RAF Officer beret
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When I was a Rockape I had a proper officer's beret from Gieves, of the type that I suspect you dislike, heightsgood. If you purchase an airman's beret and sew on an officer's wire badge then you are going to end up with a hybrid, but then as you are a civilian I suppose nobody can stop you.
I just want a nice silk lined beret that doesn’t look ridiculous and can fit in a flying suit pocket and be worn with greens.
As a bonus it lets me avoid looking like a FJ w*nker with a chip hat. Oh, I could also buy myself one of those rather fetching £500 leather jackets to complete the look; all the cool kids are wearing them...
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The last time I saw my beret was when it was going up in flames after I left RAFC!
Awful things - the only officers who should wear one would be those of the RAF Regiment. Aircrew - never! Apart from those who fly those awful clattering devices known as helicopters, that is...
Awful things - the only officers who should wear one would be those of the RAF Regiment. Aircrew - never! Apart from those who fly those awful clattering devices known as helicopters, that is...
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
hg, very true. He would also remind me to wear my No 1 the next day and ensure my suit was brushed and pressed Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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Got to be a contender for funniest reply of the year!! p.s. I always went for the Chip Bag as it fitted better in a knee pocket (stopped me losing it / forgetting to take it with me!!).
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I can't make a personal recommendation other than to suggest you avoid anything described as "small crown", you'll likely end up with barely any material to try and drag in the direction of your right ear (I speak from unfortunate experience).
SD hats and chip bags have their place, but unless one is an AVM or above; in a position to avoid wearing No3 Service Dress; or simply choose to ignore AP1358, then all currently service RAF personnel should possess a beret as it is the only currently authorised headdress (other than a helmet) when wearing Operational Clothing. Public service announcement over.
SD hats and chip bags have their place, but unless one is an AVM or above; in a position to avoid wearing No3 Service Dress; or simply choose to ignore AP1358, then all currently service RAF personnel should possess a beret as it is the only currently authorised headdress (other than a helmet) when wearing Operational Clothing. Public service announcement over.
Gentleman Aviator
Apart from those who fly those awful clattering devices known as helicopters, that is...
Just remember the dit of a couple of years ago:
Q: What do you call a collection of RAF helicopter Pilots.
A: The Air Force Board!!
I still have all 3, SD cap, forage cap and beret (with gold wire badge). Forage cap I wear for veteran events here (the French all wear their former service headgear) the SD cap is for my coffin when I finally shuffle off and the beret is to annoy SWMBO, who keeps wanting to throw it away and I won't let her
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Whether you know it as a field service cap or forage cap, I believe the correct and original (pre WWII) name was a Glengarry adopted from the hat worn by Scottish regiments
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Five years ago I wrote:
."...
Never had a Service beret: we thought them appropriate only for the Regt.
In Burma, the accepted alternative to the Cap SD was the Aussie "Bush Hat", which can be screwed up and pushed into any nook or cranny in the cockpit.
..." kitted out with white shirts and a Thirty Shilling Tailors chalk-striped suit. This natty ensemble was capped by a beret. Now there are heads which suit berets (spherical ones), and plenty more which don't. I looked like Holbein's Henry VIII. I never wore the thing and disposed of it as soon as possible
Never had a Service beret: we thought them appropriate only for the Regt.
In Burma, the accepted alternative to the Cap SD was the Aussie "Bush Hat", which can be screwed up and pushed into any nook or cranny in the cockpit.
Never understood why mechanical palm-tree drivers insisted on wearing berets with their flying suits. Berets should be for Rock Apes if we want to be historically accurate - otherwise they are an abomination. Also, don’t understand why 2-stars and above can wear a chip bag with PCS - surely a uniform should be uniform?
The Field Service Cap was authorized by Air Ministry Order A93/36. From December 1939 this form of headdress replaced the earlier peaked service cap for all non-commissioned ranks apart from the following: RAF Police, MT Drivers, and Apprentices. The cap badge was that worn earlier on the previous cap, but officers and warrant officers wore a gilt eagle and crown two-piece badge.The FS cap remained the standard form of headdress for the RAF as working dress and walking out, with berets being issued the RAF Regiment from 1943.
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roving (#11339),
Long ago, I was Adj of an Auxiliary F.C.U. Although there were two other Auxiliary units (the Squadron and a Regt Sqdn) on the Station (Thornaby). and they all had "Tea Swindles", for some reason mine attracted all the traffic (could my 70-odd girls possibly have had something to do with it ?) Be that as it may, we prospered mightily.
The Station Accountant Officer had enough on his plate, looking after the Non-Public Funds, and averted his eyes from us. But when I first arrived, I found that our Swindle had been enriching itself with schemes of doubtful legality. Knowing that Nemesis might come one day when I was still "holding the baby", I put a stop to these and enlisted the help of one of my Auxiliary Secretarial Officers (Tom Oliver), who was Asst. Manager of a Darlington Bank. He set up a full set of books for us, opened an account for us in his Bank, and ensured that our Swindle was run in an impeccable way. We were "copper-bottomed".
Some years passed, and then one afternoon, unannouced, there appeared in my office a civilian with a bulky briefcase, who informed me that he had come to audit our Swindle. My first instinct was to "tell him where to go", but my kindly nature came to the fore, and I sat him down with a cup of tea and a bikky, and laid all before him - yea, even to the cash box in my safe, and the little bag of surplus "profit" we could not account for.
Mollified, he went his way satisfied: seems that the little bag of "bunce" convined him of my honesty, when everything is too perfect, they smell a rat ! We parted with assurances of mutual esteem.
Danny.
(Then I got out the "Black Book"....no, just a joke !)
..."It is very interesting that when the Royal Air Force inspects Station accounts the task is performed by Royal Air Force personnel"...
The Station Accountant Officer had enough on his plate, looking after the Non-Public Funds, and averted his eyes from us. But when I first arrived, I found that our Swindle had been enriching itself with schemes of doubtful legality. Knowing that Nemesis might come one day when I was still "holding the baby", I put a stop to these and enlisted the help of one of my Auxiliary Secretarial Officers (Tom Oliver), who was Asst. Manager of a Darlington Bank. He set up a full set of books for us, opened an account for us in his Bank, and ensured that our Swindle was run in an impeccable way. We were "copper-bottomed".
Some years passed, and then one afternoon, unannouced, there appeared in my office a civilian with a bulky briefcase, who informed me that he had come to audit our Swindle. My first instinct was to "tell him where to go", but my kindly nature came to the fore, and I sat him down with a cup of tea and a bikky, and laid all before him - yea, even to the cash box in my safe, and the little bag of surplus "profit" we could not account for.
Mollified, he went his way satisfied: seems that the little bag of "bunce" convined him of my honesty, when everything is too perfect, they smell a rat ! We parted with assurances of mutual esteem.
Danny.
(Then I got out the "Black Book"....no, just a joke !)
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@ Danny42C ... totally OT, but as you mentioned Non-Public Funds ... I had a flt lt posted in, ex-CATCS after a late career Branch transfer from Admin (Sec). I sagaciously appointed her i/c Coffee Swindle 
A couple of weeks later I received an interview without Tea or Coffee from her, explaining quite specifically what had been done incorrectly since time immemorial. We resolved the situation promptly with SHQ.
Interestingly, she endorsed as Supervisor as a first-tourist, which shows what a jolly good chap she was!
A couple of weeks later I received an interview without Tea or Coffee from her, explaining quite specifically what had been done incorrectly since time immemorial. We resolved the situation promptly with SHQ.
Interestingly, she endorsed as Supervisor as a first-tourist, which shows what a jolly good chap she was!