I Prefer El Alamein’s Early Stuff (with Pierre Novellie) | Monty vs Rommel (Part 3/4)

Where this was said

The Gay Beret

At 30:23 · chapter starts 25:54

With Alam el-Halfa secured, the group turns to the theatre of Montgomery's public image. Fin observes that WWII saw the birth of the military celebrity, and Monty was acutely brand-aware. Pierre explains that the black beret was the badge of armoured divisions — by wearing it, Monty was signalling to the tank crews 'he's one of ours,' which gave morale a significant boost. The SAS's beret history is also covered: they originally wore beige, which got them mocked as sissies when they returned to Cairo, fights broke out, so they eventually switched to the now-iconic red. The fly whisk Monty carried is distinguished from a fly swatter — it deters rather than kills. Horatio notes Patton's contrasting image management: pearl-handled revolvers and an always-on helmet that made him look, in Horatio's phrase, like 'a Deliveroo driver picking up McDonald's.' ^{[1] — Pierre Novellie "Montgomery wore a black beret to signal solidarity with armoured divisions, carried a fly whisk for swagger, and was obsessively media-awar…" 30:55 Play}