talking local

ciphers wrote:

Worn with 'Jimmy' 1" above the left eye with the 'fullness' pulled down over the right EAR, were the instructions I go

Len (Ciphers)

Hmmmmm ! Hate to nit pick, Len, when we are sounding off about casual practices......... Left eye BROW I think, and certainly not Earhole like permitted today. Strange thing is that the Yanks, who seemed to be sloppy dressers at one time, have some sort of uniformity in how they cover their shaven skulls.

I remember we had some variations on the theme in NS, but we never, ever covered the cap badge with surplus bits of beret. Most common transgression was to wear the cap badge above the nose when no one of importance was watching. Don't know if it was a general practice, but I found myself checking my shadow to make sure everything was at the proper angle. Very keen we were in the Royal regiment, as others will testify !

But I remember an NCO instructor in that TV prog about Sandhurst, Wore his well shrunken beret perched on top like a fascinator. badge at the side.......... Nobody cared !

when you got your beret and tried it on it used to stick out like a sore thumb,untill you got to your service regt,and got to know the tricks of the trade,by taking the lining out and soaking it in hot and then in cold water to shrink it,then mould it to the shape you wanted it and the cap badge over the left eye

This should settle it

Len (Ciphers)

Huh!. Even my old RSM has got it wrong.. The bottom of the beret should be the same distance above each eye..Attention to detail please gents...

I think this is the DS answer.

As a youngster when doing Basic Training, on issue of Berets, we were never told how to 'shape' the Beret to make it look smart and soldier like, and not like a piss pot on one head.

I never did understand how the Old Timers got their Berets looking good..... someone told me the best way to shape a Beret was to soak it water first, then let it dry out a little bit, put it one one's head then, tug and shape it to how you wanted it. I think that I did manage to get my Beret in a reasonable shape to looke like I was no long green around the gills. I always felt a tad jealous of those lads who were SAS, and wore their 'crap hats', Berets... they alsoways looked smart and prffesional.

The other issue claethes I really hated were the green, nylon barracks trousers. Yes they looked smart and ironed fairly well, but they were very 'sweaty' during hot weather especially around the old 'ballcladders'........ Anyone else remember those trousers. I preffered wearing either NO 2 Trousers, or the Denim trousers with stable belt...... then there were the Drawers Cellular, Green.... and thse awful grey socks, always getting full of holes, and stank like piss-pots after a weeks wear....???? The drawers, cellular, green were just as bad...... hehehehee!!

British Army Headgear
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-london/plain/A867008

I enjoyed reading that article Dee Z.

I disagree with the No1 dress cap being called a "Craphat", that was the name given to that brown, cowpat shaped, monstrosity that was issued in WW2. The No1 dress cap was called "Hats, horrible", "Hats, hideous", "Hats hilarious", "Caps, comical" "Caps, c..." or "Hats, gas meter reading". Und so weiter.
The bloke never mentioned the SD cap, of WW1 vintage, worn by Junior Leaders regts, Guards, MPSC and others.

(What website was that taken from ?).

BBC Brum I was searching google for berets at the time

I was always under the impression that "Craphat" was a derogatory term employed by members of so called "Elite" regiments to describe members of perceived "Non Elite" regiments?

Shelldrake wrote:

I was always under the impression that "Craphat" was a derogatory term employed by members of so called "Elite" regiments to describe members of perceived "Non Elite" regiments?

This was always my understanding of the term.

brum wrote:

I enjoyed reading that article Dee Z.

.......... "Hats, hideous", "Hats hilarious", "Caps, comical" "Caps, c..." or "Hats, gas meter reading". Und so weiter. ............

More disagreement !.......... On a personal level, that is,for it seems that every unit, large or small, hates a particular piece of top dressing and no one single item enjoys same scorn throughout the army.   Maybe because we  had the good fortune, or misfortune, to be issued with a beret and nowt else, it was scorned, probably because hats were unusual apparel for eighteen year old reluctant squaddies.  Only their dads, old men, bought bowlers or trilbies,  though a flat cap was useful on the 500cc two wheeler.  

Therefore, the term "Craphat" was something I didn't come across until I saw a comparatively recent TV prog. on the Paras.  Recruits wore the DP pattern combat cap until suitably qualified to have a red beret.  And that combat cap was always my personal  favourite............ only problem I found was that the peak hid low branches when struggling in undergowth........ and no one else shared my enthusiasm.  

The C..... cap has always been the Austrian cap, the side hat or forage cap  issued in the late 19th century and dropped ten years or so later. It  was in  favour again when BD came in  until it was phased out and replaced with the "Spudsack", discarded by the Army, but not the RAF, in 1944. Similar, less elaborate hats preceded it in Victoria's army, the term C.... cap goes back to that period ...... I'm told !  It's the shape, you see, not a scornful epithet for whoever wears it.

cartav wrote:

brum wrote:

I enjoyed reading that article Dee Z.

.......... "Hats, hideous", "Hats hilarious", "Caps, comical" "Caps, c..." or "Hats, gas meter reading". Und so weiter. ............

More disagreement !.......... On a personal level, that is,for it seems that every unit, large or small, hates a particular piece of top dressing and no one single item enjoys same scorn throughout the army.   Maybe because we  had the good fortune, or misfortune, to be issued with a beret and nowt else, it was scorned, probably because hats were unusual apparel for eighteen year old reluctant squaddies.  Only their dads, old men, bought bowlers or trilbies,  though a flat cap was useful on the 500cc two wheeler.  

Therefore, the term "Craphat" was something I didn't come across until I saw a comparatively recent TV prog. on the Paras.  Recruits wore the DP pattern combat cap until suitably qualified to have a red beret.  And that combat cap was always my personal  favourite............ only problem I found was that the peak hid low branches when struggling in undergowth........ and no one else shared my enthusiasm.  

The C..... cap has always been the Austrian cap, the side hat or forage cap  issued in the late 19th century and dropped ten years or so later. It  was in  favour again when BD came in  until it was phased out and replaced with the "Spudsack",  discarded by the Army, but not the RAF, in 1944. Similar, less elaborate hats preceded it in Victoria's army, the term C.... cap goes back to that period ...... I'm told !  It's the shape, you see, not a scornful epithet for whoever wears it.

No matter how it started and it's initial meaning these things (sayings) become distorted and reused with new meanings over the years. It would be interesting to hear the views of todays serving soldiers on this subject.