Rescued some old friends from the barn today.

[David Conwill]

This was the kind of hat I always preferred over the "crusher." Just a squished service cap.

Unfortunately, it looks like my old friend won't be around for much longer.

Only military hat I've ever encountered with a maker's label on the liner.

Ushkana: This needs the snaps sewn back into it in the front, but I think this could be a great hat for those really brutal days next winter.

Modern USAF service cap that I "crusher-ized" my junior year of college to form part of my "air pirate" costume. Let me tell you, chicks dig eye patches and leather jackets.

-Dave

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Too bad about the officer's cap. But it does look like it could be restored with a new top. There were actually quite a few name brand hats sold to officers during the war, Bancroft being one of the more notable brands. Yours has some nice detail as it has a back strap I think, not a real common feature, but a nice touch.

 

[David Conwill]

it does look like it could be restored with a new top.

A new top? They make those? I wouldn't mind fixing her. The rest of everything is rather nice.

There were actually quite a few name brand hats sold to officers during the war, Bancroft being one of the more notable brands.

Actually, I'm fairly confident this is a post-war cap, post-1952 in fact. Being as it has the narrower chin strap rather than the WWII-type 3/4-inch strap. But maybe that was only on the cap that went with the "pinks and greens."

Yours has some nice detail as it has a back strap I think, not a real common feature, but a nice touch.

Hmm, you know, I hadn't noticed that. It does have the back strap. A cavalry-oriented feature, I'd always thought. Didn't they do away with that for a while during the War?

Another neat feature that you can't tell from the photos is that the bill is really quite soft and flexible, in contrast to the modern service cap.

-Dave

 

[TimBer]

I have a khaki cover for my combination cover, but the elastic is black as opposed to being the same color as the rest of the cover. Perhaps there is someway to make it look right, but it would take some work.

I believe that is a Chief Petty Officer cover since officers have always worn a gold chin strap. Assuming that is a USN cover, of course.

 

[TimBer]

This is a really crummy picture I just took with my phone. Sorry it is so blurry; I dropped my phone a while back and now all my pictures have this U2 video look to them. Hopefully you get the idea.

 

[TimBer]

And here is a picture I found on the web of a current CPO cover.

 

[David Conwill]

TimBer, actually, the cap is Army - from back when they used to wear khaki uniforms.

-Dave

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

A new top? They make those? I wouldn't mind fixing her. The rest of everything is rather nice.



Actually, I'm fairly confident this is a post-war cap, post-1952 in fact. Being as it has the narrower chin strap rather than the WWII-type 3/4-inch strap. But maybe that was only on the cap that went with the "pinks and greens."



Hmm, you know, I hadn't noticed that. It does have the back strap. A cavalry-oriented feature, I'd always thought. Didn't they do away with that for a while during the War?

Another neat feature that you can't tell from the photos is that the bill is really quite soft and flexible, in contrast to the modern service cap.

-Dave

There were as many slight variations as there were makers I think. Because of the flexible bill, I think your cap is certainly a crusher type made specifically for fliers at some point during the war when it was noticed that air crews were removing the stiffening bands from the tops of their hats. Back straps seemed to be just an added option at the officer's discretion, as I have seen them on caps from all branches of army service.
Are you sure it's post-war? I have a Bailey's catalog from 1940, which depicts one of the caps in their line,(I will post pics when my battery charges) and the strap does not appear to be very wide. Also they sold separate chin straps in various widths and leathers. 1/2 inch or 3/8s,....in either cordovan or russet leather, and some caps came with the back strap included. Lots of variation really, more than one would expect!
Some models from various makers did have interchangeable cloth tops also. In the case of your cap and it's possible restoration, if you had sufficient period cloth, and knew someone that was handy with a sewing machine, restoration would be definitely doable.

 

[David Conwill]

Maj. Danger, that's fascinating. I had figured because of the soft-roll stiffner and the narrow strap that it was "just" a post war service cap, but I'm not at all certain of that. I'm fairly confident that the top is fixed in place, but then I might not know what to look for for an interchangable cover. I guess this hat might be worth somewhat more than the $6.00 or so that I paid for it at the estate sale - from a historical standpoint if not in actual dollars.

-Dave

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Here's the page from my Bailey's catalog as promised.

[/IMG]

9 different choices and from only one of many manufacturers. You could theoretically restore yours with any of the materials that were used, Elastique being I think the easiest to procure. In fact, I am in possession of sufficient chocolate OD Elastique to do the job if so inclined. Feel free to PM for details if you wish to undertake the restoration.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

While we are on the subject,...

...here's the next page showing the rest of the hats they offered. Sorry about the somewhat blurry text, my digital is not exactly top shelf.

[/IMG]