Airborne Beret manufacturer and date help!

[Mike1973]

I picked this up many moons ago at a military fair. I didn't collect Airborne kit, but it was only a fiver! (I wore it for some of the photo shoots in the British Tommy book)

I'd like to know more about the date and manufacturer, It's obviously old, but how old? And why are there no service markings on it? Private purchase maybe?
Doing some internet surfing found this site, but no info
http://home.tiscali.nl/nijsten/berets.html#postwar_stampings

I can't quite make out the makers name, B something...

More pics here-
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v683/silly-password/Airborne Beret/

 

[zetwal]

Isn't that brown stuff glue? Maybe another label with additional insignia was removed?

 

[Mike1973]

Isn't that brown stuff glue? Maybe another label with additional insignia was removed?

Berets usually have some sort of clear cellophane sewn over the label or stamp. I'm not sure exactly why, I guess to stop grease marks from hair? I think that is what this is, it's just detiriorated over time.

 

[Austerityaudio]

Beret

Hi Mike,

I would say your correct in saying its private purchase,
I would think its quite old looking at the way its made and the Crown size,
I have dated berets in my collection and both look about the same as that apart from the stampings, Later 1950s one the size of the beret became smaller and lost the floppy look, Below are my berets , both from a Car boot sale so guess they are to the same Soldier,

Anyway
Hope thats of some help,

Gary Bainbridge

 

[Norumbega]

I'm a member a great military collector website that I'm fairly confident can answer whatever questions you may have. Find it here: http://www.militariacollecting.com/

 

[Mike1973]

Cheers fellas.

I wonder when in the '50's the berets starting to become more 'trim'? Were small berets just more practical? Did it just evolve that way? Did soldiers think they looked smarter? I'm thinking of footage I remember seeing as a kid of the Royal Marines in the Falklands War, with tiny berets perched forward on their heads...

And I've just had bad flashbacks of trying (in vain) to shape the beret I had in the Air Cadets...