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A beret ( Pronounced in English , except in North America where it is pronounced ) is a soft round Cap , usually of wool Felt , with a flat crown, which is worn by both men and women. Berets are worn by many military and police units, and in some countries are particularly associated with elite units, who often wear berets in more unusual colours (such as the Maroon of Commonwealth Parachute troops, the Green of the Royal Marines Commandos , French Commandos (''Bérets verts''), and United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets), the scarlet of the elite Soviet Internal Troops ( Spetsnaz ) and Police Tactical Unit of Singapore, the Beige Or Tan of Commonwealth special forces units ( SAS , CSOR ) and U.S. Army Rangers , or the wide black of French Chasseurs Alpins , the first military unit to have worn berets). Reportedly, the first beret was seen in Ancient Crete in 1750 BC. WEARING THE BERET The beret when properly worn fits snugly around the head, and the soft crown can be shaped in a variety of ways – it is commonly pushed to one side. Berets were originally worn by Northern Basque Peasant s (from the border area of Southern France, and Northern Spain) and were knitted from Wool . Today berets are normally made from wool Felt or Acrylic Fibre . Uniform berets feature a headband or sweatband attached to the wool, made either from leather or silk, sometimes with a drawstring allowing the wearer to tighten the hat. The drawstrings are, according to custom, either tied and cut off/tucked in or else left to dangle. The beret is often adorned with a Cap Badge , either in cloth or metal. Some berets have a piece of buckram or other stiffener in the position where the badge is intended to be worn. Berets are also often lined with silk, imitation silk, or other material, though in some militaries the liner is removed in order to shape (called "forming") the beret. The headband is in most cases apparent, but it can also be folded in (Basque style beret). BERETS IN THE MILITARY Berets have been a component of the uniforms of many armed forces throughout the world since the mid-20th century. A light blue beret is the international symbol of the United Nations Peacekeeping forces. Military berets are usually pulled to the right, but the armies of some European countries (including France) have influenced the pull to the left. The use of berets as a military headdress dates back to the creation of the French Chasseurs Alpins in the early 1880s. These mountain troops were issued with a new style of uniform which included several features which were very practical and advanced by the standards of the time, notably the large and floppy blue beret which they still retain (see below). This was so unfamilar a fashion outside France that it had to be described in an English encyclopedia in 1911 as ''"a sort of Tam O'shanter hat". Encyclopaedia Britannica '', 1911 Edition Berets have features that make them very attractive to the military: They are cheap and easy to make in large numbers, they can be manufactured in a wide range of colours to enhance branch or regimental esprit de corps, they can be rolled up and stuffed into a pocket without damage and they can be worn with headphones (this is one of the reasons why tank crews came to adopt the beret). However, they are not so useful in field conditions for an infantryman, as they do not offer the protection for the face against sun and rain that a peaked or wide brimmed hat does. The beret was found particularly useful as a uniform for armoured vehicle crewmen, and the British Tank Corps (later Royal Tank Corps) adopted the headdress as early as 1918. German AFV crews in the late 1930s also adopted a beret with the addition of a padded crash helmet inside. The colour black became popular as a tank crew headdress since it did not show oil stains picked up inside the interior of a vehicle. Black berets continue to be worn by armoured regiments throughout the Commonwealth . Berets have become the default military headdress of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, just as the Tricorne , Shako , Kepi and Peaked Cap were in various early eras. The beret is now worn by the majority of military personnel across the world. The three major hold-outs were the United States, Russia, and China (PRC) - all have now followed the example of the other armies in adopting berets. Argentina Berets are worn by some units in the Argentine Armed Forces , with distinctive colours for some units or functions. The beret colours are as follows:
Australia Berets are worn by all corps in the Australian Army , with distinctive colours for some units:Australian Army Standing Orders for Dress
Black berets are worn in the Royal Australian Navy , and blue berets in the Royal Australian Air Force , but only by qualified Airfield Defence Guards and Ground Defence Officers. Terracotta berets are worn by Multi-National Force and Observer contingents. In all cases, the beret is pulled to the right and a badge worn above the left eye. Austria Berets are common in most parts of the Army , and are usually worn for special occasions, but also regularly by certain forces.
Belgium Berets have been worn by Belgian Military personnel since World War II. Berets vary in colour according to the regiment, and carry a crest pin (sometimes on a coloured background patch) which is of gold colour for officers, silver for noncommissioned officers and bronze for troops.
