Which beret did #4 commando wear? Also is a soup plate helmet the right one or could I get away with a para tin lid?
Currently sweating inside a wooly cap!
Green... The same colour as today's Royal Marines Commandos. However you should have one with a much larger crown for WWII... (10 1/2")
Tommy Helmet would be more appropriate really... especially when not wearing a denison.
I have the Osprey book on WWII commandos - Army and RM
The battlefield pictures show an equal mix of berets, cap comforters and MKII Brodies (soup plates).
Just back from trip toTunisia with work.
Talking things over with my boss reveals that his dad was in No.4 Commando and he ended the war as a troop commander. He was a marine diver and his CO suggested that volunteering for the Commando would be a good thing!
Early raids like the the Lofoten islands were in BD and berets mainly.
Later in the war in Italy Greece and Dodecanese, quoted look was a bunch of brigands.
Three other points early war they were issued with Thompsons purchased from USA but only had drum magazines at first (has a picture of his dad with one) stick magazines were issued later.
As a troop commander carried a Luger as a side arm. His issued Webley had jammed on him and he did not trust it after that.
On return to Devonport he was pulled up brecause none of his troop including himself were wearing badges of rank.
