Another excellent episode and one that holds particular interest for me. I have a Kepi Blanc, that I traded my own Marine Corps cover for, while serving in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. Serving with 7th Marines, we had a very good working relationship with the 13th DBLE, French Foreign Legion who were also in the area. During a lull in setting up the CMOC, myself and a few other Marines had the opportunity to mix with some troops from the Legion. As usually happens in these situations, hands were shaken, backs were slapped, rations were swapped and trading for souvenirs occurred. I traded my own Marine Corps cover for a Kepi Blanc, and it sits to this day along with my own memorabilia from my time in the Corps. The Legion were, and still are a first rate unit, and I hold them in the highest regard.
In India there is one police unit who have Kepi as their head dress. That is the Pondicherry police. Pondicherry and a few ports in South India were French colonies once upon a time. So the police units followed the French head dress. Today only Constables and Head Constables (equal to Police Sergeants) wear a Kepi. Officers above them use a Khakhi Peak Cap.
We can not thank you enough for each and every episode you provide us. They are packed with so much information that is presented in a way that that is enjoyable to watch, knowing we'll learn something of History That Deserves To Be Remembered.
"I am Inspechtor Clouseau of the Sure-tay!!" is all I know about the Surete. Yes, Peter Sellers even wears that uniform in a few scenes of the Pink Panther movies.
Twenty nine years old in Scranton Pennsylvania . I stumbled upon your channel I think it was world war 1 or 2 videos . I've watched alot thr last 9 hours. Im highly impressed. Your videos grasp the attention and the narration is superb. At best your content is amazing - Thomas Lavis
Interestingly though some British police forces have stopped using the custodian hat many still have it. And if you get into a vehicle you just remove it. I forgot to mention that the shape of the British Battle Bowler goes all the way back to the Medieval period as many infantry used something similar. Many archers at Agincourt wore it.
When I was a young kid I thought that was how his head was shaped. I always felt sorry for him thinking how bad that would be. Until I realized my Dad was just messing with me ... I was 33 at the time ;)
@@uppitywhiteman6797 Don't feel bad. When my kid was 12 he asked me how the tooth fairy knew she had to replace someone's tooth with a dollar. I told him she has an 800 number that is given to parents in the hospital when they give birth (this was before the ubiquity of the internet). I don't know how long he believed that, but he had his first child at age 35, so presumably not past then. He's now a professor of mathematics at Duke by the way.
Thank you sir for another aussum video. I have to admit that the only kapi I was aware of was the one worn by the French foreign legion ,(side note a shipmate and I almost joined the legion while ashore in France one time. but by the time the train reached the recruitment Depot we were sober. ( oh to be young and dumb again. )) Anyway thank you. I was unaware of the diverse and Rich history of such a small piece of military uniform history. Fasinating. Thank you Mr&mrs history guy for bringing forgotten history to those who are really armchair historians.
G'day History Guy, another great hat video! A small note on the hat shown at 02:47, you describe as a busby. I beg to differ that what you show is a French 'bearskin' hat. More commonly known as the ceremonial hat of the UK's Queen's Guards' regiments who 'stole' the 'bearskin' from a foreign power way back when. The busby, classically, is a much shorter fur hat with a more rounded look that was either decorated with plumes or other devices on the side or top. But, as you point out, the lines between the different kinds of hats in history are often blurred. As far as my reading goes the 'bearskins' worn today by HM's Guards have always had that title. There are, or were until recently, units of the British Army that did, in fact, have different fur busbys as part of their dress uniforms. Love your hat videos! Cheers, BH
Excellent video as usual with a lot of great information. Another hat worth looking at is the Polish Czapka. It has an unusual design sort of like a kepi on steroids. Love your channel.
Good episode. Other hat videos would be interesting like the berets (why do some have a Pom Pom?) and the palace guard bear hat. BTW the flight helmet was also referred to a a wedge when I was in the air cadets. The source of the wedge would also be interesting. Keep it up!
I'm always amazed at the forgotten bits of history that you come up with. Have you been my history teacher I would have learned a whole lot more! Thank you and keep them coming!! 😉
I like that the music you play is now at a lower sound level. I just watched the video you did on Pan Am Flight 6 back in 2017, and the music level at the start was way too loud. Now you got it just right. :)
As part of my Highland attire I have a Glengarry and a Tam (of course!). The Glengarry I tend to wear withtrews and a more military style jacket as it looks more formal than the Tam.
Also common with highland dress is the balmorral which is a sort of wool felt tam, the tam being woven fabric or knitted of yarn. Glengarry hats may be had either plain, usually black or dark blue felt or with a red and white checkerboard pattern called "dicing". Properly worn the 'glen is adorned with a clan or regimental badge on the left side and with a colored plume or the tail feathers of the black European Forrest grouse, commonly called a black cock feather. Sadly the black grouse is now endangered so reproductions are made of chicken feathers and cardboard and the look as you would expect.
Marcus Merrick you are not wearing either the glengerry or the balmoral if you don't have a badge affixed to it. Unless you are in a pipeband or some other organization that requires it, it's all personal preference.
