Khaki Posted 4 December , 2012 Share Posted 4 December , 2012 I include in this question the hats worn by the ANZACS, the Doughboys and some British units. I imagine that in the fierce heat of Egypt and Palestine they were invaluable,however I would have thought on the Western Front they would have had very limited appeal. I have seen a photo of a NZ'er with the brim almost completely collapsed around him (wet weather?). Certainly more comfortable to wear on the march than a helmet, although personally I would have preferred the British OR's peaked cap 1917?. thoughts anyone? khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 4 December , 2012 Share Posted 4 December , 2012 It does rain sometimes in the Middle East and when it does you really know about it. I've seen a description of such hats where the water sodden brims hang down all round making the men look like a company of tall toadstools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 4 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2012 I hadn't thought of the analogy, 'toadstools', but a perfect description of the photograph that I saw. khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judy7007 Posted 4 December , 2012 Share Posted 4 December , 2012 .......where the water sodden brims hang down all round making the men look like a company of tall toadstools. Have to say I laughed out loud at this and read it out to 'profile clicking at the computer' aka husband, who actually laughed too (fairly rare!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green_acorn Posted 5 December , 2012 Share Posted 5 December , 2012 Give me a broad brimmed felt hat when it is raining anytime over a cloth peaked cap. They aren't just for the sun you know, at least it keeps some rain of my face, out of my eyes and running down my collar under the gas cape. Cheers, Hendo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Posted 7 December , 2012 Share Posted 7 December , 2012 It partly depends on the quality of the hat. There are pictures showing very droopy hats from the Second World War as well; particularly in the jungles fo New Guinea. I have worn the 'modern' 'Hat Khaki Fur Felt', ie Australian slouch hat, in very wet conditions and it didn't droop although once the felt was really wet it acquired a rather fetching fore and aft curve to the brim. They also got softer with age but stiffened up somewhat when dried out . Some slouch hats are made of thicker, stiffer felt than the Australian one. The Gurkha's, for example, wore a 'double terai' ie one slouch hat inside another making it very stiff indeed. Double terais were wore by the British in india as civilian hats when hunting or by planters, alongside sun helmets/ topees. Slouch hats do keep water out of your eyes and help to divert it away from your body. The objections to them as a piece of kit are that they blow off in windy conditions unless you use the chinstrap, they obscure vision when firing in the prone position, they are difficult to 'store' when wearing a steel helmet,and catch on your pack. Wearing the brim 'up' did tend to stiffen the whole brim. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green_acorn Posted 8 December , 2012 Share Posted 8 December , 2012 Slouch hats do keep water out of your eyes and help to divert it away from your body. The objections to them as a piece of kit are that they blow off in windy conditions unless you use the chinstrap, they obscure vision when firing in the prone position, they are difficult to 'store' when wearing a steel helmet,and catch on your pack. Wearing the brim 'up' did tend to stiffen the whole brim. Greg Greg, Like you I have worn the "modern" hat quite a lot. Indeed the battalion I was in was the first one to wear gd2 on a daily basis in the field and in barracks back in the late 70's. Modern wearers of the hat often don't know how to wear hats properly, ours are often too small or have shrunk so that they sit higher on the head and require the chinstrap just to keep them on, look at how cockies wear their Akubras for the difference. I can attest to the fact of how painful they are to strap onto a pack if there is any thought of keeping its shape, but that is what proper cleaning and re-bashing is for. Nevertheless at night in the rain on gun picquet, better a slouch hat and an old gas cape (if the echelon bag was available to carry it) rather than a SD cap the poor old Poms wore. Cheers, Hendo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Posted 19 December , 2012 Share Posted 19 December , 2012 Yes the size is important! My ceremonial KFF 'perched' on my head, partly because it shrank over time, but my 'bush' one was a much larger size and sat much lower. Having worn Akubra hats on farms they are thicker and stiffer and stay on surprisingly well,even when riding, despite the lack of a chinstrap. The old gas cape was a good bit of kit and much better than the 'smock invisible' black and green camouflage raincoat that folded up into its own pocket . Apropos of nothing, I also had a strong liking for the 37 pattern map board and the big 'Bren' pouches instead of the 'bum' pack. Regards Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walrus11 Posted 1 March , 2013 Share Posted 1 March , 2013 These Hats being referred to, are all different, and cannot be all labelled as one type. The Australian Army Slouch hat has its roots with Prince Ruperts Royalist Cavaliers and William of Orange's Army. Similarly, the Confederate Cavalry of the 1860's often wore a plumed Slouch Hat. This contrasted with the Yank Type of lemon squeezer which bore no resemblance to these whatsoever. Thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 1 March , 2013 Share Posted 1 March , 2013 look at how cockies wear their Akubras for the difference. Cheers, Hendo I confess I don't understand that! Can you enlighten the Northern Hemisphere? Actually, a photo would be nice: one sometimes sees photos of current Australian service personnel, but a photo of the current fashion would be appreciated. Similarly, if anyone has a decent shot of the current NZ lemon squeezer I'd be delighted. Just a reminder that the Gurkhas wear a similar felt hat, but purely ceremonially (photo downloaded from the web, I hasten to add) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddell Posted 1 March , 2013 Share Posted 1 March , 2013 I confess I don't understand that! Can you enlighten the Northern Hemisphere? Had a chuckle at that one. Cockies as in Cow Cockies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajburges Posted 2 March , 2013 Share Posted 2 March , 2013 Akubras are of course the major manufacturer of fur felt hats in Oz, something good comes of all those bloody bunnies. I dont think they manufacture the KFF anymore except for the tourist trade although they did in the past "Cockies" is a reference to the farmers scratching a living out of the soil, like the cockatoos scratching for tucker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 2 March , 2013 Share Posted 2 March , 2013 Thanks. I think I'm enlightened ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoppage Drill Posted 2 March , 2013 Share Posted 2 March , 2013 Thanks. I think I'm enlightened ... Been on the Syrup of Figs have we ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoppage Drill Posted 2 March , 2013 Share Posted 2 March , 2013 Here's a couple of proper blokes wearing proper hats. Nice to see a Brigadier with his bayonet fixed (that's Mad Mike.) The chap with the M1 Carbine is Joanna Lumley's dad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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