Berets

[Two's in]

AAC wearing wings on CS95 is simply due to having much smaller helicopters, so the totty need some additional nav guidance for finding the real men. Odd too that they (AAC) wear it on shirts but not jumpers, opposite of the RAF, but maybe real men don't wear jumpers?

[Washington_Irving]

Originally Posted by Climebear

Why is it that the RAF get so an*l about not putting wings on CS95.
The AAC wear their wings on their CS95
Paratroopers of all varieties (including RAF) have their wings on their CS95.
But for some reason the RAF (where the decisions on dress policy are taken by GD (late aircrew) air officers) doesn't want you to do it!!!

Perhaps it stems from a deeply held article of faith that if aircrew have to wear CS95 in the first place or (God forbid) pick up a weapon, then one is either in the wrong place or something has gone very, VERY wrong.

[BEagle]

".....but maybe real men don't wear jumpers?"

Absolutely! Leave the wearing of knee-length beige pullovers to Woopert of the Wedgiment who wanders awound his mess with his labwador.

Ditch the stupid blue pullover with giant white moth and wear the Aircrew Leather Jacket instead with No 2s. Plus proper SD hat. Much smarter - and drives the SWO (or whatever they call SWOs these days) into low earth orbit...

[ExGrunt]

Anyway, to digress briefly back to the original posters request for info - The key to not looking a tw@t in a beret is that under no circumstances must the pulled over part come below the top of the right ear.

Ideally you should get what is called a 'small crown' beret. For many years the rolls-royce of berets was a victor beret, but I think they have gone out of business - You may want to look Here for a suitable item.

EG

[BEagle]

Rolls-Royce of berets? Shurely shome mishtake - that sounds like an oxymoron!

I guess the 'small crown' beret gives the authentic Marthur Longhurst* look?










* A character in Granada TV's 'Coronation Street' - a series about how 't folks live oop North which I haven't seen since it stopped being in 405-line black-and-white. Which was perhaps rather more authentic to 't grimness of 't North?

[Roland Pulfrew]

Originally Posted by BEagle

[i]..... wear the Aircrew Leather Jacket instead with No 2s. Plus proper SD hat. Much smarter - and drives the SWO (or whatever they call SWOs these days) into low earth orbit...

Ah yes the aircrew leather jacket. Perhaps the best combo I have seen here was leather jacket with DPM shirt (with wings), DPM trousers and chip bag. A stunning example of ignoring all of the rules..... Well done that man

[Pontius Navigator]

There are many ways to shape the beret but only one to shape the beret and the head under it.

Having undone the ribbons at the back slacken the head band until it is a comfortable fit. Then tighten it some more. One it fits and will not blow off then tie off the ribbons. If you are in the French navy leave the ribbons loose. If you do not want to look like Frank Spencer then push the ribbons out of sight.

Then wear the beret with the right hand side pulled firmly down to keep the wind out of your right ear. Walk around Pen-y-Fan for two days allowing the beret to dry out in the wind on day two.

Use a wire brush to raise the pile. After a further 4 weeks remove beret from daily use and ensure it is dry. Put away it away for ten years of so and let kids 1 and 2 use it for play/frisbee or whatever.

Repeat wire brush routine and put away for further twenty years ready for gkids 1 and 2 . . .

SD Hats? Bought one once. Couldn't afford Bates so I've got an Alkit one.

[Pontius Navigator]

Washington Irvine my AC wears his wings on his CS95. Not sure if they are on shirt as well as jacket. It could be something to do with the cost of the proper profiled wings and the fact that aircrew wear name patches anyway and CS95 only rarely.

[detgnome]

Berets - best and easiest thing to wear with a flying suit. Far easier to carry around than a chip bag or SD hat and less likely to get crumpled or damaged in transit, well for those with a smallish cockpit anyway!(Guess not a problem for you hey beags?) It also has the added advantage of annoying senior officer FJ mates for some reason; on this one I am firmly with Tee-head.

[TEEEJ]

Originally Posted by Ghostie31

Hi, just wondering how you should properly shape a beret? Tried searching for it but nothing came up.
Just got one and I don't want to ruin it.
Thanks very much chaps

Follow all the advice on shaping the beret when wet. My advice to you is get rid of the lining. Most of the problem with new berets is the thickness that is caused by the lining. Be careful not to get the head band wet as it will shrink. Shape on the head when wet/damp. To keep shape roll beret up and place an elastic band lightly around it.

[BEagle]

Hmm - my everyday SD hat got so tatty (having been stuffed into headset bags various) that my boss fed it to a navigator's labrador. Then the expensive Bates PWB* one fell to bits.... After that I bought a new one for a very reasonable price from stores - less than £15!

Came in handy at a certain Axminster shuffling session...



* Parades, Weddings and Bollockings

[Mike Reheat]

Then the expensive Bates PWB* one fell to bits.... After that I bought a new one for

BEagle..., late in reading up on this string..., but you obviously never got to Fragrant Harbour. You could have dropped into Ah Wa Lam's RAF Uniform emporium just down the road from Kai Tak and got the deal of the century. Best uniforms..., SD's.., Chip Bags... berets etc..., You just had to look at the name tags on the many finished uniforms (UK, USA, Canadian etc) hanging awaiting dispatch to see many 1, 2 and 3 Star names etc to see who were getting a good deal. Saw a set of impressive medals being re-mounted for a UK 2 star..., (Name will be kept out of this input) but on the rim was stamped the name of an LAC - and definately not the 2 stars name....., one wonders !!!

[Safety_Helmut]

Oh dear, a thread on how to shape a beret. Just do what any self respecting groundcrew would do. Get it from stores, put it on your head and wear it. Nothing more, nothing less.

If you're eally stuck for help, get yourself along to a fast jet squadron crewroom (groundcrew that is) and ask the question there.

S_H

[Pontius Navigator]

Safety Helmut,

but he doesn't want oil on it.

was this thread a serious one?

SD hat shaping has never been the same either since they changed the furniture in the 60s. Old desks in messes and quarters had six pigieon holes. These were slightly too small to take an SD hat.

In other words they were perfect for forcing the sides down in the approved WW2 droop, if you could not afford a Bates.

Bates was always THE master hatter.

[BEagle]

Until they replaced the leather 'chinstrap' with a tatty plastic thing which often ripped.....