REGIMENTAL COLOURS

The Regimental Colours are Brown, Red and Green. When it was first formed, the Tank Corps had no distinctive colours. Nothing was done about it until just before the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 when General Elles, wanting some distinguishing mark for his tank, went into a shop to buy material for a flag. Although stocks were small, the General bought some lengths of silk-brown, red and green. The silk was sewn together and was flown from his tank 'Hilda' in which he led the Tank Corps into battle. The colours typified the struggle of the Corps - 'From mud, through blood to the green fields beyond'. This most apt interpretation of the colours was suggested by Colonel Fuller. The flag is flown with the green uppermost.

THE BLACK BERET

Much of the uniform and equipment of soldiers during World War One was quite impractical for use inside a tank. In particular, the vision apertures in a tank were so small that it was necessary to keep the eyes very close to them in order to get even a limited vision. Thus, any headdress with a peak was entirely unsuitable.

• In May 1918, General Elles and Colonel Fuller were discussing the future of the Tank Corps and its uniform and General Elles tried on a beret of the 70th Chasseurs Alpins who were billeted nearby. A black beret was selected as it would show oil stains at least.
  
  
• No change in uniform was possible during the war, but after a prolonged argument with the War Office, the back beret was approved by King George V on 5 March 1924.
  
  
• The black beret remained the exclusive headdress of the Royal Tank Corps until its practical value was recognised by others and its use extended to the majority of the Royal Armoured Corps in 1940. On the introduction of the blue beret in 1949, the Royal Tank Regiment reclaimed its right to the exclusive use of the black beret, which may not be worn by any other Regiment or Corps with the exception of the Berkshire and Westminster Dragoons Squadrons of The Royal Yeomanry.

THE BLACK OVERALLS

The wearing of black overalls is a custom reserved to the Regiment by Material Regulations for the Army, volume 3, Pamphlet No 4 (Code 13251). It stems from the Royal Review held at Aldershot in the presence of King George V on 13 July 1935 on which occasion black overalls were worn on parade by all ranks of the Royal Tanks Corps. The practice lapsed during World War II but was re-introduced in the 1950s.

THE TANK ARM BADGE

The ordinary Machine Gun Corps' cap badge was the first official badge of the Heavy Branch. It was not universally popular and many of its members retained the badges of their original Regiment or Corps. By 1917 the new Branch was seeking its own distinctive badge, but as this was a matter for which Royal approval was required and would take time, the War Office agreed that a worsted arm badge would be introduced until the cap badge was approved.

• The Army Order authorising the badge (79 of 6 February 1917) decreed that it should be worn on the right arm three inches below the point of the shoulder. It also states that 'It is to be worn by all ranks'. This would appear to dispel the popular myth, perpetuated by the Regimental History, that it was only awarded to trained tank crewmen. Certainly for many years all members of the RTC/RTR have worn it on service and battle dress.
  
  
• A silver embroidered version was worn on the other ranks pre-war blue patrols and the Band had a gold embroidered one for their full dress. In 1996 the RTR Council directed that the gold embroidered badge was to be worn on both Officers' and Warrants Officers' and Sergeants' Mess Dress. They do wear a silver embroidered version on No 1 Dress and No 3 Dress (tropical white equivalent of No 1 Dress) although a brass badge has been worn instead on No 3 Dress (Fourth in Malaya 1964). This brass badge was also worn by officers and men on khaki drill and olive green tropical dress.
  
  
• The arm badge is not worn on combat dress, it is however worn on parade black denims.

THE ASH PLANT

During World War I walking sticks were often carried by officers. Such sticks came to have a new and greater use with the introduction of tanks which often became 'bogged' on battlefields, particularly in Flanders. Officers of the Tank Corps used these sticks to probe the ground in front of their tanks testing for firmness as they went forward. Often the commanders led their tanks into action on foot. To commemorate this, officers of the Regiment carry Ash Plant Sticks instead of the short cane customary to other Arms.