Vintage 1962 USAF Field Cap Descended from the A-3 of WWII

[deanglen]

My original hat collecting was military headgear, and I developed a fascination with ballcap style hats Ground Crews wore from WWII on. Recently acquired off ebay this USAF Cap, Field, Light, QM Contract # 11173-C-62. I love these because they are, a) to most modern eyes, a ball cap, and, b) living in Michigan, they probably think its green for MSU, which is fine since I lean green, and c) it's vintage and, d) it has historical significance. This one appears to be unissued, no signs of wear.

dean

 

[indycop]

Cool! Are you still collecting military ? When can we see the whole collection?

 

[deanglen]

Sold most of it off on ebay to pay down the credit card that got that big buying all of it on ebay. Kept the mechanic's caps, mostly. The German stuff I owned just didn't fit culturally to wear around like the mechanic's caps, though once in ageat while I used to wear my repro Afrika Korps M-41 around, sans insignia, and the repro Oak "B" camo M-42 cap, and very few people remarked on them. I have a repro WWI US Army winter cap I love wearing when it gets cold. I'll post shots of it at some point, now that I have this camera phone.

dean

 

[Duck]

Great looking mechanic's cap, Dean.:eusa_clap I would like to see a pic of your Afrika Korps M-41.

 

[deanglen]

I can't show it to you..it's gone with the rest, and I had five at one time. All gone, some sold, some given away. The colllection was getting out of hand, you might say.

dean

 

[BellyTank]

I'm a fan too, Dean- A-3s, B-1s, D-1s, WW1 Austro-Hungarian and German, WW2 German, British and Italian... and a few repro vintage ball caps...
German headwear is great, huh..!

I have a lot of military caps.

I'm a bit like you- collect a bunch, then sell it off. Hrmmpphhhh.

I have a nice Splinter camo cap made from zeltbahn cloth.

B
T

 

[deanglen]

I'm a fan too, Dean- A-3s, B-1s, D-1s, WW1 Austro-Hungarian and German, WW2 German, British and Italian... and a few repro vintage ball caps...
German headwear is great, huh..!

I have a lot of military caps.

I'm a bit like you- collect a bunch, then sell it off. Hrmmpphhhh.

I have a nice Splinter camo cap made from zeltbahn cloth.

B
T

BT,

This is really scary, I have Splinter camo cap from original zeltbahn material, too! Wow! Just couldn't part with it. Nice to see someone who knows the feelings!

dean

 

[Pat_H]

Sold most of it off on ebay to pay down the credit card that got that big buying all of it on ebay. Kept the mechanic's caps, mostly. The German stuff I owned just didn't fit culturally to wear around like the mechanic's caps, though once in ageat while I used to wear my repro Afrika Korps M-41 around, sans insignia, and the repro Oak "B" camo M-42 cap, and very few people remarked on them. I have a repro WWI US Army winter cap I love wearing when it gets cold. I'll post shots of it at some point, now that I have this camera phone.

dean

Well I hope you kept your campaign hats! Oh no!

 

[Pat_H]

I have a repro WWI US Army winter cap I love wearing when it gets cold.

dean

Is that the cap that's very close to the current Filson hat, or the one just before that, in terms of a pattern?

 

[deanglen]

It's the WWI hat called the M1907 pattern, the one prior to the one that looks like the Filson hat. I had one of those later versions, like the Filson hat, but I gave it to my father to wear. I have a tendency to give hats away with alarming regularity. Good to see you in this evening, Pat, been missing you.

dean

 

[Pat_H]

Military ball caps

On the cap depicted above, does anyone know the history of baseball caps in the military? I know the Navy used some in WWII, and the USAF seems to have used them quite a bit after WWII. The Army flirted with them with the hideous (in my opinion) OG107 shade cap that was used in the 60s and 70s, but what are the details of the story?

By the way, nice Fedora in today's photo.

 

[indycop]

I never knew the whole time I was in the army that the camo BDU cap was styled after the old kepi caps!:eusa_doh:

 

[Pat_H]

I never knew the whole time I was in the army that the camo BDU cap was styled after the old kepi caps!:eusa_doh:

I think the BDU cap was styled after the Ranger "patrol" cap, which itself originated with a cap style that was used somewhat in WWII.

It's related to the rather odd Ridgeway cap, I believe.

 

[indycop]

That one or possibly a little earlier were all trying to pattern after the old kepi. Just didn't come close to me. I always wore mine ranger style. It seemed that administrative types wore there hat puffed up and stiff like a french cap, while those in combat arms wore them curled brim and folded on the sides aka Ranger style! I have a pic somewhere.
I also attribute the ranger style to the way you see some cops wearing their issue ball caps. If I wear a ball cap I curl the brim so much that I can't see to the side!

 

[deanglen]

The Army flirted with them with the hideous (in my opinion) OG107 shade cap that was used in the 60s and 70s, but what are the details of the story?

Are you referring to one of these?

The Edsel of Army fatigue wear, vintage 1968 sateen, yet they have an appeal for me. I feel close to flawed things. The Open Road in the avatar now belongs to another Lounger.
dean

 

[Pat_H]

Are you referring to one of these?

The Edsel of Army fatigue wear, vintage 1968 sateen, yet they have an appeal for me. I feel close to flawed things. The Open Road in the avatar now belongs to another Lounger.
dean

Dean! That was the perfect Pastor's hat. I feel you need another such Open Road!

Yes, that cap. I had one of those briefly, and gladly switched to the BDU cap I'm afraid. I think I gave it away, which I shouldn't have, as my young son no doubt would now like it.. . .hmmm. . . perhaps I should dig through my old GI hats and see if I still have it.

I have to admit, with the paratroopers badge, it looks much better.

 

[deanglen]

Pat,

I find it interesting that you expressed curiousity about the inclusion of the ballcap style hat in military headgear, because I myself have had the notion to begin collecting military ballcap style headgear, not that stuff veterans wear to reunions, but the stuff they wore while they served. Example: the yellow ballcaps worn by the F-86 Sabre Jet pilots of the 336th Fighter Intereceptor Squadron. I thought about ordering a Cooperstown 1950s style cap in yellow, if that wuld be accurate. In Strategic Air Command starring Jimmy Stewart the B-36 crew wear dark blue baseball caps with Air Force Logos on the front. Those are the type hats I'd like to collect, plus the B-1 style Army Air Forces hats that were apparently the model worn into the 50s with this intresting tan/dark blue half and half coloring that I've noticed in period films. I wonder how many of the type of headgear still exists.


dean

 

[Pat_H]

Pat,

I find it interesting that you expressed curiousity about the inclusion of the ballcap style hat in military headgear, because I myself have had the notion to begin collecting military ballcap style headgear, not that stuff veterans wear to reunions, but the stuff they wore while they served. Example: the yellow ballcaps worn by the F-86 Sabre Jet pilots of the 336th Fighter Intereceptor Squadron. I thought about ordering a Cooperstown 1950s style cap in yellow, if that wuld be accurate. In Strategic Air Command starring Jimmy Stewart the B-36 crew wear dark blue baseball caps with Air Force Logos on the front. Those are the type hats I'd like to collect, plus the B-1 style Army Air Forces hats that were apparently the model worn into the 50s with this intresting tan/dark blue half and half coloring that I've noticed in period films. I wonder how many of the type of headgear still exists.


dean

I'll confess large scale ignorance on military ball caps. In military use I think they were a cap of convenience originally. I wonder if any military use predates the Navy use that came in during WWII?