LeonAdler  | 29 Dec 2016 11:05 a.m. PST |
While whiling a little time away here in the sicilian countryside I was doing some research around a holiday book I brought with me, Steel Wall at Arnhem, looking at Brit Para uniform and came across this picture.
the fella with the binoculars is wearing what i assume is a balaclava but what is the guy nearest the camera wearing I wonder? Looks like a beret with a camo netting over it. Never seen anything like it myself. L |
| Martin Rapier | 29 Dec 2016 11:12 a.m. PST |
The chap with Binos is wearing a cap comforter (and a rifle bandolier), but yes, you are quite right, the bloke nearest the camera looks like he is wearing a helmet net on his beret! |
| LeonAdler | 29 Dec 2016 11:18 a.m. PST |
Not sure about the cap comforter, could be but on higher mag looks to have an 'opening' for the eyes in the rolled up section. I'm sure lots of knitted head wear variants around afterall.
L
link Pic from the IWM collection btw |
| Old Contemptibles | 29 Dec 2016 11:56 a.m. PST |
Are you sure their not Polish? |
| LeonAdler | 29 Dec 2016 12:18 p.m. PST |
Rallynow,
Didnt realise the link I put up would just be to the pic and not the page.
caption reads
'Men from Nos. 15 & 16 Platoons, 'C' Company, 1st Battalion Border Regiment, waiting in roadside ditches along the Van Lennepweg to repulse an attack by the enemy, who were barely a hundred yards away, Oosterbeek, 21 September.'
So strictly speaking they are Air landing Brigade types.
L |
| bc1745 | 29 Dec 2016 1:01 p.m. PST |
Picture is reproduced in …. 'When Dragons Flew'…..history of 1st bttn Border Regt…….will see if I can find my copy and see if it sheds any more light on it…… Might be worth speaking to the staff at the Regt museum at Carlise Castle, which is excellent btw, the castle and the museum! |
| bc1745 | 29 Dec 2016 1:28 p.m. PST |
Nothing in When Dragons Flew, however in D Day Paratroopers, the British, Canadian and French there is a picture on page 26 showing a French SAS sergeant wearing a beret with a camouflage net over it. There is also a picture on the following page showing the cover….. ' This was not individual do it yourself but carefully fashioned following the form of the beret and fitted with a khaki cloth braid around the inner circumference ' |
| Cardinal Ximenez | 29 Dec 2016 2:22 p.m. PST |
It could be a hand knitted hat. |
| leidang | 29 Dec 2016 3:24 p.m. PST |
Waffle knit stocking cap? |
| jowady | 30 Dec 2016 9:08 a.m. PST |
I think that this photo is a great example of how we will obsess over what equipment was regulation and precise placements of canteens and the like, troops in the field aren't necessarily regulation. |
| christot | 30 Dec 2016 11:49 a.m. PST |
maybe his mum knitted it for him..? |
| LeonAdler | 30 Dec 2016 12:42 p.m. PST |
christot/Don, perfectly reasonable possibilities.
jowady, oh yes as a figure designer I spend a lot of time obsessing over minutiae like this, hence the mad look in the eyes of most figure designers…………..
bc1745, sounds like Chanel got into the act……..typical French chic to the last lol
L |
| Fred Cartwright | 30 Dec 2016 2:08 p.m. PST |
Guy on the right is obviously from the "Ena Sharples Rifles"! A reference that only Brits of a certain age will get. :-) |
| USUTHU | 31 Dec 2016 5:41 p.m. PST |
This is not uncommon in Arnhem, with or without the beret.
There are more pictures.
Yes, it is correct, the Borders of the Airlanding Brigade.
Area hasn't changed much. |
| uglyfatbloke | 13 Jan 2017 2:08 p.m. PST |
IIRC there's references to men (including Sgt. Allerton/Zeno) wearing camo nets/scarves over their berets in the big book on 21st Independent Company. |
goes beyond the straight line.
