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I saw the badge advertised (it is marked as a reproduction) and it made me curious as to how it would mount to the beret? The clip looks like that on a ballpoint pen. Is there a slot/hole on the beret? Is it sewn on?
Thanks for any insight.
Attachment 91607
Mike
Seen some with slots, some without slots and just a slit through the outer and inner lining.
Will vary between makes and era, although, I'm not sure about the really modern and current issue stuff.
so now a secondary follow up question.....what would have been "proper" for a WWII para? Which style beret an what type of badge?
There's a spot for the slot to be cut in the beret, just be careful. I had to cut the slot right through the cardboard backing and that way my badge didn't ever come off and couldn't be pilfered easily. Also the badge lay flat against the wool. Your beret should come with a liner, we cut the cloth liner out of the beret and shrunk them in hot water and formed them to our heads, or you look like the actors on movies that pull theirs on . It's also worn from the eyebrows back, not pulled on like a baseball cap from the back forward.
Attachment 91625
BEAR
Nice...it was always a fight with new recruits.
Attachment 91626
I.......I........I have no words!
BEAR
Maybe Naval Commandos?
82trooper/Mike,
Nothing has really changed over the years.
The badge shown is indeed a reproduction which can always be clearly seen by the small fault which is always evident on the second feather down on the left, its a tiny raised double dot or lump. For some reason they have all retained this big giveaway in the reproduction process. It is a King George crown so it has been copied from a WW2 PARA badge.
The brass spade on the rear goes through a small cut in the maroon PARA beret and normally is held firm by a cap badge backing made out of plastic or card.
We often wear the capbadge stay inside the inner lining, but as so many lads now take the linings out, the cap badge backing does the trick.
Should have said, originals came with lugs and not sliders where two lugs were passed through two small holes made by the soldier, and then a brass retaining pin was passed through each lug inside. These were far more successful rather than losing your cap badge. Hope this helps
Here you go explains what I meant by the alternative lugs not sliders
Over the past 15 years or so the crunchies have taken to shaping their berets to look like sacks of potatoes and the badge seems to be wandering round to the left so that it falls midway between the centre line of the eye and centre line of the left ear. Unless the senior NCO's start getting a grip of the situation, the badge will be over the left ear'ole before long. The brass badges need to be easily removed to clean them fairly regularly to prevent brasso getting onto the beret - a major sin, believe me! You can use what we used to call a 'button stick' to prevent this. But with modern anodized alloy badges, that's the end of cleaning thank god! It was a bit pot luck whether the badge fixing was like that shown or fixed with two hoops and a cross pin - a bit like a split pin. I always retained my RAEME badge from Australia in my beret and nobody ever noticed the small extra 'A'. Made from Gilt and Silver
REME Armourers were always re-fixing the broken tabs from the rear of the brass or nickel badges shown by Gil, with a blob of soft or silver solder for a donation of a jar of coffee or box of tea bags......, you know the sort of thing. The old sweats usually had the privately purchased brass/nickel ones while the newer lads got the alloy ones they were issued with. The Corps 'shop', or the PRI usually had stocks of the brass/nickel badges in stock and at my last SASC and nearby REME unit I would stamp the rear bar with the soldiers regimental number in very small number stamps as a permanent keepsake because I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that you always kept your hat badge when you left. I did!
Peter,
Absolutely right on the positioning of the badge over the left eye. They have tended to creep round as you say, in French Foreign Legion style and nobody really says anything. The PARA Battalions have recently been spending a lot of time with the Legion in Corsica so perhaps the fault.
This is how an ex RSM wears his badge correctly lol ................United Nations No Mans Land Cemetery in Nicosia Cyprus Remembrance day 2016
That's the way Gil.
We were pretty firm about the positioning, the only difference was the space between the band and eyebrow. Some had no space and others had a vast expanse. I saw my share of UK troops though that had badges so far left they almost looked like highland troops...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
I know the graveyard, to the inch where you stand...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
Jim,
Had to get back as there were a few anomalies I had to sort out, where graves were shown there, but in fact families had repatriated them back to England, took a while but now all sorted under GRAVEWATCH.
Not far from there on a return from a jungle warfare course in Malaya as we refuelled at RAF Akrotiri we were shipped there by lorries to build a massive sandbag wall following the invasion...........still there, as are my blisters, it was bloody hard work in the middle of summer lol!!
What's your tale?
Not much of a tale, I was on duty as line NCO and took that as licence to do what I wanted and go where I wanted...included wandering through the commonwealth cemetery to see who was there, pass respects and officially look for vandalism for the UN. I'd seen lots during the first tour in '75/'76 and being a Pte couldn't take a step. Now in '80 things were different and I took lots of chances that couldn't do last tour. Didn't see the hearse you showed pics of though. Was at Akrotiri too...wandered the inside of the airport, the hanger with the aircraft they eventually flew out...pics of everything that wasn't allowed... Saw lots and didn't go back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
Jim,
The hearse is in a garage of the adjoining cemetery that the Turks have literally "grave robbed every one" all smashed and open seeking no doubt anything of value.
