United Nations

[telemachus12]

Hey Guys,

Does anyone have any information on UN insignia/uniforms etc? Either past, current or proposed. All I know about is the blue beret they wear. Apart from that, do UN troops always wear the uniforms of their home country or are there any other distinguishing features which mark them out as being UN troops?

Thanks
Dave

[ChrisWI]

I belive the only standard insignia is the blue beret/helmet with the UN seal in white on front of helmet. And the tanks/apcs, etc being painted white and the letters "UN". As you said, I belive they wear the rank insignia of their home country while on UN assignment. The UN Police might have its own system of rank insignia however.

[DML]

All UN soldiers or police officers wear the uniform of their home country and the blue UN beret and a arm badge with a UN sign. Nevertheless an UN payment system for contracted personell is existing. But these persons wear also their home country uniform. The payment and rank system you can find under the official UN website.

[Guest]

General E.L.M. "Tommy" Burns, Canadian head of the UNEF after Suez took it upon himself to make and wear a "UN Uniform" , based of course on what he could get his hands on and was familar with. It was grey, british/canadian cut, with a Blue Gorget Patch (Colonel or General I'm not sure) and the rank was a UN Emblem over a broad white stripe. I'll try to send a picture if your interested. Only Burns wore the uniform and it didn't catch on, obviously, but hey it was there so I guess it applies here.

[DvTonder]

Please send me a picture at dvtonder at sympatico dot ca

thanks

David

[marcpasquin]

The effort of General Burns might have had someting to do with some criticisms made regarding canadian neutrality at the time of the suez crisis based on their symbols. It had been remarked that Canada could hardly claim not to be on any one side when their flag at the time contained the british Union jack.

So coming up with strictly UN badges and uniform might have seem to him a good to allay some fo the fears.

[Guest]

Oh don't get me started on the Red Ensign, pre-unification Uniforms vs. the Maple Leaf and the Garbagemen Green CF Uniforms, I'm quite old fashioned that way but as for the UN Uniforms, well unless we have a truly unified UN Force I think that the blue berets, UN patches and Flags do the job well enough, and besides the Egyptians are ones to talk about British style uniforms, there uniforms are more British than present Canadian ones!