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.
"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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!! 😉
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.
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....
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".
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.
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.
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. :)
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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'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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
i'm 73 and i've worn hats all my life. And alas, my choices have become more limited due to modern automobiles. My '50 Ford sedan and my '85 VW Westfalia both had ample room for whatever hat i chose to wear. Headroom in modern autos is so limited that i must wear a close fitting cap or remove my hat each time i get into the car. i'm nostalgic for ample headroom in cars.
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'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.
I saw a documentary on four Scottish dudes who joined the Legion; hearing French come out of a Scotsman was quite an experience. They were issued kepis after they graduated boot camp.
It seems to be a recurring theme of armies, police forces, etc., using tall hats to appear larger and more formidable. My initial thought was, "How is that possibly fooling anyone?" Then I realized that it probably speaks directly to the older parts of the brain and evokes a response before the higher functions can say, "Pfff. It's just a big hat." It would be interesting if you got together with SciShow Psych and did a presentation on the role of the hat in intimidation throughout history.
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!!
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"...
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.
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.
@Chuck Farley - Have you seen The History Guy's presentation of French Foreign Legion Capitain Jean Danjou's wooden hand? ua-cam.com/video/1rsWXF07Kuw/v-deo.html
Kepis and especially shakos are fairly common in my work as a streetcar conductor, but personally I prefer a metal ring 8-point police dress hat (part of an Los Angeles Transit Lines 1947 uniform).
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
My Grandfather, I am told, was the last Postman (US=Mailman) in Gloucester , England (pr.Gloster) to continue wearing a Kepi, part of the Official uniform.
You have hats on the brain. The genesis of the "Ridgway Cap" was the 1951 Field Cap which was designed to be worn under a helmet when necessary. General Ridgeway thought they looked sloppy and encouraged as only Generals can, starching it when not engaged in battle of rield training. Solders started "blocking" the caps, first with cardboard and the with an adjustable plastic gizmo sold in GI Joe stores usually just outside the post's, main gate. Eventually the Louisville Cap Company came out with a permanently blocked hat that was sold in the PX. Supposedly "optional" the wearing of the Louisville cap was for all practical purposes mandatory. Failure to be uniform in ranks usually meant you would be on KP Police Call when VIPs were around. The cap was a tad expensive and there was a persistent rumor that big wig Generals had stock in the Louisville Cap Company. The issue became so controversial that the Army finally trash canned the Field Cap and adopted the sloppiest baseball cap ever crafted by the hand of man. I got mine in 1964. And shortly thereafter purchased a much trimmer version off post. During the Korean War the separate Ranger companies wore the field cap on patrols. It became the "Ranger cap" worn by cadre and students at the Ranger School at Ft Benning and remains so today. With the advent of the beret, the Army needed a cap to wear in the field and the 1951 Field Cap was the first choice. Today there is a field cap in every camouflage pattern and the Army has firmly rejected commercial blocked versions. That said, the last time I was at Ft Benning some of the field caps I saw were not a rumppy as the rest and I did see a fimilar green plastic gizmo at ranger Joes, just outside the main gate.
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)
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.
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!
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!!
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.
These are the details that we can comfortably learn through your expertise , thank you for sharing.
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.
"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.
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!!
This is now one of my favorite channels. So glad youtube randomly started playing it the other day.
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.
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.
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.
I'm sure this has already been said, but my hat is off to you, sir.
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
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.
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.
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.
As usual, you Rocked it!
My Favorite UA-cam Channels!
Thank You!
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.
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.
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!! 😉
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.
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.
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'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".
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.
Awesome episode. Well done The History Guy
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.
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. :)
I am so glad he described the difference between the forage cap and the kepi
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.
3:53 in the German Army it is called "Schiffchen" which just means little ship/boat
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!
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.
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
Hats off to you for this episode.
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.
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
It seems most people, now days don't know the difference between , even Hat and Cap ! Thanks for the video.
Who knew? Very interesting. Thanks HG. 👍🏻🇺🇸
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'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.
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.
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!
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.
Excellent video,hats off to you!
It's like a military hat history fashion show. Very interesting. You've got a new subscription
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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" .
