New Zealand Army berets #1

Berets were first used as a headdress in the New Zealand military in 1938 when new uniforms for the Territorial forces were introduced, including a black beret for motorcyclists of the Light Machine Gun Platoons and dispatch riders.

Motorcyclists discontinued the black beret in February 1942 when the NZ Tank Brigade was granted permission to use the black beret as its official headdress.

Within the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF), The Divisional Cavalry in Egypt was the first to adopt the black beret. Later, black berets were issued to most of the 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade personnel in November 1942. A year later, soldiers serving in the 22 Battalion in Italy were issued a khaki beret to replace their field service cap.

In the years following World War II, the New Zealand Army expanded the use of berets to various units. However, the reintroduction of the traditional lemon squeezer as the official headdress of the New Zealand Army in February 1949 marked the end of the widespread use of berets by the NZ Army, with only the RNZAC, NZWRAC, and RNZANS authorized to use the beret as their headdress.