The Origin of the Beret

C

catalinargonzalez

Banned
I was pondering this question last night, and I conducted a search to see if anyone had written on this topic. Needless to say, I didn't find anything and this is why I'm posting my question:

Does anyone know, the origin of the beret as military gear? Who decided that the military to should wear berets? Was there a particular purpose that they served or is there some historical fact behind it?

if anyone one knows, please let me know.
 
Beret is the worst military hat i know. 100% stupid invention. Ok, maybe it can look good in a parade if weared well and properly but doesn't fit any other use.
 
For some reason I'm thinking it came from the British and the US took their que from them. It's a bit cloudy right now but I think that's what one of my professors mentioned a couple weeks ago while we briefly discussed some special forces teams.
 
I'm pretty sure it originated from the french. Not sure when the military strated picking it up, though.
 
Trevor said:
I'm pretty sure it originated from the french. Not sure when the military strated picking it up, though.
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Yea, I kinda figured it did come from the french (twinge of sarcasm), but what I'm interested in knowing :?: is how, why, what even led to the military (US in particular) adopting it. :)
 
Acording microsoft's Encarta, de beret whas first in military use by the fench Alps regiments and several Scotish regiments. It doesnt who really had it first. Just that they both already had it as a part of there military uniforms before 1940.

By the way, I think it is a great idea.
 
the beret was in use in the Royal Marines long before that, they were using it in the Boer War
 
The beret is fantastic, i mean its great for concealment at night or day.
You can stay hidden even with out cam on it because of its colour.
I dont see why people think it is stupid.
 
Can't say the same for the Airborne Maroon ones

devilwasp said:
The beret is fantastic, i mean its great for concealment at night or day.
You can stay hidden even with out cam on it because of its colour.
I dont see why people think it is stupid.
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devilwasp said:
The beret is fantastic, i mean its great for concealment at night or day.
You can stay hidden even with out cam on it because of its colour.
I dont see why people think it is stupid.
Click to expand...
when i think of any kind of cover and camo then the first thing i think of is trying to break up the shape of the human head. the human head is the most recognizable shape to any other human. so if it does act as a form of camo, then it has to be more than color. at the same time i'm trying to think of current US SF teams that wear a beret in combat. i've always seen them with boonie hats.
 
The Beret at first was used by more special units as a way of telling them apart from other units... The SAS have a sand colored beret because of their desert work in WW2... Airborne units have a maroon one again, to tell them apart from other units... Different countries have different makes of Berets aswell... In Canada, the rule is basically: the smaller the beret the better, because you don't have all that material hanging down over you face (which looks really stupid) But some counties wear them that way ie: the Pakistanis... They have HUGE berets... The only unit that I have seen where Beret's operationally are the Royal Marines, but most of the time they wear their Bush hat... also the Green Berets in Vietnam used to wear them. But as for the origin of the Beret I'm not sure.. Definitely from the French.. Not the Scottish, they wore Bal Morrals and Glen Garries, not Berets.
 
EuroSpike said:
Beret is the worst military hat i know. 100% stupid invention. Ok, maybe it can look good in a parade if weared well and properly but doesn't fit any other use.
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i totaly think a opposite.
 
Missileer said:
Here is the straight skinny on the origin of the beret, at least in US military use. I think you will be surprised by the answer. It seems that it was as close to a bare head as one could get and still have room for insignia. No starch or plumes to catch on brush so concealment was easier.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/history/marshall/military/mil_hist_inst/u/unform5.asc

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/berethistory.htm
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Oh wow, thanks for the info!
 
egoz said:
when i think of any kind of cover and camo then the first thing i think of is trying to break up the shape of the human head. the human head is the most recognizable shape to any other human. so if it does act as a form of camo, then it has to be more than color. at the same time i'm trying to think of current US SF teams that wear a beret in combat. i've always seen them with boonie hats.
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How can you see it if it blends in with the surrounding area, i mean you wouldnt notice a green beret in long grass would you?
Hell even just DPM's and black berets work, i hid from marines on a escape and evasion exercise and they stood less than 30 feet away on a container looking over the ground.
 
catalinargonzalez said:
Missileer said:
Here is the straight skinny on the origin of the beret, at least in US military use. I think you will be surprised by the answer. It seems that it was as close to a bare head as one could get and still have room for insignia. No starch or plumes to catch on brush so concealment was easier.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/history/marshall/military/mil_hist_inst/u/unform5.asc

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/berethistory.htm
Click to expand...

Oh wow, thanks for the info!
Click to expand...

So it seems the first known military use was in 1644 in the English civil wars at the battle of Marston Moors.
 
I love my beret it is awesome I have a red one, a maroon one, a green one, and the standard issue black beret.

Mod Edit: You're coming danger close to violating forum rules. No "Who's better" type threats are allowed, do not attempt to turn this into one.
 
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