While touching on the use of this style of hat for police in France, I started thinking about what used to be used as a typical policeman's hat here in the United States. It seems as though virtually all police departments have abandoned them, however, (save for some ceremonial dress) in favor of the "ball cap" style. I think that is a shame as the policeman's hat was distinctive, unique, and recognizable. Perhaps you have addressed this in an older video, but if not, I would love to learn more about the history and demise of our American police hat. Thanks for the great work you do. This is a very interesting and informative channel.
In Thailand,The Royal Thai Police Cadet Academy (RPCA) has adopted the culture of wearing the Kepi cap of the Gendarmerie police since about 1902 CE onwards. the kepi cap has been used with the study uniform and casual attire of police cadets at the RPCA.
Hi History Guy, Writing to say how much I enjoy your channel, but also to mention my dad. He was a career Marine with two tours of duty in Vietnam where he earned two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He then had a second career teaching history in a southern university. He was a tough guy who did not suffer mediocrity and could be a bit of a curmudgeon. As his son I can look back and see his sweetness, but he did not show that around, as was the custom of the time. I think he would have liked you. I can see him using your videos as a teaching tool, had you been around at the time. Anyway, keep up the good work. Makes me think of how fascinating this world is, and of my dad. Good stuff.
G Man 👏 Well done, my good man, for using ‘curmudgeon’ in your comment. It is one of my favourite words and which I often apply to myself in jest! Kind regards from an Englishman in 🏴
@@sirmeowthelibrarycat You spelled favorite wrong. Considering that you folks designed the English language, you should learn how to spell it. Kidding, of course! From one curmudgeon to another ( That's right, I'm one too.) , thanks for the kind words!
The actual pronunciation is sort of in between. Here's a quick lesson: 1. The vowel is closer to "Kay", without the y. In English, the vowel in "Kay" is a diphthong or vowel combination. We actually say "kay-ee". In French, there are no final diphthongs. If you drop the final "ee", you get something that sounds a little like "Keh". 2. In French, the accENT is alWAYS on the fiNAL sylLABLE. So the word is pronounced "Keh-PEE".
@@Pocketfarmer1 The French word has an acute accent over the E: képi. That means the E is pronounced like "kay" but without the "ee" ending English speakers put on it - not "eh" as in "kept". There's no accurate way to write this in English without using the international phonetic alphabet. But that's what I meant by writing "Keh-PEE".
When I joined the Marine Corps in 1977 we used cover blocks to form our sateen covers using starch and then we would form them into a kind of Kepi. Decades later I was in the Army and we would form our patrol caps with care to form the brim and get just the right look as you showed with the photo of the Ranger. As a grunt, you were judged by the saltiness or seemingly casual forming of your cover even though you spent great care in making it look right.
due to some french military missions (started in 1896) in Peru to reorganize and modernize the old army, the peruvian army adopted the kepi (specially among the officers) and adrien helmet. To this day you can still see some kepis in parades and the cadets of the peruvian military academy wear them to this day (the school was founded by the french colonel Pablo Clemet)
You should do the battle off sumar for an episode, the heros on the USS Johnston, the Samuel B. Roberts, and the others who charged battleships in destroyers are heros who deserve to be remembered
I met one of the survivors from Taffy 3 at the USS Iowa Museum, selling copies of the book The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors which was an excellent read. I would recommend it to anyone interested.
Thank you again....have you ever given thought to a short show on the capes worn by the French police? They were weighted and could be thrown to tangle the legs of a suspect as he ran......a friend of mine was on the receiving end of such a capture and admitted it took him totally by surprise.
Again, I learned something new. I always thaught that Käppi, as it is spelled in German, which is a diminuitiv of Kappe (hood/cap), is a genuine German word and not being used abroad. We pronounce it with a short "a" like in Apple. A great video as always. Thank you very much.
I doff my chapeau to you 💂 The CAP CAP 👮 One of the very first vids. I saw when I subscribed with you was the USAF garrison cap with the Civil Air Patrol crest. I flew search & rescue with CAP for many years. I also wore a Kepi when I did Civil War reenactment on a Union artillery crew.
Pronounced kapi? I learned something new today. I have both the kepi and forage cap. I’m not a re enactor, like yourself, I collect hats. The forage and kepi are special though; it’s my way of paying respect and remembering those who fought in that terrible war. Both sides. Thank you for this great video, I learned a lot about my caps today.
I've been enjoying your videos! I have a topic suggestion. The History of Whaling. I find it very interesting how whaling was such a massive industry providing oil before petroleum was discovered. I'm sure there is a lot to be said about the history of whaling.
If I might make a recommendation for a video you could do... You seem to enjoy covering naval ships, and actions during WWII in particular. As a navy vet, I must say, you have excellent taste. There is a destroyer, the USS Laffey, DD-724, which is now a museum ship in Charleston, SC. During WWII, she earned the nickname "The ship that would not die", five battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. She's a bit of a legend. I'm a bad story teller, so I don't want to ruin the learning how she earned the nickname, but I believe you'll enjoy learning about her from someone more worthy the task of telling the tale than I would be.
