page_title: Military beret
section_title: United Kingdom
hierarchical_section_title: Military beret / By country / United Kingdom
caption_attribution_description: English: A paratrooper assigned to the British 16 Air Assault Brigade familiarizes himself with a M249 squad automatic weapon during the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division demonstration day on Fort Bragg, N.C., March 18, 2015. The event fostered understanding of the U.S. Airborne Brigade’s unique equipment and capabilities through a combination of static displays and briefings. In April, the two units will conduct the largest US-UK Combined-Joint Operational Access Exercise held on Fort Bragg in the past 20 years. (82nd Airborne Division photo by Sgt. Eliverto V. Larios/Released)
context_page_description: Berets have been a component of the uniforms of many armed forces throughout the world since the mid-20th century. Military berets are usually pushed to the right to free the shoulder that bears the rifle on most soldiers, but the armies of some countries, mostly within Europe, South America and Asia have influenced the push to the left.
  In some countries, berets are associated with elite units, who often wear berets in more unusual colours. For instance, the maroon beret is mostly traditional headgear for elite airborne forces around the world, with a few exceptions like the Russian Airborne Troops, who instead wear a sky blue beret or the Portuguese Paratroopers that wear a green beret.
context_section_description: The British Army beret dates back to 1918 when the French 70th Chasseurs alpins were training with the British Tank Corps. The Chasseurs alpins wore a distinctive large beret (see above) and Major-General Sir Hugh Elles, the TC's Colonel, realised this style of headdress would be a practical option for his tank crews, forced to work in a reduced space. He thought, however, that the Chasseur beret was "too sloppy" and the Basque-style beret of the French tank crews was "too skimpy", so a compromise based on the Scottish tam o'shanter was designed and submitted for the approval of George V in November 1923. It was adopted in March 1924.
  During the Second World War, the use of the black beret was extended to all the regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps in 1940. The maroon beret was adopted by the Parachute Regiment in 1941 and the green beret by the Commandos in late 1942. A khaki beret was worn by the Reconnaissance Corps from 1941 until 1944, and the Royal Air Force Regiment adopted a blue-grey beret in 1943. Later in the war, a rather baggier beret-like hat, called the General Service Cap, was issued to all ranks of the British Army (with RAC, parachute, commando, Scottish and Irish units excepted), to replace the earlier Field Service Cap.  The GS Cap was not popular, and after the war was replaced with a true beret.
  Today, every British military unit wears a beret, with the exception of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and Royal Irish Regiment, who wear the tam o'shanter and the caubeen respectively (the Scots Guards and Irish Guards, however, wear berets, as frequently do the Royal Irish Regiment on operations). Many of these berets are in distinctive colours and all are worn with the cap badge of the service, regiment or corps. The cap badge for all services in the UK is usually worn directly over the left eye.
caption: A soldier of the Parachute Regiment wearing the maroon beret.
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