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Remembered Today:

1903 MMP/MFP Brodrick Cap...beautiful!


Toby Brayley

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One of the many joys of my work are finding examples such as this. It is now on display in the Museum.

 

This has to be one of the last examples remaining, I know the IWM has one but apparently "the peak is missing".

 

I can't believe how much the British soldiers, public and politician's hated these as I think they are simply stunning.

 

The style of Universal Forage Cap/Brodrick was the same for both the MMP/MFP (according to the sealed pattern), The MMP/MFP were collectively known as the Corps Of Military Police or The Military Police during this period (the various sealed patterns confirm of the age confirm this). The Edward 7th cap badge is correct, the use of the scrolled Crown cap badge in the Edwardian period is incorrect; there is no evidence to support its mass wear, there is actually far more evidence suggesting the wearing of MMP/MFP shoulder titles prior to the introduction of the Edward cap badge.

 

Enjoy

 

Brodrik.jpg

 

badge_1.jpg

 

inner.jpg

label.jpg

 

 

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It is indeed a stunning example of the type, and serves as a valuable reminder that we must never, never, ever stray down that design avenue again.

It's minty loveliness clearly indicates that no poor soul was ever condemned to wear it, thank goodness! 

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I seem to be at odds with everyone and the Edwardian Army (not so much the Navy, obviously!) I think they are brilliant!

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Try wearing it on a sunny day, with no sunglasses and report back.

 

Frank Richards DCM MM RWF no less quite like it "as it could be folded". This from memory.

 

Apart from the possible use to hold water for a dog or horse, I cannot like it.

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If we are going to talk vintage headgear then my vote will always go to the slightly flared crown peaked pill box, which should be reintroduced immediately.

Or if the peaked cap must be retained then it should be the fine crown stiff smooth top, not these nasty padded crown horrors we see these days.

My NFS example is joy to behold and wear, sorry gone off topic, wrist slapped :D

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23 hours ago, Toby Brayley said:

 

This has to be one of the last examples remaining, I know the IWM has one but apparently "the peak is missing".

 

 

 

I see no peak.

 

Nice article by the way, though I can understand why they were not universally loved.

 

Cheers Martin B

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As a general point this is the second pattern of Cap Forage Universal (aka Brodrick), which is identified by the half moon effect patch, in this case in self cloth scarlet, immediately behind the folding flap.  This patch was usually in a form of facing colour (e.g, for Royal regiments it was scarlet on a navy blue cap).  The original pattern had no patch.  A scarlet cap became quite common, as (from memory) all but two Hussar regiments wore a scarlet cap.  Foot Guards had their own unique, 'set up' pattern that predated the Brodrick and, although similar in appearance, it was really a different cap all together that had been worn from around 1900 and thus predated the Brodrick.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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19 hours ago, Martin Bennitt said:

I see no peak.

 

The implication is that the IWM doesn't know what it's talking about. Increasingly so, IMHO.

 

Not only does it repeatedly refer to the cap as a 'Broderick', it also, in a few instances, seems to think the peak has been removed or is yet to be added.

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=broderick cap&items_per_page=50

 

Cheers,

 

GT.

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5 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

As a general point this is the second pattern of Cap Forage Universal (aka Brodrick), which is identified by the half moon effect patch, in this case in self cloth scarlet, immediately behind the folding flap.  This patch was usually in a form of facing colour (e.g, for Royal regiments it was scarlet on a navy blue cap).  The original pattern had no patch.  A scarlet cap became quite common, as (from memory) all but two Hussar regiments wore a scarlet cap.  Foot Guards had their own unique, 'set up' pattern that predated the Brodrick and, although similar in appearance, it was really a different cap all together that had been worn from around 1900 and thus predated the Brodrick.

 

The best has to be the 13th Hussars, surely?

 

Early%2013H.jpg

 

Capture_2.jpg

Edited by Toby Brayley
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A Private from the Devonshire Regiment, wearing a first pattern Brodrick cap, together with a Royal Navy Leading Seaman and Leading Stoker. The Leading Stoker from HMS Indus is wearing a Queen's South Africa Medal (without clasp).

 

Sepoy

IMG_0022a.jpg

Edited by Sepoy
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Considering some of the abortions the army has been inflicted with over the years (the Cap, FS and Cap, GS come to mind), I can't see why the Brodrick is so vilified. 

 

 

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42 minutes ago, Sepoy said:

 

Sepoy

 

 

Beautiful image, thank you for sharing Sepoy.

 

26 minutes ago, Steven Broomfield said:

 I can't see why the Brodrick is so vilified. 

 

 

 

This makes for interesting reading! (taken from another forum). I do wonder how much the press was responsible for the vilification of the Brodrick....

 

 

14249154_1753349518239542_509997064_n.jp

14302865_1753349528239541_2042675331_n.j

14269341_1753349478239546_897027112_n.jp

 

 

 

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I  think the last gasp of the Broderick were the gentlemen of the London Fire Brigade who wore their version up until the outbreak of WW2.

I couldn't find a photo to legally upload, but a quick Google will reveal all.

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A couple of related anecdotes.  I recall my grandfather (avatar) saying how delighted his battery was to throw their Brodedricks overboard on sailing from Ireland pre-war. My father said he did the same with his RAF pith helmet, sailing from Freetown in 1942.

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On 9/10/2016 at 16:54, Toby Brayley said:

 

The best has to be the 13th Hussars, surely?

 

Yes, the white looked very fine but must have been troublesome to keep clean/whitened.

On 9/10/2016 at 19:17, T8HANTS said:

I  think the last gasp of the Broderick were the gentlemen of the London Fire Brigade who wore their version up until the outbreak of WW2.

I couldn't find a photo to legally upload, but a quick Google will reveal all.

 

The Royal Marines seem to have retained it even longer if I recall correctly.

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On 9/10/2016 at 18:20, Steven Broomfield said:

Considering some of the abortions the army has been inflicted with over the years (the Cap, FS and Cap, GS come to mind), I can't see why the Brodrick is so vilified. 

 

 

 

I read somewhere that Brodrick had been unfairly traduced on this matter and that the guilty culprit was actually the King (Edward VII) who apparently had admired a similar hat worn by his Cousin's (the Czar's) Imperial Guard as undress head dress.  This style was then adopted by his own foot guards and then later, a modified version was adopted by the army as a whole.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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