WW2 Wren research

[nhvm]

Hi all - a bit of help if you could please, I currently am doing research on WW2 Wrens and would like to know the following which I am struggling with:

Please note that this info required is all pertaining to WW2

1- Were berets issued to Wren 'officers'?
2- Were berets issued to Wren 'ratings'?
3- If so what size was the badge?

Info is for an actual 'beret' and not the pork pie style hat of ratings or Tricorne of officers

Some photographic evidence would be wanted please to back-up any 'positive' answer.

Thank you for any help.

 

[ratsroden]

Hi all - a bit of help if you could please, I currently am doing research on WW2 Wrens and would like to know the following which I am struggling with:

Please note that this info required is all pertaining to WW2

1- Were berets issued to Wren 'officers'?
2- Were berets issued to Wren 'ratings'?
3- If so what size was the badge?

Info is for an actual 'beret' and not the pork pie style hat of ratings or Tricorne of officers

Some photographic evidence would be wanted please to back-up any 'positive' answer.

Thank you for any help.

No berets were worn. The rather shapeless headgear of junior ratings could be mistaken for berets.

 

[nhvm]

If that is correct do you happen to know when eventually the RN introduced berets for the Wrens?

Thanks

 

[ratsroden]

If that is correct do you happen to know when eventually the RN introduced berets for the Wrens?

Thanks

Never having seen one wearing a beret I can only imagine it's when they started dressing them like Edwardian male children.

 

[Waspie]

Never seen or heard of WRNS wearing berets until the early 1990's. As someone mentioned they did have a sloppy blue item of head gear, (attached image), but it wasn't a beret.

 

[WreckerL]

Berets were introduced to Jack in 1975 (that's when they appeared on the grey thing I was serving on) but possibly issued to new entrants in 1974. The WRNS were fully integrated into the RN in 1993 so I would imagine that was when females wore berets as part of their rig as a general issue, others may have worn them previously depending on their role/draft.

 

[nhvm]

For those that's not seen a Wren wearing a beret albeit latterly not WW2

 

[nhvm]

Up date on this - I am following a lead that is in connection with 30 Commando assault unit (WW2) seemingly they also had women attached, the role was communications/admin but there is also the possibility that a detachment also took part in covert action? - can anybody go any further with this?

 

[arcticfox042]

Royal Marines attached.........

 

[nhvm]

Do you think that is an actual beret or the 'normal' WRN hat? - its hard to really decide which? - as the angle is not so good.

 

[Seaweed]

That's a normal WRNS rating's hat but WRNS (certainly later on)used to wear an RM capbadge when attached to RM units which were not 'ships' so did not have an HMS cap tally.

 

[BreathingOutOnTheWayUp]

@nhvm

Just a thought but have you made inquiries at The Association of Wrens?

http://www.wrens.org.uk/contact

 

[nhvm]

Good idea - should have thought of that! - thanks.

 

[Sumo]

@nhvm

Just a thought but have you made inquiries at The Association of Wrens?

http://www.wrens.org.uk/contact

Well done BOB thinking well out of the box there

 

[nhvm]

I've asked The Association of Wrens for help before and they were very helpful - don't know why I didn't think of those again. So many things in ones mind the most obvious always seems to be missed!

 

[nhvm]

Up date - well I spoke to soon, this time the TAW, after an initial response from them saying it was being passed on to their 'Public relations Officer' - have failed and let me down, not a word from them.
So back to searching other avenues - except I'm running out of avenues!!!!!