Dating a British beret

**Grimebox** · 02-24-2018, 01:20 PM

I picked this up today having bought a whole dressed mannequin. The mannequin was a mix of mainly British 1950’s uniform and kit (BD blouse, trousers, shirt and boots), however, the gaiters and webbing belt were wartime along with a small pack which has the same name as the beret. Is there anyway of dating it? There are no stamps that I can find.

**Watchdog** · 02-24-2018, 01:34 PM

Well, I think that style is post war for sure and it looks like a private purchase item so likely an officers beret as private purchase by ORs didn't become popular until the "Victor" berets of the '70s. Naturally private purchase stuff is very difficult to date for obvious reasons such as not being specified by contracts etc. It has a silk band which type was used on issue berets until the '80s when the MoD went back to leather bands on service contract items (much to the delight of the soldiery!). The band being the same colour as the crown rather than black might be significant, it rings a bell somewhere in my head but I can't quite put my finger on it. Other than that you might look for period photographs amongst units who wore this colour post war.Does the uniform have any regimental links?
The wartime dated webbing is definately to be seen as a red herring in this context. There was so much of the stuff made that war time dated stuff was still in service for decades.

I think Gerry B might be your man here as he is fairly clued up on headress. Sorry not to be more helpful.

Regards

Mark

**Grimebox** · 02-24-2018, 01:47 PM

The BD is badged to the Royal Signals but nothing else is named. I think everything was put together to make a ‘wartime’ display, in the pocket was a crudely made LDV arm band. I thought it probably was post war, but I’m not to bothered as I wanted the mannequin and everything else was a bonus!

**Jerry B** · 02-24-2018, 03:04 PM

Ad Mark stated, officers private purchase beret, either wartime or not long after as I fairly sure this type was phased out before the 1950's, sometime between 1946-48. A nice brret to have.