SAS badge

[sjsoon]

hi. not sure if this should be in general discussion or ..history. but anyway, i thought i would just ask out. if i offend anyone or thinks this is a noob/stupid question, i apologize.

in the early years (or current), do british SAS wear metal beret badges or patch badges? the thing is i saw SAS metal badges floating around the net, am just not sure why they exist if patch badges were the one worn.

any good reference on this to read up?

thx~

[BiZ]

If you've seen this,

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/8668/c03009074sm.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

It's SASR, not Brit SAS.

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting (http://imageshack.us)

[sjsoon]

yup. according to the book Anzac Elite (not sure what your thoughts on this book) ... it seems the first metal beret badge by the SASR is Anodised UK made by J.R. Gaunt 1965-80.

but other antique shops have claims of UK SAS metal badges dated back since 1950s (most of them is said to make of brass). not sure that's why i am asking. i tried searching for websites, but it seems i can't find any (or is it just me).

[Royal]

In the 50's and 60's SAS officers wore No 1 dress and service dress caps (they had bi-colour metal badges) on rare occasions.

Now they wear the beret with all forms of dress.

They are 99.99999% fake.

[BiZ]

They are 99.99999% fake.

Agreed, I can't see anyone, or their families ever selling such an item.

[digrar]

If people will sell VC's, they will sell anything.

[BiZ]

If people will sell VC's, they will sell anything.

Ahhh true.... :(

[MSR]

You never know Biz, there may be some poor old digger who has served his country and is now on the bones of his arse. When you think about it like that there are only the good times to remember.

[sjsoon]

In the 50's and 60's SAS officers wore No 1 dress and service dress caps (they had bi-colour metal badges) on rare occasions.

Now they wear the beret with all forms of dress.

They are 99.99999% fake.

mmm.. thanks for the knowledge.. only in the 50s or 60s...

[Trident355]

Took me a while to figure out how to host things. Here are some pics of a genuine and current SASR beret and badge.

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/2044/img08126ev.jpg

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/1581/img08132tf.jpg

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/251/img08147zo.jpg

As opposed to this fake one off ebay.

http://i16.ebayimg.com/02/i/04/9d/76/ba_3.JPG

[sjsoon]

i've seen that one on ebay!!!

thanks for the genuine pics of the SASR berets+badges. any idea who supply the beret to ADF?

i just got a book on Anzac Elite.. more helpful in patches than badges that's what i think.

[Trident355]

i've seen that one on ebay!!!

thanks for the genuine pics of the SASR berets+badges. any idea who supply the beret to ADF?

i just got a book on Anzac Elite.. more helpful in patches than badges that's what i think.

No I don't. Why do you want to know?

[sjsoon]

curious

[Trident355]

Hope it's not to try to make a "real deal" one. These are earnt mate, not made up.

[Corinthian]

Steer clear of Elite Militaria from Australia on ebay his stuff ids dodgy as

[RGRBOX]

OK Guys,

If I could just add a question to this thread. I just finished the book by Tom Collins, he's a badged SAS Officer. On his dress uniform he wears the SAS Para wings on the right shoulder... but on his Camo uniforms he wears what appears to be the standard Para wings on his right shoulder. can anyone tell me why this is?

Thanks in advance, and I hope I'm not stealing from this thread too much.

Mike B.

[Royal]

OK Guys,

If I could just add a question to this thread. I just finished the book by Tom Collins, he's a badged SAS Officer. On his dress uniform he wears the SAS Para wings on the right shoulder... but on his Camo uniforms he wears what appears to be the standard Para wings on his right shoulder. can anyone tell me why this is?

Thanks in advance, and I hope I'm not stealing from this thread too much.

Mike B.

UKSF do not as a rule wear any badges on combat uniforms. Rank is sometimes worn in CS95 working dress (particularly by officers and warrant officers) and I have seen SAS wings worn on a couple of occasions (but it's VERY rare). If he's ex-Para reg (or just jump qualified) it may be an old photo.

Service dress/2's and Lovats are worn, but very rarely.

[RGRBOX]

OK Guys,

If I could just add a question to this thread. I just finished the book by Tom Collins, he's a badged SAS Officer. On his dress uniform he wears the SAS Para wings on the right shoulder... but on his Camo uniforms he wears what appears to be the standard Para wings on his right shoulder. can anyone tell me why this is?

Thanks in advance, and I hope I'm not stealing from this thread too much.

Mike B.

UKSF do not as a rule wear any badges on combat uniforms. Rank is sometimes worn in CS95 working dress (particularly by officers and warrant officers) and I have seen SAS wings worn on a couple of occasions (but it's VERY rare). If he's ex-Para reg (or just jump qualified) it may be an old photo.

Service dress/2's and Lovats are worn, but very rarely.