Bulgaria Berets have been worn by Bulgaria n military personnel since 1991. Berets vary in colour according to the military branch, and carry a crest pin (sometimes on a coloured background patch) resembling the unit's insignia.
Canada Berets were first worn in the Canadian Army in 1937 when tank regiments (at that time part of the infantry) adopted the black beret of the Royal Armoured Corps . The black beret, which is now the headdress of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC), was first worn by the Essex Regiment (Tank), now renamed The Windsor Regiment (RCAC). This was because the other new tank units were ordered to wear the headdress that they had while serving as infantry. The Essex Regiment (Tank) was a new unit, formed as a tank regiment, with no connection to the Infantry. As such, it picked the headdress that was worn by the Royal Tank Corps of the British Army . ''Dressed to Kill'' ( Service Publications , Ottawa, ON, 2001) ISBN 1-894581-07-5 During the Second World War, a khaki beret was adopted throughout the Canadian Army , with the Canadian Armoured Corps (later Royal Canadian Armoured Corps) wearing the black beret and parachute troops wearing the Maroon Beret adopted by British airborne forces. The 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion (the Canadian component of the First Special Service Force ) wore a red beret with the dress uniform. Wartime berets were much fuller in cut than postwar berets. After the Second World War, a series of coloured berets were adopted, with infantry regiments wearing scarlet, rifle regiments wearing dark (rifle) green, the armoured corps wearing black, and other arms and services wearing midnight blue berets, with a large coloured "flash" in corps colours - dull cherry for the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps , Emerald Green for the Royal Canadian Dental Corps , etc. The coloured flashes were not popular and replaced in 1956 with forage caps bearing coloured bands in corps colours. The midnight blue beret itself was retained, however. canadiansoldiers.com When the Canadian Forces unified in the late 1960s, the rifle green beret was adopted as the CF standard. The RCAC successfully fought to retain its distinctive black beret, and the Canadian Airborne Regiment wore the Maroon Beret until the unit was disbanded. Scottish and Irish infantry regiments wear Tam O'shanter s, Glengarries , Balmorals or Caubeen s instead of berets. The berets listed below are the current standard:
The beret is used with service dress as formal headdress (especially after the move away from the Forage Cap in the 1990s) as well as with CADPAT clothing as garrison dress and as a form of combat dress. In certain cases the beret is even used as Ceremonial Dress, most commonly in units of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. China, People's Republic of Since s.
Croatia In the Croatian Army berets are used in special forces and professional brigades. Image Joint staff:
Guard brigades:
Czech Republic The Armed Forces Of The Czech Republic use berets for both Battledress and display uniform. The colour of the beret is defined by the branch of the armed forces. The beret displays the small state coat of arms and the badge of rank of the individual. Edict about military uniforms (in Czech)
Denmark The Royal Danish Army uses berets for all its personnel. The Navy and Air Force also use berets.
Ecuador Berets are worn by all personnel of the Ecuadorian Army (''Fuerza Terrestre''), with distinctive colours for some units or functions. The beret colours are:
Finland The Finnish Defence Force uses berets with cap badges for the Army , Navy and the Air Force . The berets are worn in "clean" garrison duties such as roll calls and with the walking-out uniform, but not with the battle dress. Until the mid-1990s, the beret was reserved for troops with special status, such as the coastal Jägers and the parachute jägers, but is nowadays used by all units. In the winter, berets are replaced by winter headgear. Berets are also used by the Finnish Frontier Guard , which is a military organization under the aegis of Ministry of Interior during peacetime.
France The military beret originated in the French Army , in the form of the wide and floppy headdress worn by the Chasseurs Alpins (mountain light infantry) from their foundation in the early 1880s. A tight-fitting version was subsequently adopted by French armoured troops towards the end of World War I. Between the wars special fortress units raised to garrison the Maginot Line wore khaki berets as did the 13th DBLE of the French Foreign Legion when it was created in 1940. The beret in red, blue or green was a distinction of the Metropolitan, Colonial and Foreign Legion paratroop regiments during the Indochina and Algerian wars. After 1962 the beret in either khaki or the colours specified above became the standard French Army headdress for ordinary use. With the exception of the Naval Commandos whose beret emulates the British Commando beret and is worn pulled to the right with the badge worn over the left ear, all French berets are pulled to the left with the badge worn on the right side over the eye or the temple.
