A faithful replica of the famous British woolen "maroon" beret used by airborne troops. The outer part is made of wool cloth, while the inside is lined with a light cotton fabric. The lower brim is trimmed with leather piping. The upper part of the beret has two eyelets to improve ventilation. There is a small stiffener in the rim for attaching emblems to the beret.
- Ideal for reenactment!
- New, unused item!
- Fine markings!
FOR REENACTMENT?
This type of berets were used in the British Army in airborne formations such as the 1st Airborne Division.
The use of berets dates back to World War I, but the first berets were officially adopted by the British Army only on March 5, 1924, and were used by armored units. The maroon beret was officially introduced by the British Army in 1942, on the orders of Major General Frederick "Boy" Browning, commander of the British 1st Airborne Division. It was first worn by the Parachute Regiment during operations in North Africa in November 1942. It was during the North African Campaign (1940–1943) that the Germans of the Africa Korps began calling the members of the British Parachute Brigade the Rote Teufel (Red Devils) because of their maroon berets and combat skills. The maroon beret remains the distinctive symbol of airborne and special forces units around the world to this day.