Hi History Guy!! Im also a History Professor, but in my home country, Argentina. I am very very glad to see a cap of Argentina's Army in your collection!! I really enjoy your videos a lot, and I wish you keep going, because you do a marvelous job!! Greetings from Argentina!! PS: Try to get your hands in a cap of the Argentine Navy, they are beautiful!!
Thanks THG. How about a story on how the U.S. enlisted sailor's cap came about? I always said that if you turn it upside down, it looks like a food dish, and when an enlisted sailor is wearing one with his shore leave whites, we can look mighty fine.
Nicely done, H.G.! I have only seen Kepi and Shako in print...I was THINKING KEH-pi and SHAY-ko...but I'm going with your version! "Keep 'em flying"...we're all out here! :-)
The 'bonnet de police' dates back to before the Seven Years War in Europe (French & Indian War for the Colonials). It was made from a coat sleeve when a new uniform was issued, the old coat was cut down to a long waist coat which was worn under the new coat, one sleeve was recut into a cap and the other used for patches & repairs.
Detailed and interesting. Here in the UK, the famous policeman's hat was retired from service years ago.Yes we lost a national symbol, but the few members of my family that trained for the force regarded it as an uncomfortable safety hazard. It was also a target for drunken undergraduates: "knock off the copper's helmet" was a common end-of-term game. A game that, of course, one never played personally....
I'm sure that History Guy knows, and just forgot to mention it, but there is no white Kepi. It's a white cover that fits over the blue Kepi. Covers were common and were used to keep the dress Kepis clean in the field. There were different colors too.
Since the 1990s the modern "kepi blanc" has been made wholly of white material rather than simply worn with a white cover. Today they are worn mostly for parades and other occasions, as required.
Hello, HG. As usual, very interesting. As far as subject matter, I have a question. When I was a child, anytime the subject of Benedict Arnold came up, usually in the contest of traitorous behavior, my mother would scoff. Then, she would indicate generally that it was an unfair, unfounded characterization. Since I have been far too lazy, thus far, (It has been nearly 60 years. I don't see a change coming any time, soon) to do any research on it, myself, I wonder if it might make for a future episode. Or is my mother just full of, shall we say, hot air? Thank you for your attention, Aaron Waldon
In keeping with uniform ID, you should consider doing an episode on corps colors on uniforms. Such as the red band on the confederate forage cap would denote an artillery an. Also, the term red leg denotes the same, as artillerymen’s uniform pants had a red stripe running down the trouser leg - I.e. red leg!
In German, the flight cap is called a "Schiffchen" (cutesy term for a small ship or boat), mostly because it looks similar to a piece of paper folded into boat form, and because of it's association with naval forces, of course. And I thought of a Käppi (from Kappe, which means cap) as also being another common cutesy term for pretty much all types of soft hats with a visor. Didn't know they were officially called that way at armed forces.
Hey, big fan of the channel! You should boost the audio for the outros of your videos, i've noticed they're always a lot quieter than the video itself. Keep up the great content!!
It's called a slouch hat. I tried trading for one with an Australian soldier once (he was a tanker, and so he had the emu plume, which makes it look even better), but he wouldn't take anything less than my dress blues jacket, and I wasn't about to trade that.
If you can afford it, it's a good idea. However, I suspect that the History Guy has an income without Patreon that is at least 5 times what mine is. So I have to keep my meager stipend.
Great video. I've admired the kepi since I was a little kid back in the Precambrian. But where did the tea towel that hangs down the back of the kepis of the desert troops of the Foreign Legion come from? I've read that some of the Confederate units had them at the onset of the war with most being discarded early on, often being used as coffee filters. Just curious. Cheers!
Interesting on the kepis used During the Civil War, But a little known fact is that most confederates and a lot of Union did not wear this hat as the Southern climate was more for thee slouch hat as it provided more protection from the burning Sun
An avid historian myself, I relish your work. From your knowledge of source material to your unbiased and oh so subtle and entertaining humor; yours is a favorite channel of mine. Perhaps you might help me with any knowledge you have on an enigmatic and elusive figure I have always been curious about. His name is Ambrosius; though of course spelling is subjective. Most info Ive found dates to early or middle european era. Is there pre-history or legendary basis to his biop similar perhaps to Merlin or King Arthur? Anyhow, Excellent work mate; much respect to you.
Very enjoyable as are all of your videos but I would like to make a request since you seem to know your hats. Could you do a segment on the flat backed hat of the Spanish Guardia Civil and it's origins. I lived in Spain for a number of years and understood the flat back design to signify that they would fight with their backs to the wall, if required, to defend Spain from all enemies.
Please make an episode about the1879 pacific war! It would be awesome to find some unbiased content about it since the only ones talking about it are chilean, peruvian or bolivian and it has greatly influenced the area
At 3:49, what is called by the Air Force a "flight cap" is or was used by the US Navy. It was usually called a "garrison cap" but crudely called a "piss cutter."
