Pre war Territorial Boonie hat

[T8HANTS]

In just a couple of pre war camp photographs this odd 'Boonie'style hat appears being worn by Isle of Wight Rifles Territorials. Has anyone seen this type of headgear being worn by other TA Battalions? It appears to be made in the same material as the SD uniform. Any suggestions as to what the headgear is, or am I completely misinterpreting what is in the photo?

Gareth

[4thGordons]

There was an odd waterproof pattern worn by a couple of highland TF battalions and I think I have a picture somewhere. I am not sure that they are identical to this but they were similar I think.

IIRC one of the pictures of a Highland TF battalion in Bedford in Oct/Nov 1914 shows them wearing it. I'll have a look.

Chris

Edit : here it is (pinched from Raster Scannings post)

[T8HANTS]

An interesting photo, their headdress is even closer to the between the wars 'deerstalker' cap that was part of the experimental uniform of 1932 - 34. That was described as being in gabardine, perhaps it had its roots in the Territorial Association kit, and was almost on general issue in the thirties.

[eltoro1960]

The 8th Royal Scots seemed to favour the 'Breaker Morrand' style hat prewar, I have a number of photographs of them with type of headgear.

Here is an example

John

[4thGordons]

The 8th Royal Scots seemed to favour the 'Breaker Morrand' style hat prewar, I have a number of photographs of them with type of headgear.

Here is an example

John

The Breaker Morant style bush-hat was a hold over from the Boer War - and maintained by some of the Vol. Battalions that went for quite a few years after.

I have a picture of Gordons wearing it too.

but I think that shown in the first picture and of the Seaforths in Bedford are quite different

[T8HANTS]

Here is a picture of the 1930's experimental uniform, the hat more closely resembles the Boonie, rather than the Boer War slouch, which was quite popular during the very early years following the Boer War, but has a much wider brim and a different crown.

Gareth

[eltoro1960]

There is certainly a marked difference in the hats, dare I say it, it looks like an Irish Donegal hat.

[Ghost]

The men wearing the boonie hats in Gareths Picture all seem to be caterers, so perhaps not I.O.W. Rifles themselves.

Alan

[Pete1052]

Incidentally, the word "boondock" (and hence "boonie") entered American vernacular during the the U.S. Army's suppression of the so-called Philippine Insurrection in 1898-1905. In the Tagalog dialect the word means a type of plant that grows there in rural areas.