Soldier modifications to beret badges

[Guardian 5]

Gents,

I thought for sure we started a thread on this subject, but I'll be darned if I can find it.

In any event, note the modification made to this Recon trooper's beret badge.

Does anyone else have an example?

All the best,
TJ

[Proud Kraut]

When I became a Panzeraufklärer in 1983 I was very proud wearing my black beret after having finished basic training. Like many others I "highlighted" my beret insignia with golden yellow felt. I've seen several others with white/black painted Lancer's pennants as well. And of course I still have my first beret today.



I think I have posted these two modified pieces elsewhere here before.

Right one: Signal beret insignia with golden painted flash and coat of arms of Schleswig-Holstein instead of the German colors.

Left one: Panzer beret insignia with camouflaged tank. Please notice the kinked muzzle of the tank's gun. This was done by the tankers after their first live firing if memory serves right.

[Dr Bison]

When I served my 15 months in the German paras, in the mid-80s, some of us painted the eagle's eye red, and one of the NCOs in our barracks wore a silver-plated badge on his beret (sorry, no pics). We also bent our badges at the top - just a little bit - to give the beret a more crumpled look.

And some of the Fernspähers we met had cut out the eagle from the paras' beret badge and stuck it on top of their own ugly pigeon.

Karl

[Guardian 5]

Lars und Karl,

Great information!

Vielen Dank,


TJ

[NickG]

When I served my 15 months in the German paras, in the mid-80s, some of us painted the eagle's eye red, and one of the NCOs in our barracks wore a silver-plated badge on his beret (sorry, no pics). We also bent our badges at the top - just a little bit - to give the beret a more crumpled look.

And some of the Fernspähers we met had cut out the eagle from the paras' beret badge and stuck it on top of their own ugly pigeon.

Karl

Interesting modification. So a merger of these two!

[Dr Bison]

Correct. In your upper photo you can see how ugly the Fernspähers' original bird is, compared to the tough looking para eagle...

And just as an aside:
When I served in the Bundeswehr they were just introducing the new beret badges with the German flag shown in Nick's post (as opposed to the earlier pattern without it); most of us tried to get one of the old badges, for that "been-there" look. The smart soldiers in our barracks tried to look as salty as possible in their olive-greens.

Karl