A Squadron, 10th Light Horse Regiment

[Botak]

Since 1976, only an Independent Squadron (that's a company sized unit), although as the only authorized squadron of the Regiment, it carries on all Regimental traditions, history, battle honours etc.

The Squadron's (and by extension the Regimental) Motto is "Percute et Percute Velocitor" - Latin for "Strike and Strike Swiftly".

"Cap Badge". Sits at the front of the "Slouch Hat" (now that RAAC units no longer wear berets)

This is a velcro-backed colour patch worn by unit members in a barracks environment on their DPCU uniforms on their right shoulder sleeve.

 

[KevinTheCynic]

"Cap Badge". Sits at the front of the "Slouch Hat" (now that RAAC units no longer wear berets)...

Two years after the ban and over 20 years since I was wearing one and I'm still pissy about the loss of the black beret.
We all recognized the lack of protection the beret gave on all counts but it was (and still is), about unit identity.

I was once an assault trooper in armoured recce and as my troop sergeant said one time when we were at Singleton in the summer of 1985, "We are assault troopers and we wear the black beret. We might die of skin cancer but we'll die proud." Yeah it sounds lame now but that black beret was part of our identity particularly in light of the idea that armoured recce units were considered to be semi-autonomous and self-sufficient units so we believed ourselves to be "a bit" elite.

 

[BritinBritain]

Two years after the ban and over 20 years since I was wearing one and I'm still pissy about the loss of the black beret.
We all recognized the lack of protection the beret gave on all counts but it was (and still is), about unit identity.

I was once an assault trooper in armoured recce and as my troop sergeant said one time when we were at Singleton in the summer of 1985, "We are assault troopers and we wear the black beret. We might die of skin cancer but we'll die proud." Yeah it sounds lame now but that black beret was part of our identity particularly in light of the idea that armoured recce units were considered to be semi-autonomous and self-sufficient units so we believed ourselves to be "a bit" elite.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of your unit Kevin.

 

[Spartan613]

Two years after the ban and over 20 years since I was wearing one and I'm still pissy about the loss of the black beret.
We all recognized the lack of protection the beret gave on all counts but it was (and still is), about unit identity.

I was once an assault trooper in armoured recce and as my troop sergeant said one time when we were at Singleton in the summer of 1985, "We are assault troopers and we wear the black beret. We might die of skin cancer but we'll die proud." Yeah it sounds lame now but that black beret was part of our identity particularly in light of the idea that armoured recce units were considered to be semi-autonomous and self-sufficient units so we believed ourselves to be "a bit" elite.

What I find incongruous is that the MPs and SOCOM still have their berets. (Air Force ADGs still have theirs also, but they don't answer to RSM-A).

A bucket will get sunbuen when a chook-strangler wouldn't?

Or is it more to do with the political power of the SASR and Commandos over the rest of the Army?

I've heard that when the RSM-A changes, a "full review" of uniform policies will result in the return of the berets.

 

[KevinTheCynic]

What I find incongruous is that the MPs and SOCOM still have their berets. (Air Force ADGs still have theirs also, but they don't answer to RSM-A).

A bucket will get sunbuen when a chook-strangler wouldn't?

Or is it more to do with the political power of the SASR and Commandos over the rest of the Army?

I've heard that when the RSM-A changes, a "full review" of uniform policies will result in the return of the berets.

I believe you've hit the nail on the head there, I think the Australian Fed Govt's fascination with buying all the latest toys for the War on Terror has given some units a higher standing in their eyes and so they 'appear' to be getting a lot of favourable treatment.

Call me a traditionalist but I would really like to see the next RSM-A do a review of the uniform policies with a view to reinstate headgear traditionally associated with the various units.

 

[Spartan613]

I believe you've hit the nail on the head there, I think the Australian Fed Govt's fascination with buying all the latest toys for the War on Terror has given some units a higher standing in their eyes and so they 'appear' to be getting a lot of favourable treatment.

Call me a traditionalist but I would really like to see the next RSM-A do a review of the uniform policies with a view to reinstate headgear traditionally associated with the various units.

