paratus magazine from the early 1970s, and look at the photos or people wearing berets. Although it wouldn't yield a specific date (unless there happened to be an article on the subject), it would at least reveal the year in which they first appeared. I recall that one issue in 1974(?) covered the new stepout uniform, and had a photo of a soldier in the new uniform on the cover. That might be a useful place to start.

Milmed · #7 14-09-12, 11:37 AM

Thanks for the pics Dudley,
Are you able to scan and forward the 1970 QM lists for me? I would be very keen to compare to the 1986 I have.

Arthur, Yes going through old copies may give some indication but who has all those back issues? If I had access to a complete set I would happily browse through them

Steven

Milmed · #8 14-09-12, 11:39 AM

Just as an addition to this thread, I do have a SAMC khaki beret c.1944 Italian theatre with a narrow ruby cloth bar/balkie below the SAMC badge.

Steven

Arthur R · #9 14-09-12, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milmed

Arthur, Yes going through old copies may give some indication but who has all those back issues? If I had access to a complete set I would happily browse through them

If the National Libraries in Pretoria or Cape Town or the Msunduzi Public Library in Pietermaritzburg are accessible, they have sets, according to the online catalogue.

Traist · #10 14-09-12, 06:07 PM

Hi, the infantry 3 colour bar was approved in 1967 and the TSC in 1968. I don't know when they were put into use. Regards Andrew

Madziro · #11 15-09-12, 04:53 PM

Hullo Steven

Herewith the cover and the index of the 1970 catalogue. The book is over 100 pages and will take a while to scan. Once that is complete I shall convert it to a PDF document so that it can be emailed to those that want a copy.

Dudley

Traist · #12 16-09-12, 06:35 AM

Hi Dudley, I would appreciate a copy when you get there. Thank you. Regards Andrew

Milmed · #13 16-09-12, 11:03 AM

Hi Dudley,
Thanks very much, I cannot wait. I have already scanned the 1986 copy, so will compile into a pdf document and make available somehow. emailing may be restrictive as file would be fairly large. There are 210 pages to this document.

Steven

Madziro · #14 19-09-12, 10:50 AM

Gents

I have scanned the 1970 SADF Badge Catalogue and it is also quite a hefty PDF file at over 46000kb. The alternatives are to break it into smaller PDF docs or to email individual pages in batches to post each page as a JPG file at an average of 300kb per page.

If you would like a copy and the methodology please let me know by way of your email address in a PM and I will send them to you.

Kind regards

Dudley

Milmed · #15 19-09-12, 01:56 PM

Hi Dudley,
That is great and yes very large. My 210 pages also average 300k I put into a zip file but even then it came out to 43meg.

My browser can probably only handle 3-4 meg at a time (ie 10 pages) so maybe send them to me in 10 separate emails.

The 1986 copy I have scanned is also available but as I said above it zips into 43meg. Maybe someone has a website we could upload and then download from again.

Regards
Steven