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WW1 US Overseas Cap


Gildwiller1918

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In WW1 US troops arriving in France and other locations traded in their felt peaked caps for a more practical soft foldable cap. This was the overseas cap, later called the garrison cap, it also had various nicknames. There are many various types and designs, lots of variations. I will post some here to show these differences. Feel free to add to this thread or comment.

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Here is a WW1 US Signal Corps Captains cap, the signal corps used the white and orange colors to denote their service. This cap is made from wool, with a nice cotton liner with a leather sweatband. No names, tags or stamps present. Nice bullion Captains bar applied. Overall excellent condition. 

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Below is another style of cap, this one for a Corps of Engineers Captain. Engineer Officers wore white and red as their branch colors. It has a pin back false embroidered rank pin applied. 

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Here is another Corps of Engineers cap, this one for a 1st Lieutenant. The cap is lined but has not leather sweatband. It has the pin back coffin type rank bar.  

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Here is a US enlisted cap, french inspired design. It has no liner which is common for the enlisted side, but has a small cotton sweatband. It has a pin backed "US" disk applied. 

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Here is another enlisted cap, this one with an Air Service device. It is interesting also, as it is British made. The US had contracted several countries to make uniforms and related gear to help with the massive troop buildup. Unfortunately the cap has some minor moth damage. 

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Here is a nice enlisted engineer cap, it has a cotton sweatband and a screw back disk applied. 

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Here is another enlisted engineer cap, this one has a screw back disk, and is fully lined. 

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Here is a very quality enlisted side cap, troops wore the "US" type disk or a disk for their respective branch of service. The sweatband has been removed from this one, however the quality of the wool suggest early war or private purchase. 

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Here is an unissued enlisted cap, still with the cutter tags applied. Millions of caps were made, most of them never got overseas before the war ended. However due to the large size of the cap, I imagine that is why it was not issued. 

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Here is another example of the previous one listed. 

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Here is a nice 1919 dated cap, Sept 10, 191 to be exact. Although the war ended in November of 1918, allied troops were still overseas in many places in occupation roles. 

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Here is another enlisted cap, this one with an artillery disk. It has no liner, but is excellent shape.

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Another enlisted cap, this one for medical personnel. This cap has a cloth sweatband, and a makers label as well as the owners label. 

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Here is another enlisted engineer cap, it has a cloth sweatband with two ink stamps that are too faded to read. Note the safety pin along the top, it was common for soldiers to pin the open ridge shut or sew it shut to give a smarter appearance.

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Below is another enlisted cap  (although these types were sometimes worn by officers, without branch colors). It has a cloth sweatband and a tag that is washed out. It also has an unauthorized pin, typically these were sweetheart pins or veterans pins, so most likely this was added after the war. 

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Another nice condition enlisted cap, with the generic "US" disk. Cotton sweatband and tag remnants. 

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Here is a enlisted cap, with a early US National Guard disk applied. Cotton sweatband, no tags present. 

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Here is another enlisted cap, with the generic "US" disk. This one is British made, as you can faintly make out the stamps on the cotton sweatband. 

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Here is another cap, French inspired look. This one has a nice liner and leather sweatband, could have been an officers cap as well. The sweatband has the makers information embossed. 

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Here is another side cap, this one for a medical troop. The medical device is cloth, glued to the cap, which was not regulation. This I suspect was done after the war, by a veteran or collector. The cap has a leather sweatband, which is deteriorating. 

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Here is another medical cap, enlisted version, but with a medical officers collar device. Now it was not unusual for officers to wear enlisted caps and uniforms, to blend in on the battlefield, but I think this was added afterwards. The cap has a canvas sweatband and makers tag. 

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Here is another enlisted cap, this one made from a khaki cotton material to be worn with the cotton summer uniforms. Not seen very often as the wool types. The brim of the hat was sewn shut to give a sharp look. The cap is lined and has a leather sweatband.

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Here is a Chaplains Cap, The chaplains had black piping to denote their specialty in the Army. The cap has the coffin type Captains pin backed rank bar, this was replaced sometimes with a cross or another symbol of the faith of the wearer. 

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Here is a Medical Officers cap, for a Captain. The rank is the false embroidered type, pin back. The piping for medical was maroon and white. 

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