In the 1970's in the US Army, I was assigned to an Air Cav unit that required NCO's (and up) to wear the black felt stetson rather than our usual fatigue cap (baseball or kepi design)... That blamed hat was impossible to keep clean, the brim drooped badly over time and got very hot in the Central Texas sun... I much preferred the "Kepi"...
Because of Napoleon Bonapart, did-George McClellan was a weasel at best. He thought of himself as a Napoleon Bonapart. He was one of those fools that extended the Civil War long that it should have, Lucky for the Army of the Potomac there was a fellow from out West that would take things by the hand and win the War.
@@GeorgeSemel If McClellan had stuck to training the troops and left the fighting to more capable combat officers, the war might have ended sooner, but it a took a few years and a lot of blood to identify those fightin' generals.
@@gulfrelay2249 It is an ancient gesture (some say from Greek and Roman times) that was supposed to display a sense of boldness and calm self-assurance.
A solid bronze 'Celtic' cap has been found in Britain. It is identical to a baseball cap. Although the front brim is slightly extended. It was worn by a chariot driver. An English comic print 18th century shows an army recruitment. A local is wearing the same cap made of cloth. Amazingly he looks exactly like Beavis.
You should do an episode on the sinking of the Japanese Battleship Kongo. It is almost unknown by most people but the effect it had on the war in the Pacific during WWII was notable.
I've been doing military history for 55 years, knew the term "bummer cap" but never knew its difference from the "kepi". Glad to have learned something.
My family and I recently found and love your videos; going to Patreon now. I was wondering if you have (or could do) a video on Dr. Samuel A. Mudd. My wife and I had the opportunity to travel to the Dry Tortugas and would love to learn more.
Wanted to ask about the CW Union kepi you have with what appears to be a MS insignia. Don't now if you know it but the wire in it is actually 10kt gold IIRC. And it is MS for medical service, not US for the United States. You need to do a piece on the 555th parachute regiment.
Your channel and Townsends are my favorite history channels on YT, but you coverage is much broader than what Jon Townsend does. You should check his channel out, as he is as enthusiastic about the chosen period he covers as you are with all of what you do. Than you for making the obscure utterly fascinating. Colleges should use your channel as required viewing. Rock on.
Another excellent episode and one that holds particular interest for me. I have a Kepi Blanc, that I traded my own Marine Corps cover for, while serving in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. Serving with 7th Marines, we had a very good working relationship with the 13th DBLE, French Foreign Legion who were also in the area. During a lull in setting up the CMOC, myself and a few other Marines had the opportunity to mix with some troops from the Legion. As usually happens in these situations, hands were shaken, backs were slapped, rations were swapped and trading for souvenirs occurred. I traded my own Marine Corps cover for a Kepi Blanc, and it sits to this day along with my own memorabilia from my time in the Corps. The Legion were, and still are a first rate unit, and I hold them in the highest regard.
So sadly you never a superior Corps than the Legion Etranger, the Royal Australian Regiment;......Hat Khaki Fur Felt. The Aussie Slouch Hat.
In India there is one police unit who have Kepi as their head dress. That is the Pondicherry police. Pondicherry and a few ports in South India were French colonies once upon a time. So the police units followed the French head dress. Today only Constables and Head Constables (equal to Police Sergeants) wear a Kepi. Officers above them use a Khakhi Peak Cap.
We can not thank you enough for each and every episode you provide us. They are packed with so much information that is presented in a way that that is enjoyable to watch, knowing we'll learn something of History That Deserves To Be Remembered.
These are the details that we can comfortably learn through your expertise , thank you for sharing.
Did I enjoy this episode? I've yet to watch one yet that didn't delight and engage me...you are truly a joy in my life.
This is now one of my favorite channels. So glad youtube randomly started playing it the other day.
As usual, you Rocked it!
My Favorite UA-cam Channels!
Thank You!
"I am Inspechtor Clouseau of the Sure-tay!!" is all I know about the Surete. Yes, Peter Sellers even wears that uniform in a few scenes of the Pink Panther movies.
3:46 Polite term for the Army's version is the 'Garrison Cap', I won't mention the informal term.
Same in the USN. I loved mine, easy to fold and tuck into my belt of my CNT khaki uniform.
Please do mention it. Thank you
@@robertadamcik9179 same, but damned if I ever wear mine. I hate the NSUs. Put me in Whites or NDubs, but never the NSUs.
funny, the Navy uses the same terms (both).
@@havokvladimirovichstalinov I retired in April of '09, just before the blue uniforms were introduced. Hate those damned things.
Twenty nine years old in Scranton Pennsylvania . I stumbled upon your channel I think it was world war 1 or 2 videos . I've watched alot thr last 9 hours. Im highly impressed. Your videos grasp the attention and the narration is superb. At best your content is amazing - Thomas Lavis
A history of the nurses cap would be a good topic as well, Ill bet you would enjoy learning more about it, thanks for sharing, Charles.
Great idea!!
Interestingly though some British police forces have stopped using the custodian hat many still have it. And if you get into a vehicle you just remove it.
I forgot to mention that the shape of the British Battle Bowler goes all the way back to the Medieval period as many infantry used something similar. Many archers at Agincourt wore it.
