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 Squadron of The Royal Yeomanry. Black coveralls 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 the Second World War, but was re-introduced in the 1950s. Black accoutrements Royal Tank Regiment officers and senior warrant officers also wear both a black sam browne and a black sword scabbard, while other ranks wear a black parade belt. Sleeve badge The sleeve badge of a First World War Mk 1 tank preceded the formation of the Royal Tank Corps when it was worn by the Heavy Branch of the Machine Gun Corps. Authorised on 7 May 1917, it is still worn today. The ash plant During the First World War, walking sticks were often carried by officers. Such sticks came to have a new and more important 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. Order of precedence Alliances : 12e Régiment blindé du Canada : 1st Armoured Regiment : Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps : Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles : 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) : 13th Lancers : HMS Kent : 501e Régiment de chars de combat (Bond of Friendship) Affiliated Yeomanry Dorset Yeomanry Westminster Dragoons (2RTR) Royal Devon Yeomanry (2RTR) See also History of the tank Notes Bibliography External links Official website on British Army webpage Royal Tank Regiment Association Regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps Military units and formations established in 1917 Military units and