Posted on 01/29/2019 10:24:42 PM PST by jdirt
Hi Guys, I found this in the attic. My father was in the WWII and he made Normandy. This emblem is on a dark green "Genuine Basque Beret" that was made in England. I searched the whole internet and can't identify it. I even tried google image search. Thank you
The patch has a black background. The two gold stripes are outlined with red stitches. The rest is gold stitches.
Well, it lacked the color blue...
Doesn’t the US Army have a heraldry unit that is responsible for for the lineage of units and their identifiers? I’d consider contacting them with this chestnut.
I’d start with what US units were authorized to wear berets, or may have worn them as part of a cover, during WWII. Then look for what flashes were authorized or allowed to be worn on them.
Since this is an English-made beret with a flash that alludes to General Washington’s coat of arms, part of me wonders if the item is a beret allowed for wear by Major William O. Darby’s early Rangers-in-training at their base in Carrickfergus (sic?), Ireland.
Since it’s proving elusive to internet-powered casual research, I wonder if there is an outside chance that this was a beret worn by an American volunteer (or volunteer unit) during the Spanish Civil War. I know there was a Lincoln Brigade. Wikipedia says there was an American George Washington unit among the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.
...Or maybe it is something that was very casual and unauthorized. Something American servicemen may have worn as part of their civilian clothing while on R&R in Western Europe that helped them to be a little less conspicuous.
Total WAGs here on my part on all this, but I hope to jog memories or open an alternate path to search. It’s a fun mystery!
Wow, thank you so much, I definitely will try your suggestions and report back.
You’re welcome!
Wikipedia has an article about the US Army Institute of Heraldry. It was formed in 1960 as the successor to a group that operated from 1918-60. The article describes their function and lists a website that will likely have have contact information. Maybe you can reach someone to address your case.
My other three guesses are pretty wild. But I (and others, I’ll bet,) are very interested in finding out the solution to your mystery.
A militaria collector that specializes in headgear from the early-to-mid-20th century may also be able to offer some insight. Especially if they are familiar with your beret’s manufacturer.
Post a pic at usmilitariaforum.com. I believe they have a patch forum. One of those patch guys will ID it in an hour or less. They have all the info in their heads. Most of this obscure militaria is not in books or online.
Post a pic at usmilitariaforum.com. I believe they have a patch forum. One of those patch guys will ID it in an hour or less. They have all the info in their heads. Most of this obscure militaria is not in books or online.
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