WW1 (?) Canadian visor cap

[Guest]

Hello everyone, can anyone tell me if the cap is pre-WW1 or WW1 and if it's officer's? It has Canada Militia side buttons and velvet front sweatband on leather. 

[trenchtrotter]

I would say officers and narrow chin strap is a good sign. Maybe engineers from the button but there is a Inf Regt with the beaver also, 22nd Battalion OTMH?

[FROGSMILE]

The fine quality cloth and the velvet sweatband both make it clear that it's an officers' pattern cap.  "Visor cap" is an Americanism and would not have been used in the Canadian military at that time.  The more usual term was service dress forage cap.

[Tom K]

Nice pre WW1 Officer's cap.

 

The button is the General List Canadian Militia "Beaver" Button that was introduced in the mid 19th century and remained in use until the mid 1920's. (The Non Permanent Active Militia was roughly equivalent to the British Territorials.)

 

The button on this cap appears to be a Queen's Crown example which would date the cap to the early part of the first decade of the 20th Century. The Militia button was seen along side the more familiar "Royal Garter " Canada general list button (in use from 1902 until 1952).

 

Tom K.

Edited 2 April , 2020 by Tom K
clarity

[wainfleet]

I believe this to be a private purchase cap for an NCO. I say this because of the specifically other ranks pattern of chinstrap, the crescent-shaped peak as opposed to the more spade-like version typical of officer caps, and evidence of a badge with a slider having been on it. The paper label is also something I wouldn't expect to see in an officer's cap. It was not uncommon for British NCOs to posh themselves up in this way and I know of no reason to doubt the same taking place in Canada.

[Paddy 60th]

53 minutes ago, wainfleet said:

I believe this to be a private purchase cap for an NCO. I say this because of the specifically other ranks pattern of chinstrap, the crescent-shaped peak as opposed to the more spade-like version typical of officer caps, and evidence of a badge with a slider having been on it. The paper label is also something I wouldn't expect to see in an officer's cap. It was not uncommon for British NCOs to posh themselves up in this way and I know of no reason to doubt the same taking place in Canada.

I would agree with this.

[Tom K]

Could be - but to muddy the waters a bit - that pattern of chinstrap and bill are not uncommon on early 1900's Canadian Officer's forage caps.  I have in my collection a virtually identical example (even down to the same type of QVC militia button) named to a Canadian Veterinary Corps Major.  Another with the same chinstrap (with British GS buttons!) but with the spade shaped peak, named to a Dufferin Rifles Captain.

 

 

 

Edited 2 April , 2020 by Tom K
grammar

[Guest]

Thanks for your help. I've learned so much about the cap here. 

[FROGSMILE]

On 03/04/2020 at 00:02, Tom K said:

Could be - but to muddy the waters a bit - that pattern of chinstrap and bill are not uncommon on early 1900's Canadian Officer's forage caps.  I have in my collection a virtually identical example (even down to the same type of QVC militia button) named to a Canadian Veterinary Corps Major.  Another with the same chinstrap (with British GS buttons!) but with the spade shaped peak, named to a Dufferin Rifles Captain.

 

 

 

You’re quite right that both types were in use.  If you look at Foot Guards peaked forage caps in WW1 you won’t see a spade shaped peak anywhere.  Each regiment set its preference for officers as approved by regimental colonels within the bounds of dress regulations, and an example was kept at the regiment’s preferred ‘hatters’ (each regiment favoured a tailor and hatter along with a regimental agent that acted as banker).  It wasn’t the same as the supply chain for men, which was much more rigid because uniform items were centrally controlled and publicly funded.  Officers purchased their caps privately, as laid down within their regiments.

Edited 6 April , 2020 by FROGSMILE