Germany The German '' Heer '' uses berets with cap badges for every branch of service. The '' Luftwaffe '' and the Navy issue navy blue berets only to their ground or land combat units (called ''Luftwaffen-'' and ''Marine-Sicherungsstaffeln''). Berets are usually worn at special ceremonies and roll calls, although units with a special ''esprit de corps'', especially armoured and mechanized infantry (''Panzergrenadiere'') battalions, wear their berets all the time.
Greece The beret colours worn by the Hellenic Army are as follows:
Hungary Berets currently in Hungarian military:
Iceland Icelandic armed services commonly use berets.
India The beret is the standard headgear for the Indian Army . Berets are worn by officers and Other Ranks , apart from Sikhs , who wear Turban s. The beret colours worn by the Indian Army are as follows:
Indonesia The beret is the headgear of ground forces and military police in the Indonesian Armed Forces .
Ireland The beret colours worn by ''Óglaigh na hÉireann'' ( Irish Defence Forces ) are as follows:
All personnel wear a common capbadge, a sunburst insignia with the letters "FF" inscribed above the left eye of the beret; this is the ancient symbol of the Fianna , the elite forces of Irish warriors. Israel See Also: Israel Defense Forces insignia Israeli Defense Forces soldiers wear berets only on formal occasions, such as ceremonies and roll calls, and in disciplinary situations such as courts martial and imprisonments. The beret is placed beneath the left Epaulette The beret colors are as follows:
Italy Italian Army personnel used to wear a Garrison Cap alongside the combination cap, until the early 1970s when the garrison cap was replaced by the beret. Until the early 1980s the general Army colour for the beret was khaki, the black being reserved to armoured units. The colours presently used are:
Malaysia Berets are worn by some units of the Malaysian Armed Forces . The colours presently used are:
Mexico In the Mexican Army , the beret is worn by:
In the Mexican Navy :
Netherlands When the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces acquired new modernised uniforms (designed by the Dutch couturier Frans Molenaar ) in 2001, the berets changed as well. Since 2004, soldiers of the Royal Netherlands Army have worn a petrol (blue-green) beret, whereas previously they wore brown. The following colours are also used (before and after the modernisation):
The only Dutch military units that do not wear a beret are the ''Gele Rijders'' (Horse Artillery), who wear a blue garrison cap with yellow trimming. All regiments and services have their own distinctive colours. There are quite a lot, but the number of colours in the logistic services was reduced in 2001. This colour is shown in a patch of cloth behind the beret flash. The intendance (maroon), transport troops (blue), military administration (pink; hence the nickname 'Pink Mafia'), technical service (black), and medical troops and service (green) lost their colours and all now wear yellow patches.
New Zealand All soldiers in the New Zealand Army wear rifle green berets, except for Special Air Service , who wear a sand or ERCW colour. Personnel of the Royal New Zealand Air Force wear dark blue, while the Royal New Zealand Navy wear black. Norway The Norwegian armed forces use the beret as a garrison cap, but some units (mostly armored vehicle personnel) also use it in the field. The Norwegian beret and all other headwear except those of the Navy always have the current king's cipher as a badge; currently this is a numeral ''5'' inside an ''H'', for "Harald V" . The navy has a crowned gold anchor for their enlisted personnel, a crowned gold anchor surrounded by a circle of rope for their petty officers, and a crowned golden anchor surrounded by leaved branches for officers. The colours used are:
The special operations units of the Navy wear the same berets as the rest of the navy. However they have a coloured patch behind the cap badge, the colour of which determines the unit:
Pakistan
Poland Black berets were introduced before World War II for tank and armoured car crews. During World War II, berets were widely adopted in the Polish Army on the Western Front . After the war in the communist era, berets were worn only by armoured units (black), navy for field and work uniform (black), paratroopers (maroon), and marines (light blue). After 1990, the beret became the standard headgear in the Armed Forces of Republic of Poland. The following colours are in use:
The black beret is also the distinctive headgear of World War II veterans, particularly Armia Krajowa veterans. Portugal In the Portuguese Armed Forces , the following berets are in use:
Until 1975, the following berets were also in use:
Russia/USSR Russian military structures (both Armed Forces and Internal Troops ) use the following types of berets:
Serbia The Serbian Armed Forces wear berets in the following colours:
Singapore The Singapore Armed Forces adopts the beret as their standard headgear. The different color divisions are as follows:
The berets are all adorned with the Singapore Armed Forces coat of arms, with the exception of the Air Force beret and navy beret which are adorned with their respective cap-badge. Officers in the navy have a different cap-badge from the enlisted men. South Africa The South African Army wears the beret as its standard headgear. The different color divisions are as follows:
The berets are all adorned with the unit's insignia. Some of the traditional units wear other headgear - for example, the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment and the South African Military Health Service . South Korea Berets are mostly limited to the elite units of the South Korean Military , including:
Other than these units, several secret commando units (mostly disbanded in the mid-1990s) formed to infiltrate North Korea during the Cold War days wore black berets and adorned them with the badges of individual units. Korean liaison soldiers serving in the U.S. Eighth Army (KATUSA) have also been wearing black berets along with American uniforms since that beret became a standard headgear of the U.S. Army in 2001. As of 2006, there have been several proposals within the Korean Ministry of Defense to replace the current field cap with a dark-coloured beret as the standard army headgear. South Vietnam (defunct)
Sri Lanka Only the elite forces wear berets in the Sri Lanka Armed Forces .