Can't even imagine De Gaulle with out this iconic headgear.
When I was a young kid I thought that was how his head was shaped. I always felt sorry for him thinking how bad that would be. Until I realized my Dad was just messing with me ... I was 33 at the time ;)
@@uppitywhiteman6797 Don't feel bad. When my kid was 12 he asked me how the tooth fairy knew she had to replace someone's tooth with a dollar. I told him she has an 800 number that is given to parents in the hospital when they give birth (this was before the ubiquity of the internet). I don't know how long he believed that, but he had his first child at age 35, so presumably not past then. He's now a professor of mathematics at Duke by the way.
@@rabbi120348 LOL
@@uppitywhiteman6797 Churchill would have agreed with you,
I dont have to.
He was bald.
Thank you sir for another aussum
video. I have to admit that the only kapi I was aware of was the one worn by the French foreign legion ,(side note a shipmate and I almost joined the legion while ashore in France one time. but by the time the train reached the recruitment Depot we were sober. ( oh to be young and dumb again. )) Anyway thank you. I was unaware of the diverse and Rich history of such a small piece of military uniform history. Fasinating. Thank you Mr&mrs history guy for bringing forgotten history to those who are really armchair historians.
G'day History Guy, another great hat video! A small note on the hat shown at 02:47, you describe as a busby. I beg to differ that what you show is a French 'bearskin' hat. More commonly known as the ceremonial hat of the UK's Queen's Guards' regiments who 'stole' the 'bearskin' from a foreign power way back when. The busby, classically, is a much shorter fur hat with a more rounded look that was either decorated with plumes or other devices on the side or top. But, as you point out, the lines between the different kinds of hats in history are often blurred. As far as my reading goes the 'bearskins' worn today by HM's Guards have always had that title. There are, or were until recently, units of the British Army that did, in fact, have different fur busbys as part of their dress uniforms. Love your hat videos! Cheers, BH
Excellent video as usual with a lot of great information. Another hat worth looking at is the Polish Czapka. It has an unusual design sort of like a kepi on steroids. Love your channel.
Awesome episode. Well done The History Guy
I'm sure this has already been said, but my hat is off to you, sir.
Good episode. Other hat videos would be interesting like the berets (why do some have a Pom Pom?) and the palace guard bear hat. BTW the flight helmet was also referred to a a wedge when I was in the air cadets. The source of the wedge would also be interesting. Keep it up!
I'm always amazed at the forgotten bits of history that you come up with. Have you been my history teacher I would have learned a whole lot more! Thank you and keep them coming!! 😉
I like that the music you play is now at a lower sound level. I just watched the video you did on Pan Am Flight 6 back in 2017, and the music level at the start was way too loud. Now you got it just right. :)
As part of my Highland attire I have a Glengarry and a Tam (of course!). The Glengarry I tend to wear withtrews and a more military style jacket as it looks more formal than the Tam.
Also common with highland dress is the balmorral which is a sort of wool felt tam, the tam being woven fabric or knitted of yarn.
Glengarry hats may be had either plain, usually black or dark blue felt or with a red and white checkerboard pattern called "dicing". Properly worn the 'glen is adorned with a clan or regimental badge on the left side and with a colored plume or the tail feathers of the black European Forrest grouse, commonly called a black cock feather. Sadly the black grouse is now endangered so reproductions are made of chicken feathers and cardboard and the look as you would expect.
Marcus Merrick you are not wearing either the glengerry or the balmoral if you don't have a badge affixed to it. Unless you are in a pipeband or some other organization that requires it, it's all personal preference.
While touching on the use of this style of hat for police in France, I started thinking about what used to be used as a typical policeman's hat here in the United States. It seems as though virtually all police departments have abandoned them, however, (save for some ceremonial dress) in favor of the "ball cap" style. I think that is a shame as the policeman's hat was distinctive, unique, and recognizable. Perhaps you have addressed this in an older video, but if not, I would love to learn more about the history and demise of our American police hat. Thanks for the great work you do. This is a very interesting and informative channel.
In Thailand,The Royal Thai Police Cadet Academy (RPCA) has adopted the culture of wearing the Kepi cap of the Gendarmerie police since about 1902 CE onwards. the kepi cap has been used with the study uniform and casual attire of police cadets at the RPCA.
Hats off to you for this episode.
Thank you for making awesome content for all of use to enjoy, I love your videos
Hi History Guy,
Writing to say how much I enjoy your channel, but also to mention my dad. He was a career Marine with two tours of duty in Vietnam where he earned two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He then had a second career teaching history in a southern university. He was a tough guy who did not suffer mediocrity and could be a bit of a curmudgeon. As his son I can look back and see his sweetness, but he did not show that around, as was the custom of the time. I think he would have liked you. I can see him using your videos as a teaching tool, had you been around at the time. Anyway, keep up the good work. Makes me think of how fascinating this world is, and of my dad. Good stuff.
