John Burrowes has worked on newspapers since leaving school, broken only by service in the Parachute Brigade.vietnam war 1961-1975 - journalists, parachute brigade

The maroon beret was adopted by the British paratroopers in July 1942. Initially it was adorned with an Army Air Corps badge. This was replaced with the Parachute Regiment badge in 1943. The maroon beret in a military configuration has been an international symbol of airborne forces since the Second World War. The beret was a practical headgear, for soldiers who needed a hat that could be worn in confined areas, slept in and could be stowed in a small space when they wore steel helmets. The "Red Devils" nickname and maroon beret were earned by the British 1st Parachute Brigade during World War II, though standard webbing belts rather than a specific "red devil belt" formed part of their gear. The Red Devils also flew into battle using military gliders rather than parachutes. This is a 'Red Devils' maroon felt beret and webbing belt worn by WW2 paratroopers. The beret has a black leather trim around the edges. It has a silver coated British Parachute Regiment badge on the front, which features a winged parachute, surrounded by a King's crown. The belt is made of red webbing with a closed sliver coated two piece clasp buckle, featuring the airborne parachute design. It has an adjustable slider.Inside the red beret is stitched a weathered marked plastic label holder with a piece of paper inserted - 'Hat size 7.1/8 0220. A/78/C.../DC...8(2) 'clothing, berets, headwear, ww2 paratroopers clothing