Aussie Hats 2; more about the other hats

More Aussie Military Hats


Bombay, India. 1917. Informal group portrait of Australian troops, possibly a reinforcement for the 1st Wireless Signal Squadron, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, relaxing in the water. They were at Elephanta Island which was famous for its ancient carved caves. Note the topees worn by the men even in the water. These pith helmets were issued to replace the customary felt hats on the arrival of the troops in India. (donor E. Keast Burke)
	Korea, c. 1951-02. Kneeling in the snow, a member of the 3rd battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), demonstrates how to tie up the flaps of a fur-lined pile cap across the peak of the cap. 3RAR soldiers wore such hats to keep their heads warm in the cold Korean winter. (donor I. Robertson)
	This 3RAR Digger is wearing the ORs peaked cap of the ceremonial blues uniform as issued in the 1950s and early 1960s. This photo taken in 1962. (Donor WO1 R J Hann)	Lieutenant Earp is wearing the post 1913 pattern uniform and the green hatband would indicate he is a member of an infantry Cadet unit.

Cambodia, 1992-0. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Ayling, Commanding Officer (CO) of the Force Communications Unit (FCU) of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), with another Australian soldier, Mackenzie, who was a veteran of the Vietnam war. They are both wearing jungle green uniforms with hats bearing the emblem of the United Nations (UN). (donor s. Ayling)

Peaked Cap belonging to an officer of the Hunter River Lancers circa WW2. The leather band around the hat can be lowered to act as a chin strap but it is very rarely ever worn that way.

<< image from Rick's Hat Check Room

Pembroke Dock, Wales. C. 1940-01. Three typical Australian airmen of No. 10 (Sunderland) Squadron RAAF at their depot, at an RAF station. The hats they are wearing are, left to right, walking out peak cap, forage cap and summer felt hat. They are, Aircraftman I J. Farquharson; Leading Aircraftman (LAC) C. Roach; LAC C. Richardson.

History of the Aussie bush hat Many people believe that the Brits "invented" the bush hat in Malaya in the 1950s. I disagree. Here is some photographic evidence to support my claim that we were wearing a "bush hat" style hat long before and that we are still making good use of it.
Image: Grants Militaria
WW1 Giggle hat. Also issued Boer War era	Light Horse recruits circa 1914	RSM Chinn DCM 1967	Current DPCU bush hat
Hats in Vietnam are fashion - even high fashion if you take odour into account. There are elegant models with softly drooped brims, models with jauntily cocked brims, new and old, battered and pampered... Every man wears his hat in a manner just slightly different to the next, expressing his own personality. How a soldier moulds and wears his hat in Vietnam is about the only way he can express himself when the most pressing fashion problem he is ever likely to face is which set of his wardrobe of jungle greens will he wear that day. The "in" hat is known officially as "hats utility, jungle green." the diggers know it variously as the giggle hat, hats ridiculous, or simply, the bush hat. Made of cotton twill and dyed that familiar green, it was introduced in 1954 to replace the slouch hat on operations. Its floppy design is to break up the outline of the head, helping camouflage the wearer, and a secondary purpose is to provide protection from the weather. Army regulations lay down that the hat will be worn at all times outdoors in the war theatre, and that it will not be cut, starched or shaped so as not to defeat its purpose. But the digger, being a digger... The floppy hat has many uses besides the obvious. The little pockets around the band can carry pens, tin openers, cigarettes and so on making it as useful as a roof-rack on a car. Soaked in water, it is the perfect built on air cooler. Then again the digger can pull it off his thatch work and use it as a sweat cloth to wipe his face. In a pinch it is a reasonable towel. It even has its uses at night. Stuffed with a sweat cloth the little floppy hat is a good pillow, or it can be used to hold the contents of pants pockets so they won't stick in. And even when the digger returns home to Australia his companion of many miles in the Vietnam jungle is not forgotten - it has just taken on the new role of a fishing hat. A tried and trusty warrior, sporting a 15-year-old model, has the final say. "one of their saving graces," he swears, "is that you look as stupid as the next man. No man can look intelligent in a rag hat..."

