Hello
hg, re berets, the British SAS adopted the beige beret, probably associated with their desert origin. Sterling, the founder, first issued his men with white berets. Allegedly they provoked fights with others in bars etc? Hence they were discontinued. Re the badge, a good summary and observations at
http://www.belgiansas.com/insignia.htm
Re your picture with sand and red berets, what’s the date and where was it taken? The ‘SAS’ was never a carefully planned battalion. Sterling sold the concept and as a small force to raid enemy planes in the desert. However, also true to say Sterling himself was in No.8 Commando (prior to that in the Guards) which was being disbanded. The prospects for men of No.8 were generally to return to their former regiments or try and join another Commando. Now, whether Sterling really saw this ‘gap opportunity’ in operations, or, wanted to head his own ‘private army’ (of which their were many) is the subject of enduring argument.
The title Special Air Service was not his, it had been around for years. While Churchill liked the title ‘Commando’, some senior officers preferred ‘Special Service’, both titles were used for the same units depending on the author of a document. Hence when some men of No.2 Commando, Britain’s first parachute unit, made their first parachute raid whilst undergoing the transition into the Parachute Regiment, they were given the tile ‘Special
'Air' Service. Ironically, Lt. Col. Dudley Clarke – the man who drew up the blueprint for the Commandos and gave them their name – was out in N.Africa trying to convince the enemy Britain had parachute Commandos training out there. He arranged dummies to be dropped and stories to be ‘leaked’ to agents and enemy POW’s. The fictitious unit he called the SAS. When Sterling had his scheme approved, he was told it would be called the SAS as this would have the enemy thinking Clarke's deception may be true after all!
Sterling was given next to nothing by way of supplies, most of his first supply he stole from the New Zealanders, and initially recruited from former No.8 Commando members and people he knew. Of necessity they also worked closely with the Long Range Desert Group, themselves numbering many Kiwi’s. Early on Sterling took in 50 Free French.
The SAS were reorganised, renamed, brigaded several times as the war went on. At times they worked with or recruited men from Red Beret units such as the Paras. A photo may show men under either circumstances, or, non British SAS wearing their preferred red beret?
As to wearing camo, in the desert they dressed semi-Arab like the LRDG. I would guess any camo would have been as issued towards the end of the war for those involved in northern Europe.
No.9
