Thats a very good question... but there is a picture of him wearing it! Who knows!
This is the actual beret he wore at Arnhem.
BTW, Ranj... first dibs on some your spare cloth...
Er... slight problem, Steiner & Ramsay, the sample was only 3" x 3" - you need to cut out an oval about twice as wide and high as the card so it covers the back (well you don't need to but I did - that is how the original looked) - the first piece I cut out was too small, so I have a piece just about large enough for one more. Yith called it first so it goes to him, I'm afraid.
Go to http://www.whaleys-bradford.ltd.uk and request a sample. Yith's never turned up but mine did.
... PVA is water soluable? ... mitre fix from B+Q , its super glue with an activator to set it instantly...
Hmm, is that period wartime dated super glue with an activator? Sorry Yith, looks like I'm going to have to redo it with a waterproof glue. 
Only joking, PVA can handle being wet for a short while, so a bit of rain won't hurt, and the cardboard will go to mush long before the glue anyway - I'll leave it as it is.
Use period plasticard and superglue... 
Go to http://www.whaleys-bradford.ltd.uk and request a sample. Yith's never turned up but mine did.
Good tip, Ranj! 
You've got nothing to ein, zwei, drei, vier
Oh poo! I somehow ordered the brown version, and they won't do another freebie.
You've got nothing to ein, zwei, drei, vier
Yours will be the 'subdued' version - rarely seen...
I'd never get away with it amongst this bunch of stitch-counters! 
You've got nothing to ein, zwei, drei, vier
Bleach it, domestos and bit of heat or sunlight should do the trick
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Guys, if you really want, there's a fabric shop down the road here that sells holland cloth just like that off the roll. If I get 0.5x1.5m for approx 4gbp that would easily kit out all of you South Staff'ers with loads over for 'spare'. I'll cut it up into 3" squares and post it out, or just send it on to either Gadge or someone else to distribute?
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
Guys, if you really want, there's a fabric shop down the road here that sells holland cloth just like that off the roll. If I get 0.5x1.5m for approx 4gbp that would easily kit out all of you South Staff'ers with loads over for 'spare'. I'll cut it up into 3" squares and post it out, or just send it on to either Gadge or someone else to distribute?
Actually go to a real shop? In person? And not have to send it back because it doesn't fit? How very 20th century!
Yeah, I'm very old-school like that.
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
Guys, if you really want, there's a fabric shop down the road here that sells holland cloth just like that off the roll. If I get 0.5x1.5m for approx 4gbp that would easily kit out all of you South Staff'ers with loads over for 'spare'. I'll cut it up into 3" squares and post it out, or just send it on to either Gadge or someone else to distribute?
Yes please, McV.
You've got nothing to ein, zwei, drei, vier
That's great McV - let me know how I can reimburse you. (A central point of distribution would be a good idea too rather than sending bits out willy-nilly)
Be a good idea to have a scan of the right size of card backing too, going to look gash if we all have random sized back boards
As Ranj has seen the original etc could you give us the dimensions?
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Yes please McV we'll chip in for two bits.
Be a good idea to have a scan of the right size of card backing too, going to look gash if we all have random sized back boards
As Ranj has seen the original etc could you give us the dimensions?
TBH I just copied it from the photos which I have posted, so I would not go as far as to say mine was "right sized" if anything I think it's a litle small/oblong - I might have another stab at it - you might be better off copying the pics. You can extrapolate the dimensions of mine from the pic of the back of it that I posted.
I think the point where the badge attached to the slider definitely makes mine look different to the one I photgraphed. I picked up a spare south staffs badge from the museum (it's very shiny - yeuch - staybrite, I think) and the slider is attached higher up in the centre of the crown like Major Cain's- the one I already had has the slider attached lower down at the base of the crown.
I went to the nearest fabric shop with a printed off photo of the original stuff, and the Holland cloth they have isn't a very good match at all. I shall try the two other fabric shops near me this weekend and see if they stock Holland cloth and if it is a better match.
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
Be a good idea to have a scan of the right size of card backing too, going to look gash if we all have random sized back boards
As Ranj has seen the original etc could you give us the dimensions?
TBH I just copied it from the photos which I have posted, so I would not go as far as to say mine was "right sized" if anything I think it's a litle small/oblong - I might have another stab at it - you might be better off copying the pics. You can extrapolate the dimensions of mine from the pic of the back of it that I posted.
I think the point where the badge attached to the slider definitely makes mine look different to the one I photgraphed. I picked up a spare south staffs badge from the museum (it's very shiny - yeuch - staybrite, I think) and the slider is attached higher up in the centre of the crown like Major Cain's- the one I already had has the slider attached lower down at the base of the crown.
I just looked at my 2 s-staffs badges... one looks more like Major Cain's with the slider high up, the other has it lower down like yours. However note that neither of them are completely like either!
lol
BTW, we picked up a fair quantity of correct holland cloth at the militaria fair today. There was a dealer in fabrics there selling stuff to the medieval lot... lol...
Ramsey has most of the cloth, I'm sure he'll be sorting some way for PBI members to obtain some!
we also got some rifle green fabric too, loads of it, more than enough for the members of PBI .
Just done mine...
I used Copydex...
What did you make the oval out of rich?
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