They have their positions where they can see any UN patrols coming long before they arrive, still a very sensitive area.
And every thing...I better leave that alone. We could go on for a day about that very area. Not many I can chat about it with... Typically I have a couple funny stories too. I guess we should start a thread about it. Maybe get a couple bites...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
Than you all for taking the time to contribute to my questions.
Sorry we slid off the rail again, but blame it on overseas duty or something...inability to pay attention. I did think about us rambling during my last post...Quote:
Originally Posted by 82Trooper
Rambling.............what us? Never in the field of human endurance would we dare!;)
No worries.....I come here not only for the actual knowledge...but for the info-tainment that accompanies it! Keep those tales coming.....Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
Oh great...jump stories....I love jump stories.
"This is no lie. There I was.....Jumpmaster of 64 jumpers on a one way trip.....1250' above the ground......"
To be continued....
BEAR
Enjoy, the thrill of the mix from 2 PARA...........YEE HA
POV Footage of UK Soldier With Parachute Regiment Jumping Into Ukraine During Airborne Operation - YouTube
Why British Paras are BEST: Look how LOW they Jump! - YouTube
Last one 82nd/101st Fort Bragg
Paratroopers Static Line Jump From C-17 - YouTube
Perhaps we could start a thread about that too...there are more than a few jumpers. Please include DZ controller's stories...and LAPES...EZ...Quote:
Originally Posted by BEAR
Always marvel at the rigs of the U.S Airborne lads. Seems a tad tidier then ours when strapped to the leg. Also the chutes look spot on..........whats the failure rate with all that weight?
I was marvelling at the sheer size of the US chutes. Way bigger than the ones we used to use. Deeper...look like they hold more air for a slower decent.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
I noticed a few kicking out line twists.
Drop rate according to Wikipedia: The canopy has an increased inflated diameter of 14 percent and a 28 percent increase in surface area, when compared with the T-10D assembly. The T-11 main canopy utilizes a unique deployment sequence to reduce the opening shock and canopy oscillation. The T-11 is designed to have an average rate of descent of 19 feet per second (5.8 m/s) for the 95th percentile service member, compared with 24 feet per second (7.3 m/s) with the T-10C. This reduction is intended to result in significantly lower landing injury rates for jumpers.[2]
It also says that it is in use by the Canadian Armed Forces as well.
Airborne Troop Parachutes | Mills Manufacturing
Makes you a nice stable target for the bad guys shooting up at you.
With an 800 foot exit the T11 will give you 42.1 second hang time but the T10 will give you a 33.3 second hang time. 9 seconds is an eternity with bullets zipping by.
Being able to land safely is why they stress the importance of Parachute Landing Falls (PLFs).
My son was a parachute rigger for the 82nd and he had nothing good to say about the T11. In fact he called it a dangerous canopy.
BEAR
Paul,
Yes fully aware of this load of BS, which has been around ever since the Parachute Regiment was formed in 1940. However, whilst we still retain a Parachute School 1PTS at RAF Brize Norton, and also 3 Regular Battalions and one Reserve Battalion, parachuting will remain.
Its a boring story that goes round and round, and fits in nicely with everything else "special" in our country to do with the Military, including the Royal Marines, who are set to lose a Commando Group or indeed merge with the Parachute Regiment. Heard it all before, and clearly being driven by shiny arsed Whitehall MOD jealous upstarts!! We have 1 PARA stationed and permanently slotted in with the SAS/SBS at St Athens, who are part of the Special Forces Support Group. They are permanently in Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world and parachute regularly, so not sure why this old old story has resurfaced.
Whilst HRH Prince Charles is our Colonel in Chief we aint going no where!!
Not sure where the 80 men figure came from as 650 men of 2 PARA jumped in with the French Foreign Legion in Corsica:
Colchester-based B Company, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) has been working alongside 2e Regiment Etranger de Parachutistes (2e REP) at their base on the rugged island of Corsica.
As part of Exercise Blue Legionnaire, the two units have fired each other’s weaponry and practised fighting together in urban areas. The 2 PARA soldiers earned French parachute wings by jumping from a French C-160 Transall aircraft, while jumps from an RAF C-130 Hercules earned 2e REP soldiers their British wings.
The French unit has also passed on survival and climbing techniques on Corsica’s snow-capped mountains while in the Mediterranean Sea its soldiers worked with the Colchester unit on handling assault boats and attacking and defending beaches.