I don't think you understand my question. He's a former SAS Officer. He wears the SAS Para Wings on his dress uniform. It was when he was being awarded a medal from the queen. But on his combat uniforms (Cdr of 1 Irish) he was wearing the standard para wings on his sholuder... my question is why? If he's a former SAS Officer why wouldn't he just wear the SAS Para Wings on his combact uniform too. I've seen several pics from soldiers in their Dress Uniforms wearing SAS wings... mostly officers who had served in the SAS. but never on the combat uniforms...

[Royal]

If you're talking about Col Tim Colins - he wore his Royal Irish wings on his desert combats on Telic 1...

He wore the correct ones for that form of dress. According to dress regs, SF wings are authorised for all forms of dress (for those qualified) - they just aren't worn...

[Corinthian]

Lt Col Tim Collins wore std Para wings Operationally as wearing SAS wings in war would make a great target.

[RGRBOX]

If you're talking about Col Tim Colins - he wore his Royal Irish wings on his desert combats on Telic 1...

He wore the correct ones for that form of dress. According to dress regs, SF wings are authorised for all forms of dress (for those qualified) - they just aren't worn...

OK Thanks... If the guy has earned SAS Para wings... why does he wear the standard ones then...

[Corinthian]

A few reasons,
you dont find many SAS guys in the UK wearing uniform off base,for security reasons and an
even better reason not to wear them on Ops.


As a Lt Col i suppose you get a bit of latitude to wear what you want [ Like the Os wearing Harrods Tan jumpers and stuff with their Des DPMs i guess.

[BiZ]

OK Thanks... If the guy has earned SAS Para wings... why does he wear the standard ones then...

You've earnt them, you don't need to prance about wearing shoulder flashes showing everyone about it. Wearing standard ones simply lessens the chance of standing out.

[Apogee]

Does anyone have a website that explains the different color British berets? We've got a Brit exchange officer here and I see him walking around, but I'm not sure what his beret symbolizes.

[Royal]

Does anyone have a website that explains the different color British berets? We've got a Brit exchange officer here and I see him walking around, but I'm not sure what his beret symbolizes.

Not that I'm aware of...

What colour is it? I'll try to explain...

[digrar]

There was a thread on beret colours a few months ago, or Royal can tell you.

[Apogee]

Does anyone have a website that explains the different color British berets? We've got a Brit exchange officer here and I see him walking around, but I'm not sure what his beret symbolizes.

Not that I'm aware of...

What colour is it? I'll try to explain...

Its Tan.

[Royal]

there you go mate:

Khaki — Foot Guards, Household Cavalry, Honourable Artillery Company, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, Royal Anglian Regiment, Green Howards

You forgot the Duke of Wellington's Regiment and the Household Cavalry wear dark blue or (if qualified) Para maroon berets


Light grey — Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps

and elements of the QOY IIRC.


Brown — King's Royal Hussars

Black — Royal Tank Regiment

Dark (Rifle) green — Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry, Light Infantry, Royal Green Jackets, Royal Gurkha Rifles

No such regiment as the Devonshire and Dorset Light infantry. The Devon and Dorset regiment wear Black berets with a green badge backing. The RGBW (not LI) wore black berets with a red badge backing.

With their amalgamation into the LI regiment (and subsequant loss of name) that will change.


Maroon — Parachute Regiment, other troops serving in airborne role (not necessarily jump qualified)

Troops serving with 16 Air Assault Brigade (less Army Air Corps and their attached arms, who retain their sky blue berets). Parachute regiment, in role parachute support units and 2 (Para) Squadron RAF Regiment


Beige — Special Air Service

Tan


Sky blue — Army Air Corps

Cypress green — Intelligence Corps

Scarlet — Royal Military Police

Green — Adjutant General's Corps

Navy blue — all other Army units (except Scottish and Irish line infantry regiments), Royal Navy, Royal Marines who are not commando-qualified

How about the Gurkhas (Rifle green), the MPGS (AGC green), RMP CP (black), RRW and RWF (and their sucessors) (black)...


Commando green — commando-qualified Royal Marines, other commando-qualified troops serving in commando units

Also Commando qualifed RN personell.


RAF blue — Royal Air Force (including RAF Regiment)

Less 2 Squadron.


I think its Khaki your looking for, take your pick :)

and just for your info...

Members of the Royal Tank Regiment, Army Air Corps, Parachute Regiment and SAS never wear any other form of uniform headgear except the beret (i.e. they do not wear peaked caps). Troops from other services, regiments or corps on attachment to units with distinctive coloured berets often wear those berets (with their own cap badge). Colonels, brigadiers and generals usually continue to wear the beret of the regiment or corps to which they used to belong with the cap badge distinctive to their rank. The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and Royal Welch Fusiliers wear a coloured feather hackle on the beret.


Good ol' wikipedia

Colonels and above always wear the beret of their former regiment (those with prior SAS service often, but not always choose to wear that).

Many of the Highland and Irish units also wear a hackle.

[SamHamam]

The official line for the Army is in here:

http://www.ams.mod.uk/ams/content/docs/jsp336/3rd_ed/vol12/pt3/pam15/s5ac.doc