21 sas beret badge

[Mike_2817]

I would need to research this further, but I feel attached TA personnel such as Pay Corps, RLC (RCT/RAOC disbanded in 1993), REME, AGC etc or Regular PSI's would have worn the SAS Sand Beret, but with their own cap badge, as Dress Regulations clearly state this.

The use by Non-Sabre regimental members of HQ 21 Regt or Support Sqn sounds more likely!

I know a former RAOC/RLC Sgt attached to 22 Regt around this time and will ask him what he knows.

While in the RAOC I wore different embellishments from coloured berets to coloured jumpers (when attached to the RA), but never someone else's cap badge or lanyard (REME did since they did not have on of their own)

If this is true, then I need to update my own RAOC/RLC collection.

Mike, like me, i think you need to look at this way, if a Civvy joins SAS (V) or (R) he wouldn't have a formal regimental association, hence the need for some form of headress, must admit this was a new one on me! I was aware they wore black beret's prior to selection but what if they failed, also of interest, what did the female members wear when they joined? Regards Mark

[Mike_2817]

I'm still not convinced - I do not have problem with those who joined SAS(R) only that 'attached personnel' who did join a support corps first would not wear another cap badge. Can females join the SAS Reserves? or would they be badge AGC or other corps badge?

I do not think anyone wore Black Berets, but Dark Blue??

[gavin frankland]

Attached personnel in 23 at one point did wear the correct sas headdress and badge even if they failed selection. In 2000 this was stopped and made official by DSF a few months later. Berets are very rarely worn.

[NorthStafford]

Originally Posted by gavin frankland

Attached personnel in 23 at one point did wear the correct sas headdress and badge even if they failed selection. In 2000 this was stopped and made official by DSF a few months later. Berets are very rarely worn.

I think there's some confusion here as to what Attached Personnel are. They are members of another corps temporarily attached to a unit and would , in my opinion, always wear their own cap badge .After transferring from North Staffords to REME and spending 15 years with a variety of units I was never expected to wear any but my own badge and never met anyone who had done otherwise , most soldiers are too proud of their own badge to wear anyone else's. People attached while going through SAS training would undoubtedly have worn some sort of SAS badge, probably the Mars and Minerva with 21 SAS or a General Service Corps badge.

[Gurkha]

It was certainly being worn in 2000 as I attended a leaving do in 21 mess. One of the guys was wearing the sand beret with that badge on. I'll E mail the guy that retired.

Regards Steve

[Colin S]

Attached personnel serving in support of the 'badged'
Sabre squadrons will wear the SAS beige beret but with their own cap badge (Int, REME, RLC, RAMC, AGC etc). There may be a very small number of these support personnel who leave their parent corps and transfer permanently into the 21st Regiment as non badged support personnel and for whom a regimental cap badge (such as the M&M) is required. The winged dagger is for badged personnel who have passed selection. How 23 SAS deal with this problem, I don't know.

Head dress for recruits undergoing selection will be either the camouflaged 'craphat' or the woollen cap comforter. They have no need for a beret, as they do not do formal parades.

[JON188]

And he Confirmed this story. He had a beret but gave it away.

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by JON188

And he Confirmed this story. He had a beret but gave it away.

Which of the stories are you confirming?

Marc

[JON188]

M and M on beret

[johanwiegman]

Originally Posted by JON188

And he Confirmed this story. He had a beret but gave it away.

Friends,

I have followed all conversations about attached personnel and their headdress.

I believe the practice that attached personnel wear their own parent unit beret badge on a sand beret is largely correct!

However, please notice wearing the M&M cloth beret badge was a SHORTLIVED practice exclusively for 21 and only in 1996 for a little over a year. I am 100 percent sure that is correct and Jon says the 21 storeman confirmed it.

Another interesting and related area is the wearing of stablebelts where the practice is sometimes the other way round: wearing a belt with parent unit webbing and the winged dagger or 18 Signals Regiment locket.

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,

Johan

[jeep]

On eBay at he moment.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264-SAS-SI...4AAOSwcLxYGjyH

[Colin S]

Originally Posted by johanwiegman

Friends,

Another interesting and related area is the wearing of stablebelts where the practice is sometimes the other way round: wearing a belt with parent unit webbing and the winged dagger or 18 Signals Regiment clasp.

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,

Johan

It is an interesting area, as British practice (normal Corps coloured belt with elite unit locket) is the opposite to that in Australia (when stable belts were worn in the 1980s). There they wore the elite unit coloured belt but with their normal Corps buckle e.g. Commando Signals wore the Commando green and black belt but with a darkened RASigs metal locket.

Some British units have gone even further. 29 Commando Regt RA have always had their unique stable belt webbing (commando green with RA red and blue stripes) but have now added the silver locket bearing the Commando dagger insignia, as used by 24 Commando Regt RE with the normal RE coloured belt.) Elite webbing and elite buckle!

It's the differences which make the hobby interesting.

Colin

[sailorbear]

Originally Posted by johanwiegman

Friends,

I have followed all conversations about attached personnel and their headdress.

I believe the practice that attached personnel wear their own parent unit beret badge on a sand beret is largely correct!

However, please notice wearing the M&M cloth beret badge was a SHORTLIVED practice exclusively for 21 and only in 1996 for less than 2 years. I am 100 percent sure that is correct and Jon says the 21 storeman confirmed it.

Another interesting and related area is the wearing of stablebelts where the practice is sometimes the other way round: wearing a belt with parent unit webbing and the winged dagger or 18 Signals Regiment clasp.

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,

Johan

Hi Johan, I can certainly confirm that ( from 1979 to 1997) when I had associations with, and served in 63 SAS Signal Squadron it was the practice that all personnel who had successfully passed Assessment, (4 months) and B3 Radio Operators course (6 months), wore a stable belt of Royal Signals corps colours canvas and chrome SAS winged dagger clasp, along with Royal Signals "Jimmy" cap badge on an SAS sand beret.

As for "support staff" well 63 is not 21 or 23 but they did follow the practice of completing "Assessment" then wearing their parent corps cap badge (ACC & REME in the 170's/80's and later RLC/REME/RAMC in the 90's) on a sand beret but don't remember anyone wearing a winged dagger clasp on a corps stable belt other than Royal Signals.

Regards

Tony

[johanwiegman]

Hi Tony,

Yes, I am aware of SFCs wearing Signals webbing belts with SAS, SRR and later 18 Sigs Regiment lockets.

Also, I am reliably informed there are REME belts with SAS and
18 Sigs lockets.

Any other samples known?

Cheers,

Johan