G Man 👏 Well done, my good man, for using ‘curmudgeon’ in your comment. It is one of my favourite words and which I often apply to myself in jest! Kind regards from an Englishman in 🏴
@@sirmeowthelibrarycat You spelled favorite wrong. Considering that you folks designed the English language, you should learn how to spell it. Kidding, of course! From one curmudgeon to another ( That's right, I'm one too.) , thanks for the kind words!
I did a quick check of the comments. Not a word about the person in one of the photos. Didn't anyone notice Elvis? 7:30 mark.
I noticed. Was also looking to see if anyone commented.
You and mustie1 is why I keep coming back to youtube! Great videos!
Excellent video,hats off to you!
I've always called a Kepi a "Keh-pi" rather than a "Kay-P".
The actual pronunciation is sort of in between. Here's a quick lesson:
1. The vowel is closer to "Kay", without the y. In English, the vowel in "Kay" is a diphthong or vowel combination. We actually say "kay-ee". In French, there are no final diphthongs. If you drop the final "ee", you get something that sounds a little like "Keh".
2. In French, the accENT is alWAYS on the fiNAL sylLABLE.
So the word is pronounced "Keh-PEE".
@@paulkolodner2445 And his pronunciation of Shako? I've always used a long a long A, not the short A he uses.
Paul Kolodner the English word “kept” has the right sound for the first vowel. Then long “pee” as you suggest. Hope this helps.
@@Biber0315 I agree, but I'm no expert on that. I always thought it was some kind of seasoning.
@@Pocketfarmer1 The French word has an acute accent over the E: képi. That means the E is pronounced like "kay" but without the "ee" ending English speakers put on it - not "eh" as in "kept". There's no accurate way to write this in English without using the international phonetic alphabet. But that's what I meant by writing "Keh-PEE".
In band we always pronounced shako with a long A. Shake-o.
That is the correct way to pronounce it
@@carausias Put my first shako on almost 50 years ago, been around drum corps my whole life and never heard it pronounced any other way.
@3:52 ... The Army version was (iirc) called a "Garrison Cap", but most often referred to as a "piss-card" (I have *no idea* why.)
Of such is the touch of history in what we see, feel and wear. Is there anything like putting on your dad’s or mum’s hat? Thanks History Guy Team!
When I joined the Marine Corps in 1977 we used cover blocks to form our sateen covers using starch and then we would form them into a kind of Kepi. Decades later I was in the Army and we would form our patrol caps with care to form the brim and get just the right look as you showed with the photo of the Ranger. As a grunt, you were judged by the saltiness or seemingly casual forming of your cover even though you spent great care in making it look right.
Could you do a video on the evolution of the baseball cap?
Oooo, good idea.
Evolution of the baseball glove too! Can you imagine Aaron Hicks making that catch with an old-style mitt?
Excellent suggestion!
As always, fascinating! Thank you
due to some french military missions (started in 1896) in Peru to reorganize and modernize the old army, the peruvian army adopted the kepi (specially among the officers) and adrien helmet. To this day you can still see some kepis in parades and the cadets of the peruvian military academy wear them to this day (the school was founded by the french colonel Pablo Clemet)
Great video. I am still waiting for a history on the pirate hats. Because all good stories include pirates ! 👍😂
Thanks again
Another great episode
Very informative history guy thanks for sharing!
3:53 in the German Army it is called "Schiffchen" which just means little ship/boat
You should do the battle off sumar for an episode, the heros on the USS Johnston, the Samuel B. Roberts, and the others who charged battleships in destroyers are heros who deserve to be remembered
I met one of the survivors from Taffy 3 at the USS Iowa Museum, selling copies of the book The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors which was an excellent read. I would recommend it to anyone interested.
Thank you again....have you ever given thought to a short show on the capes worn by the French police? They were weighted and could be thrown to tangle the legs of a suspect as he ran......a friend of mine was on the receiving end of such a capture and admitted it took him totally by surprise.
I Enjoy Every Single episode! Thank You😘
Again, I learned something new. I always thaught that Käppi, as it is spelled in German, which is a diminuitiv of Kappe (hood/cap), is a genuine German word and not being used abroad. We pronounce it with a short "a" like in Apple. A great video as always. Thank you very much.
I doff my chapeau to you 💂
The CAP CAP 👮
One of the very first vids. I saw when I subscribed with you was the USAF garrison cap with the Civil Air Patrol crest. I flew search & rescue with CAP for many years.
I also wore a Kepi when I did Civil War reenactment on a Union artillery crew.
It's like a military hat history fashion show. Very interesting. You've got a new subscription
I always wore my patrol cap like a kepi/bummer hat all throughout my time in the 2/101 CAV. Great hat to tip down for a nap lol!
Very fun video, thanks so much OP.
Pronounced kapi? I learned something new today. I have both the kepi and forage cap. I’m not a re enactor, like yourself, I collect hats. The forage and kepi are special though; it’s my way of paying respect and remembering those who fought in that terrible war. Both sides. Thank you for this great video, I learned a lot about my caps today.
The French police need taller cars.
@@ffjsb Maybe French cops have no place to set them. Those cars tend to be small.
Inspector Clouseau could have solved the problem( the original inspector ).