Sweden The beret is used in the various Armed Forces of Sweden . The colours used are:
Switzerland The beret is worn by all Swiss Armed Services , as well as various cantonal police forces and customs.
Thailand The beret is used in the various armed forces of Thailand . The colours used are:
The black beret is also worn by ordinary police in certain situations. Turkey
United Kingdom The British Army beret dates back to 1918 when the French 70th Chasseurs Alpins were training with the British Tank Corps . The Chasseurs alpins wore a distinctive large beret (see above) and Major-General Sir Hugh Elles , the TC's Colonel, realised this style of headdress would be a practical option for his Tank crews, forced to work in a reduced space. He thought, however, that the Chasseur beret was "too sloppy" and the Basque -style beret of the French tank crews was "too skimpy", so a compromise based on the Scottish Tam O'shanter was designed and submitted for the approval of George V in November 1923. It was adopted in March 1924. During the Second World War the beret was also adopted by the Commandos and Parachute Regiment . Later in the war, a rather baggier beret-like hat, called a General Service Cap, was issued to all ranks of the British Army (with RAC, parachute, commando, Scottish and Irish units excepted), to replace the earlier Field Service Cap. The GS Cap was not popular, and after the war was replaced with a true beret.Gordon, David. ''Uniforms of the World War II Tommy'' (Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, Missoula, MT, 2005). ISBN 1-57510-122-X Today, every British military unit wears a beret, with the exception of the Royal Regiment Of Scotland and Royal Irish Regiment , who wear the Tam O'shanter and the Caubeen respectively (the Scots Guards and Irish Guards , however, wear berets, as frequently do the Royal Irish Regiment on operations). Many of these berets are in distinctive colours and all are worn with the Cap Badge of the service, Regiment or Corps . The cap badge for all services in the UK is supposed to be worn directly over the left eye. Beret Colours The colours are as follows:
Other Adornments Some Regiments and Coorps wear a coloured backing behind the capbadge, these include:
The Royal Regiment Of Fusiliers , the only remaining independent fusilier regiment, wears a feather Hackle on the beret. Other ranks of the Royal Welsh also wear hackles. Members of the Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Army Air Corps, Parachute Regiment, SAS and Intelligence Corps wear berets in Nos 1, 2, 3 and 6, s, Brigadier s and General s 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. Old Units Former regiments and corps, now amalgamated, that did not wear navy blue berets included:
United States Berets were originally worn by elite forces in the s. The United States Army Special Forces are generally known as "green berets" for the colour of their headgear. Soldiers in special operations units wear distinctive organisational flashes. Conventional forces wear a pale blue flash with thirteen white stars. Officers wear their rank emblem within the flash, while enlisted ranks wear their regimental unit insignia. United States Army units can be distinguished by the colour of their berets, as follows:
The wearing of berets in the United States Air Force is less common, but several career fields are authorised to wear berets of specific colours, as follows:
In the United States Navy , women are authorized to wear a black beret with Service and Service Dress uniform regulations. The Officers Crest, Chief's Anchor , and the silver eagle with USN are worn, as rank appropriate. BERETS IN OTHER PARAMILITARY ORGANISATIONS Iceland The Police Cadets, Riot unit and the members of the Special Operations Unit Of The National Commissioner Of Icelandic Police (''Víkingasveitin'') wear black berets. High ranking members of the Reykjavík Air Rescue Unit are entitled to wear orange berets. Italy Dark blue berets are worn by the Polizia Di Stato and blue berets by the Polizia Penitenziaria . Malaysia Dark blue berets are worn by the Royal Malaysian Police . The elite '' Pasukan Gerakan Khas '', the paramilitary Northern Brigade and the General Operations Forces wear maroon berets. Some sub-units of the ''Pasukan Gerakan Khas'', including the VAT 69 Commandos, wear tan (sand) berets. The anti-riot Federal Reserve Units (FRU) wear red berets. Portugal The '' Polícia De Segurança Pública '' (PSP) Intervention Corps wear navy blue berets, the Personal Security Corps (''Corpo de Segurança Pessoal'') (VIP bodyguards) wear sky blue berets, CIEXSS teams (explosive disposal) wear black berets, and the PSP