British VC Winners Paratrooper Beret – Item 93910

British Airborne Beret Belonging to Colonel Patrick Anthony Porteous V.C, Who Won the Victoria Cross for the Dieppe Raid Whilst Attached to the No4 Commando, the maroon wool beret with black leather trim and gilt metal Royal Artillery badge to the front. Interior of the beret has black cloth lining with white stamped broad arrow size marked 7 1/2, Supan Manufacturing Co Ltd and 1945 date. Also stamped with war department stamp and date letter “Z”. Leather panel to the reverse of the brass side gromets.

Accompanying the beret is an original hand written and signed letter from Colonel Porteous to the current vendor gifting him this beret on 12th October 1977, “Digging through the bottom draw I found this old airborne beret which you might like. I was with an airborne unit from 1944-1949 + again for three years in the sixties & wore this beret with great pride. I would be pleased if you would except of as a present”.

Colonel Patrick Anthony Porteous VC was born on 1st January 1908 in Abbottabad, India. Porteous was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1937. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 26th August 1940. On the 19th August 1942 he was a temporary Major attached to No4 Commando when he took part in the famous Dieppe Raid. His Victoria Cross for the raid was announced in the London Gazette 2nd October 1942, the citation was as follows, “At Dieppe on the 19th August, 1942, Major Porteous was detailed to act as Liaison Officer between the two detachments whose task was to assault the heavy coast defence guns. In the initial assault Major Porteous, working with the smaller of the two detachments, was shot at close range through the hand, the bullet passing through his palm and entering his upper arm. Undaunted, Major Porteous closed with his assailant, succeeded in disarming him and killed him with his own bayonet thereby saving the life of a British Sergeant on whom the German had turned his aim. In the meantime the larger detachment was held up, and the officer leading this detachment was killed and the Troop Sergeant-Major fell seriously wounded. Almost immediately afterwards the only other officer of the detachment was also killed. Major Porteous, without hesitation and in the face of a withering fire, dashed across the open ground to take over the command of this detachment. Rallying them, he led them in a charge which carried the German position at the point of the bayonet and was severely wounded for the second time. Though shot through the thigh he continued to the final objective where he eventually collapsed from loss of blood after the last of the guns had been destroyed. Major Porteous’s most gallant conduct, his brilliant leadership and tenacious devotion to a duty which was supplementary to the role originally assigned to him, was an inspiration to the whole detachment.”

After recovering from his wounds Porteous continued to serve in the Royal Artillery. He was later posted to No1 Air Landing Light Regiment RA. In June 1945 he was posted to 53 Air Landing Light Regiment RA with whom he served in Palestine from November 1945 to March 1946. Then HQ RA 16th Airborne Division until January 1947 as Brigade Major. From February 1948 to April 1949 he was Battery Commander with the 33rd Airborne Light Regiment. He served again for three years in the Sixties as Colonel, General Staff at the War Office, the Directorate of the Lans/Air Warfare. He retired in 1970.