You're spot on. But it goes back further than the WOT. Remember Tampa? Ever wonder why the SASR was sent to board a ship carrying refugees, and not a Naval Boarding Party? Or why the SASR was sent to Mogadishu to provide Close Protection for RAAF Air Traffic Controllers, instead of RAAF ADGs or Army MPs who are all CPP Operators?

 

[Warwick]

But was the beret ever a traditional piece of uniform for the army???
I was always under the assumption it was some form of slouch hat or shako (going back)when federation brought all the states militias into one national Army.
The beret came about during WWII as far as I recal.
Hey, not wanting to start a huge fight over this but a lot of people have their noses seriously out of joint over this and their are bigger uniform issues than the beret being banned to discuss. boots, packs and LBE for starters.

 

[Spartan613]

You're correct about the slouch hat pre-dating the beret. I guess why the RAAC are so attached to the beret rather than the slouchie is that the horses were cashed in for armoured vehicles about the same time the beret came in (let's face it, a slouch hat isn't practical in a tank) so tankies have more affinity for the beret than the slouch hat.

 

[KevinTheCynic]

Spartan has pretty much explained it but to go a little further, Australia got it's armoured corp in July 1941 and pretty much adopted the British style, operations, tactics etc. The beret was part of that.
The men who formed the first armoured units were no longer cavalry, mounted infantry, infantry and so on but a distinctly new formation so in that sense, the armoured corp never had a tradition of wearing the slouchie.

 

[I3BrigPvSk]

But was the beret ever a traditional piece of uniform for the army???
I was always under the assumption it was some form of slouch hat or shako (going back)when federation brought all the states militias into one national Army.
The beret came about during WWII as far as I recal.
Hey, not wanting to start a huge fight over this but a lot of people have their noses seriously out of joint over this and their are bigger uniform issues than the beret being banned to discuss. boots, packs and LBE for starters.

Hi,

Two stupid questions perhaps; the slouch hat? Is that the "classical" Australian hat? And what is a shako?

 

[KevinTheCynic]

Hi,

Two stupid questions perhaps; the slouch hat? Is that the "classical" Australian hat? And what is a shako?

Not stupid questions at all Ghostrider. The slouch hat is indeed the "classic" Australian Army hat as can be seen in the image below.
How it came to be known as the "slouch hat" is open to interpretation although many consider the explanation that one side droops down compared to the other side as the most likely reason.
Many other troops have worn hats of a similar style from as early as the 17th century including the Cavalier forces of King Charles during the English Civil War, Southern Rhodesia, New Zealand, WW1 Germany and the Ghurkas.

The shako appears to have originated in Hungary in the 18th century and became part of the uniform for many European nations. It's still used today by groups such as the French Republican Guard and the USA's West Point cadets. Styles, heights, colours, adornments and so on varied but the basic shape can be seen in the image below (Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe from the popular TV series of Sharpe movies).

 

[I3BrigPvSk]

Not stupid questions at all Ghostrider. The slouch hat is indeed the "classic" Australian Army hat as can be seen in the image below.
How it came to be known as the "slouch hat" is open to interpretation although many consider the explanation that one side droops down compared to the other side as the most likely reason.
Many other troops have worn hats of a similar style from as early as the 17th century including the Cavalier forces of King Charles during the English Civil War, Southern Rhodesia, New Zealand, WW1 Germany and the Ghurkas.

The shako appears to have originated in Hungary in the 18th century and became part of the uniform for many European nations. It's still used today by groups such as the French Republican Guard and the USA's West Point cadets. Styles, heights, colours, adornments and so on varied but the basic shape can be seen in the image below (Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe from the popular TV series of Sharpe movies).

Is the hat now a part of the dress uniform or do the Australian Armed Forces use it instead of a cap? I will try to find my old regiment insigna, my old regiment is deactivated since early 1990s, an old lifeguard grenadier regiment (the white grenadiers) and show it here

 

[BritinBritain]

I've always wanted a slouch hat, a few years ago I managed to get one, a friend of a friend living in OZ. Not only a brilliant bush hat, I reckon they are extremely smart. My dad was issued one on the Middle East during WW2.