Brodrick cap with peak?

[Keith_history_buff]

Below is a link to an image of John Halden, Gunner, Royal Marine Artillery.

I am more used to seeing army Brodrick caps without peaks, but is this a Brodrick with a peak, rather than a field service cap? If so, how can you tell the difference between the two?

Thanks, Keith

Link:

[FROGSMILE]

No, Keith, it’s not a Brodrick cap, which was made from coloured wool, and dark blue with a scarlet flap, or piping, at the front for the RMLI and RMA.  Your RMA gunner is wearing a drab (i.e. brownish khaki) service dress (SD) forage cap of 1905 pattern.

Field Service Caps (FSC) were flat, folding types of Austrian design in the British and Commonwealth services.  The US had an equivalent design that they referred to as a garrison cap. The Royal Marines FSC was dark blue with scarlet piping around the top.

Edited 15 January , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Keith_history_buff]

Thanks for the answer. I knew the Brodrick was in use with the corps of Royal Marines during and after WW1, but did not know they also wore the Field Service Cap, which would simplify logistics. I wondered if if were a peaked khaki Brodrick cap, if such an "animal" existed.

From what I have seen on other threads, the peaked Brodrick was army only, and it looks as though the khaki Brodrick did not exist for Royal Marines, although khaki sailor caps of the RND, as worn at Gallipoli, would have borne a passing resemblance to such a concept. 

 

 

[Keith_history_buff]

Mea culpa, I incorrectly used the term "Field Service Cap" in my hasty response, when I ought to have used the term "Service Dress Cap".

[Toby Brayley]

This is the "Brodrick with a peak" the khaki cap cover with its own integral peak was introduced in 1904 for Musketry. AS you can see it is nowhere near as smart as the later SD cap.  Usually lacking the chinstrap and cap badge. 

 

Edited 15 January , 2020 by Toby Brayley

[FROGSMILE]

I’ve found no record of the Army using peaked Brodrick caps.  Instead they received the new coloured universal forage cap, already fitted with a peak in 1905 (less Foot Guards who had their own pattern caps and timeline). It was in effect an ORs version of the officers’ pattern cap introduced in 1900.  The Royal Marines, however, did retro-fit peaks to their coloured Brodrick Caps in the 1920s, before eventually issuing a similar cap with peak already fitted.

 

NB.  The Royal Marines FSC was most famously worn in China circa 1900, and was then replaced by the Brodrick, so it was not generally used by them during WW1, although RM officers continued to use their version of the FSC with mess dress.

Edited 15 January , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Keith_history_buff]

Thanks Gents. The image in the OP stuck out, as up to now I have only seen WW1 photographs of Bootnecks wearing coloured Brodricks with no peaks, so had wondered if this was their exclusive headdress, but apparently not.

[FROGSMILE]

3 hours ago, Keith_history_buff said:

Thanks Gents. The image in the OP stuck out, as up to now I have only seen WW1 photographs of Bootnecks wearing coloured Brodricks with no peaks, so had wondered if this was their exclusive headdress, but apparently not.

If you do a search within the forum of Royal Marines Artillery, you will find a superb (glass plate imagery) post card, posted by forum member, Toby Brayley, of a Bombardier in SD cap and wearing the initial pattern of 1908 web equipment.  It is worth seeking out.