Captain Martin Ferrey
This new post about Cameronians who served with Special Forces is of great interest. The piece about No 9 Commando is of special interest and Ferrey’s service with them and all of the detail in his personal diaries makes fascinating reading.
Delving on line for a bit more about 9 Commando I found this on the website of the Imperial War Museum: The unit did not wear a cap badge as such but while serving in 2nd Special Service Battalion they wore a black hackle in a khaki Balmoral hat. When the Special Service Battalions were re-organized in March 1941, the unit reverted to its 9 Commando title, retaining the Balmoral and black hackle. The hackle was transferred to the green beret when the latter was adopted in 1942. And The first version of the shoulder title is 9 COMMANDO in white on black, changed in late 1942 to No 9 COMMANDO, still in white on black. A green on black No 9 COMMANDO was subsequently worn for a short time before adopting the standard red on black in early 1943.
There is no doubt in my mind that a Cameronian, perhaps more than one, either with No 9 or on the staff, had a hand in this. The Balmoral bonnet with black hackle was the officers’ day-to-day dress with battle dress (or later with combat kit) for many years and until the 1st Battalion was disbanded.
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And now I have to add an immediate PS to the above. Delving even further (this lockdown and social distancing has its advantages) I discover that the short lived (1940/41) No 11 (Scottish) Commando also wore the Cameronian black hackle. They are described as wearing them in their Glengarries but this is unlikely and photographs clearly show all ranks wearing them either in a Tam-o-Shanter or a Balmoral for the officers. In all cases the hackle was worn without a cap badge. There are photographs of several outstanding officers: Lt Col Geoffrey Keyes VC, Lt Col Paddy Mayne DSO, and Col Sir Ronald Macpherson CBE MC and two bars. (https://houseoflabhran.com/blog/11-scottish-commando-the-black-hackle)