Special Operations Group wear emerald green berets. The ''Guarda Prisional'' (Prison Guards) wear black berets. The members of the paramilitary Rescue Corps of the Portuguese Red Cross wear purple berets. Until their disbandment in 1975, the Angola and Mozambique paramilitary civil defence volunteers wore black berets. Singapore Black berets were worn by all members of the Singapore Police Force until 1969, when the Peaked Cap was introduced. The beret was, however, retained for specialist forces, such as officers of the Special Operations Command (SOC) and the Police Coast Guard , as well as the Gurkha Contingent . A dark blue beret is worn, although the Police Tactical Unit of the SOC switched to red berets in 2005. The Gurkha Contingent began wearing khaki-coloured berets from 2006. Members of the Singapore Civil Defence Force attached to a headquarters element, or on overseas missions, also wear black berets. These are adorned with the SCDF crest, and may sport a flash in certain specialist units, such as the Rescue Dog Unit and the elite Disaster Assistance And Rescue Team . Auxiliary Police officers of CISCO Security Private Limited don dark blue berets when performing escort and other high-risk duties, as do specialist forces of the Singapore Prison Service . In addition, student cadets of uniformed Youth Organization s such as the National Police Cadet Corps and the National Cadet Corps also wear berets of different colours. South Africa The Special Task Force of the South African Police Service wear camouflage berets. South Korea Several police SWAT teams belonging to different municipalities wear either maroon or green berets; Seoul Metropolitan Police SWAT team (Unit 868) wears maroon berets, while Incheon Metropolitan Police SWAT team (Unit 313) wears green berets. Spain and the Basque Country in his red beret.]] The beret, ''boina'' in Spanish or ''txapela'' in Basque , was introduced into Spain during the First Carlist War . Carlist s wore red berets (''txapelgorri'' in Basque, which later also came to mean "Carlist soldier") and Isabellines white ones. The red beret became a Falange symbol when Carlism was merged into it after the Spanish Civil War . Today the Basque police force, Ertzaintza , wears red berets. ETA guerrillas may wear black berets over hoods in public appearances. Sri Lanka The Special Task Force of the Sri Lanka Police wear green berets. United Kingdom CO19 , the armed response unit of the London Metropolitan Police , used to wear dark blue berets, and were nicknamed the 'Blue Berets'. Today, they generally wear helmets or baseball caps. Hong Kong The beret is the standard headgear of officers of the Police Tactical Unit of the Hong Kong Police Force . Officers are nicknamed the "Blue Berets" or the "Blue Caps". BERETS IN CIVILIAN ORGANIZATIONS Aside from armed forces, berets are associated with a variety of other different organizations.
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS Berets (''chapelas'', from Basque ''txapela'') have become the standard headgear of the Castilian peasant. The beret was once considered the national hat of France and is part of the stereotypical image of the Onion Johnny . It has diminished in popularity, just as hats for men all over the world have waned in popularity. Still considered a matter of French pride, it is worn by both women and men. Black is the traditional colour. There are only two manufacturers left in France that make berets. The beret is also a stereotyped trademark of Film Director s, Artist s (particularly painters), Intellectual s, Bohemians, and Beatnik s of any nationality. Schoolgirls often wear berets with their School Uniforms . When searching for a suitable style of beret to be worn by the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), the French Chasseurs Alpins was rejected as being too big. The RTR selected a model worn by an Girls School. Some British comedians have been identified with the beret; Chris Langham is recorded as having announced to actor Ken Campbell that he has named the tassle or stalk which is present in some berets the ''langham'', after himself. Michael Crawford also wore a beret as Frank Spencer . Other entertainment figures identified with the beret include Jamie Hyneman of '' MythBusters '', and Fred Berry who played Rerun in '' What's Happening!! '' and '' What's Happening Now!! '' (as well as in real life). It is said that Groucho Marx wore a beret that he could carry in his pocket to avoid tipping hat-check girls when he went to restaurants and night clubs. The beret is sometimes worn simply as a Fashion Statement . SEE ALSO
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