Or shorter policemen.
@@ffjsb You're spoiling our fun.
I have the same problem in american cars and light trucks.
I've been enjoying your videos!
I have a topic suggestion.
The History of Whaling. I find it very interesting how whaling was such a massive industry providing oil before petroleum was discovered. I'm sure there is a lot to be said about the history of whaling.
If I might make a recommendation for a video you could do...
You seem to enjoy covering naval ships, and actions during WWII in particular. As a navy vet, I must say, you have excellent taste. There is a destroyer, the USS Laffey, DD-724, which is now a museum ship in Charleston, SC. During WWII, she earned the nickname "The ship that would not die", five battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. She's a bit of a legend. I'm a bad story teller, so I don't want to ruin the learning how she earned the nickname, but I believe you'll enjoy learning about her from someone more worthy the task of telling the tale than I would be.
Hi History Guy!! Im also a History Professor, but in my home country, Argentina. I am very very glad to see a cap of Argentina's Army in your collection!! I really enjoy your videos a lot, and I wish you keep going, because you do a marvelous job!! Greetings from Argentina!!
PS: Try to get your hands in a cap of the Argentine Navy, they are beautiful!!
Thanks THG. How about a story on how the U.S. enlisted sailor's cap came about? I always said that if you turn it upside down, it looks like a food dish, and when an enlisted sailor is wearing one with his shore leave whites, we can look mighty fine.
Can you do an episode on infantry helmets? To me they're a fascinating part of military history and one that is mostly taken for granted.
Nicely done, H.G.! I have only seen Kepi and Shako in print...I was THINKING KEH-pi and SHAY-ko...but I'm going with your version! "Keep 'em flying"...we're all out here! :-)
It is pronounced SHAY-ko
@@carausias I kinda lean that way. BUT, tomayto or tomahto...Its a FINE talk! Keep 'em coming. ;-)
The 'bonnet de police' dates back to before the Seven Years War in Europe (French & Indian War for the Colonials). It was made from a coat sleeve when a new uniform was issued, the old coat was cut down to a long waist coat which was worn under the new coat, one sleeve was recut into a cap and the other used for patches & repairs.
7:30 Elvis looking sharp!
Detailed and interesting.
Here in the UK, the famous policeman's hat was retired from service years ago.Yes we lost a national symbol, but the few members of my family that trained for the force regarded it as an uncomfortable safety hazard. It was also a target for drunken undergraduates: "knock off the copper's helmet" was a common end-of-term game. A game that, of course, one never played personally....
I'm sure that History Guy knows, and just forgot to mention it, but there is no white Kepi. It's a white cover that fits over the blue Kepi. Covers were common and were used to keep the dress Kepis clean in the field. There were different colors too.
Since the 1990s the modern "kepi blanc" has been made wholly of white material rather than simply worn with a white cover. Today they are worn mostly for parades and other occasions, as required.
That video was a perfect cap to my day.:-)😀
Hello, HG. As usual, very interesting.
As far as subject matter, I have a question.
When I was a child, anytime the subject of Benedict Arnold came up, usually in the contest of traitorous behavior, my mother would scoff. Then, she would indicate generally that it was an unfair, unfounded characterization.
Since I have been far too lazy, thus far, (It has been nearly 60 years. I don't see a change coming any time, soon) to do any research on it, myself, I wonder if it might make for a future episode. Or is my mother just full of, shall we say, hot air?
Thank you for your attention,
Aaron Waldon
I’m loving this hat stuff!!
In keeping with uniform ID, you should consider doing an episode on corps colors on uniforms. Such as the red band on the confederate forage cap would denote an artillery an. Also, the term red leg denotes the same, as artillerymen’s uniform pants had a red stripe running down the trouser leg - I.e. red leg!
Another excellent episode. A tip of the hat to you Sir.
Bravo!
In German, the flight cap is called a "Schiffchen" (cutesy term for a small ship or boat), mostly because it looks similar to a piece of paper folded into boat form, and because of it's association with naval forces, of course.
And I thought of a Käppi (from Kappe, which means cap) as also being another common cutesy term for pretty much all types of soft hats with a visor. Didn't know they were officially called that way at armed forces.
Damn History Guy.... Why.... And I watched in entirety... Great work my historian...
Who knew? Very interesting. Thanks HG. 👍🏻🇺🇸
Hey, big fan of the channel! You should boost the audio for the outros of your videos, i've noticed they're always a lot quieter than the video itself. Keep up the great content!!
I thing of the Australian one side button hat as a unique country hat.
It's called a slouch hat. I tried trading for one with an Australian soldier once (he was a tanker, and so he had the emu plume, which makes it look even better), but he wouldn't take anything less than my dress blues jacket, and I wasn't about to trade that.
The Patreon money taken out of my checking account is money that is best spent, considering the value returned.
If you can afford it, it's a good idea. However, I suspect that the History Guy has an income without Patreon that is at least 5 times what mine is. So I have to keep my meager stipend.