	Cashman MM in Korea, displays the latest in headwear, a tin hat wrapped in hessian.		A service or forage cap as issued to the 91st Infantry, The Tasmanian Rangers, pre WW1. The badge is beside the cap but can be seen,
	British pattern steel helmet as worn by 1st & 2nd AIF		This unusual cap was part of the uniform, in 1903, of the Victorian Mounted Rifles.

The cap of NGX371 Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth G McMullen, who served in the Australian New Guinea Administration Unit (ANGAU) during the Second World War.

He was awarded the United States Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm for meritorious service between 22 October 1943 and 1 June 1944.

Note the chin strap in the down position.

Allied prisoners of war in Germany, 1914/18, from the ranks only, during the First World War, were issued with black dyed uniforms with an identifying brown cotton band or stripe. Officers were permitted to wear their own uniforms. Most uniforms were supplied by the British Red Cross and were actually standard British Army khaki uniforms that were then dyed and modified with the brown stripe or band.

Mark I yellow based Disruptive Pattern Desert Uniform (DPDU) bush hat. The hat has a wide brim and a band stitched around the crown at 40 mm intervals. Inside, the crown of the hat and the front section is lined with dark green absorbent toweling and a maker's label is sewn into one side. The hat has a cotton khaki cord with a plastic toggle attached. Worn by a Special Air Services Regiment (SAS) officer on his first deployment in Afghanistan.

Mark II gray based Disruptive Pattern Desert Uniform (DPDU) bush hat. The hat has a wide brim and a band stitched around the crown at 40 mm intervals. Inside, the crown of the hat and the front section is lined with dark green absorbent toweling and a maker's label is sewn into one side. The hat has a cotton khaki cord with a plastic toggle attached. Worn by a Special Air Services Regiment (SAS) officer on his second deployment in Afghanistan.

	AATTV Advisor in the beret of the Ranger Training Center Viet Nam 1965. This photo is not reversed. The Rangers wore their beret pulled to the left where the Australian Army wear theirs pulled to the right.
Rifle Green beret worn in Vietnam by 335119 Major David Edward Holford when he was a member of the Australian Army Training Team (AATTV), Vietnam. Major Holford served with Headquarters, 1 Australian Task Force from 4 May 1966 to 31 May 1967 and with the AATTV from 4 June 1972 to 20 December 1972. During his second tour, Major Holford acted as Supervisor of Training. When the AATTV was finally withdrawn from Vietnam, the then Commanding Officer, 337629 Lieutenant Colonel Peter Johnston returned to Australia earlier than the remainder of the Team, so as second in command it was Major Holford's duty to organise their withdrawal from Van Kiep and his 'dubious honour' to disband the unit on its return to Australia. He wore the unofficial AATTV beret and badge during his latter service at the Jungle Warfare Training Centre, Phuoc Tuy Province. The green beret and badge was adopted in 1971 when the Australian advisors were consolidating in the province.

South Australian Scottish Company, 1900

Black Glengarry, with red Tourie, feather hackle, and red, white and black diced border. Lined with black polished cotton. Bottom of cap bound with black silk.

Khaki field service cap : Lieutenant J Black-Stevenson, 2 Battalion (Scottish) South Australian Infantry 1902


Victorian Mounted Rifles side cap	RAAF, WW2 vintage, pith helmet, tropical, with cover.

WW1 "Trench cap" with built in sun shade

British motorcycle helmet worn by Aussie Dispatch Riders (Don R's).

The Tin Hat



British issue (Aus, Canada, NZ & UK) steel helmet WW2 (the 'tin hat")

"The Baggy Red". Army cricket team cap from 1976. Probably a NSW side. Styled on the famous Australian cricket team's cap, the Baggy Green.