Perihelion77 I concur
Great video. I've admired the kepi since I was a little kid back in the Precambrian. But where did the tea towel that hangs down the back of the kepis of the desert troops of the Foreign Legion come from? I've read that some of the Confederate units had them at the onset of the war with most being discarded early on, often being used as coffee filters. Just curious. Cheers!
You look quite good in that hat!👍 Thanks THG!💜
You're awesome bro just watched a few videos subscribed now!
You say Kay-pee, I say keppi; let’s call the whole thing off😆. But very interesting history as always.
Kepi for Southerners.
Just DON'T say: "K.P."!
Interesting on the kepis used During the Civil War, But a little known fact is that most confederates and a lot of Union did not wear this hat as the Southern climate was more for thee slouch hat as it provided more protection from the burning Sun
An avid historian myself, I relish your work. From your knowledge of source material to your unbiased and oh so subtle and entertaining humor; yours is a favorite channel of mine. Perhaps you might help me with any knowledge you have on an enigmatic and elusive figure I have always been curious about. His name is Ambrosius; though of course spelling is subjective. Most info Ive found dates to early or middle european era. Is there pre-history or legendary basis to his biop similar perhaps to Merlin or King Arthur? Anyhow, Excellent work mate; much respect to you.
WELL DONE I TAKE MY HAT OFF TO YOU FOR AWSOME SHOW!
Very enjoyable as are all of your videos but I would like to make a request since you seem to know your hats. Could you do a segment on the flat backed hat of the Spanish Guardia Civil and it's origins. I lived in Spain for a number of years and understood the flat back design to signify that they would fight with their backs to the wall, if required, to defend Spain from all enemies.
It seems most people, now days don't know the difference between , even Hat and Cap ! Thanks for the video.
Kepí coming Sir. Would love to hear about the Chicago checkered “taxi cab” hat mainly seen in the Blues Brothers movie.
Please make an episode about the1879 pacific war! It would be awesome to find some unbiased content about it since the only ones talking about it are chilean, peruvian or bolivian and it has greatly influenced the area
I agree, as I've never heard of it
Wonderful. Your French accent is worthy of Edward Heath (another bit of history, best forgotten).
At 3:49, what is called by the Air Force a "flight cap" is or was used by the US Navy. It was usually called a "garrison cap" but crudely called a "piss cutter."
I notice missing in your collection, on view, is the US Navy White Hat, better known as the "Dixie Cup". Very versatile hat and easy to care for.
In the 1970's in the US Army, I was assigned to an Air Cav unit that required NCO's (and up) to wear the black felt stetson rather than our usual fatigue cap (baseball or kepi design)... That blamed hat was impossible to keep clean, the brim drooped badly over time and got very hot in the Central Texas sun... I much preferred the "Kepi"...
The pic of McClellan ? shows him with his hand tucked inside his shirt , have always wondered why ppl did this .
Because all the cool kids did it! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-in-waistcoat
Because of Napoleon Bonapart, did-George McClellan was a weasel at best. He thought of himself as a Napoleon Bonapart. He was one of those fools that extended the Civil War long that it should have, Lucky for the Army of the Potomac there was a fellow from out West that would take things by the hand and win the War.
@@GeorgeSemel If McClellan had stuck to training the troops and left the fighting to more capable combat officers, the war might have ended sooner, but it a took a few years and a lot of blood to identify those fightin' generals.
Not only did none of the replies answer the question, Why did people do it, why did Bonaparte do it?
@@gulfrelay2249 It is an ancient gesture (some say from Greek and Roman times) that was supposed to display a sense of boldness and calm self-assurance.
Thank you
Great video. Very interesting.
I am so glad he described the difference between the forage cap and the kepi
A solid bronze 'Celtic' cap has been found in Britain. It is identical to a baseball cap. Although the front brim is slightly extended. It was worn by a chariot driver. An English comic print 18th century shows an army recruitment. A local is wearing the same cap made of cloth. Amazingly he looks exactly like Beavis.
Looking at old lithographs and prints the old stlyle jockey hats also resembled todays "baseball caps" .
You should do an episode on the sinking of the Japanese Battleship Kongo. It is almost unknown by most people but the effect it had on the war in the Pacific during WWII was notable.
Hats signify position, authority, and look awesome too! Thank U!
I've been doing military history for 55 years, knew the term "bummer cap" but never knew its difference from the "kepi". Glad to have learned something.
My family and I recently found and love your videos; going to Patreon now. I was wondering if you have (or could do) a video on Dr. Samuel A. Mudd. My wife and I had the opportunity to travel to the Dry Tortugas and would love to learn more.
Wanted to ask about the CW Union kepi you have with what appears to be a MS insignia. Don't now if you know it but the wire in it is actually 10kt gold IIRC. And it is MS for medical service, not US for the United States. You need to do a piece on the 555th parachute regiment.
I always wondered why those military type hats had the brim bent up on one side.
Your channel and Townsends are my favorite history channels on YT, but you coverage is much broader than what Jon Townsend does. You should check his channel out, as he is as enthusiastic about the chosen period he covers as you are with all of what you do. Than you for making the obscure utterly fascinating. Colleges should use your channel as required viewing. Rock on.