Great video. I am still waiting for a history on the pirate hats. Because all good stories include pirates ! 👍😂
i'm 73 and i've worn hats all my life. And alas, my choices have become more limited due to modern automobiles. My '50 Ford sedan and my '85 VW Westfalia both had ample room for whatever hat i chose to wear. Headroom in modern autos is so limited that i must wear a close fitting cap or remove my hat each time i get into the car. i'm nostalgic for ample headroom in cars.
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.
You and mustie1 is why I keep coming back to youtube! Great videos!
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
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.
Those big hats and puffy shirts looked ridiculous. The kepi was classy
I saw a documentary on four Scottish dudes who joined the Legion; hearing French come out of a Scotsman was quite an experience. They were issued kepis after they graduated boot camp.
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!
It seems to be a recurring theme of armies, police forces, etc., using tall hats to appear larger and more formidable. My initial thought was, "How is that possibly fooling anyone?"
Then I realized that it probably speaks directly to the older parts of the brain and evokes a response before the higher functions can say, "Pfff. It's just a big hat."
It would be interesting if you got together with SciShow Psych and did a presentation on the role of the hat in intimidation throughout history.
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!!
You can still see French generals wearing kepis in their Nation Day military parade on July 14th
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"...
As always, fascinating! Thank you
Thank you for making awesome content for all of use to enjoy, I love your videos
Very fun video, thanks so much OP.
The kepi is one of my favorite military caps, and I always wanted to learn it's origins, and then I found this piece of gold.
Ikr it looks very stylish
I Enjoy Every Single episode! Thank You😘
If you have not written a book on the history of hats yet, I think you should.
Thanks again
Another great episode
That video was a perfect cap to my day.:-)😀
An episode on Liberty caps & Liberty Tree / Poles would be interesting
I like the look of the Civil War Forage cap, personally.
Another excellent episode. A tip of the hat to you Sir.
Bravo!
In Germany, the air force also uses the flight cap style hats, but we call it "Schiffchen", "little ship", because of the form.
Hats signify position, authority, and look awesome too! Thank U!
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.
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."!
I buy and flip the contents of storage units ive found all different types of these caps over the years. There very interesting and fun to find
Very informative history guy thanks for sharing!
Wonderful. Your French accent is worthy of Edward Heath (another bit of history, best forgotten).
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.
WELL DONE I TAKE MY HAT OFF TO YOU FOR AWSOME SHOW!
You should look into more stories on the French Foreign Legion, La Legion is rife with stories that would fit here perfectly.
@Chuck Farley - Have you seen The History Guy's presentation of French Foreign Legion Capitain Jean Danjou's wooden hand?
ua-cam.com/video/1rsWXF07Kuw/v-deo.html
Being a former civil war reenactor, I have 3 kepis. I wear them around, mostly in fall, winter, spring.
You might consider an episode on the large number of uniforms at the first battle of Manassas, and the confusion it caused.
Kepis and especially shakos are fairly common in my work as a streetcar conductor, but personally I prefer a metal ring 8-point police dress hat (part of an Los Angeles Transit Lines 1947 uniform).
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 amazing piece of history, 'a hat and its story'!
I had a Pittsburgh Pirates hat similar to the k.p. in fact while I was in France it was "appropriated" in a Parisian Hotel.
My Grandfather, I am told, was the last Postman (US=Mailman) in Gloucester , England (pr.Gloster) to continue wearing a Kepi, part of the Official uniform.
You have hats on the brain.
The genesis of the "Ridgway Cap" was the 1951 Field Cap which was designed to be worn under a helmet when necessary. General Ridgeway thought they looked sloppy and encouraged as only Generals can, starching it when not engaged in battle of rield training. Solders started "blocking" the caps, first with cardboard and the with an adjustable plastic gizmo sold in GI Joe stores usually just outside the post's, main gate. Eventually the Louisville Cap Company came out with a permanently blocked hat that was sold in the PX. Supposedly "optional" the wearing of the Louisville cap was for all practical purposes mandatory. Failure to be uniform in ranks usually meant you would be on KP Police Call when VIPs were around. The cap was a tad expensive and there was a persistent rumor that big wig Generals had stock in the Louisville Cap Company. The issue became so controversial that the Army finally trash canned the Field Cap and adopted the sloppiest baseball cap ever crafted by the hand of man. I got mine in 1964. And shortly thereafter purchased a much trimmer version off post. During the Korean War the separate Ranger companies wore the field cap on patrols. It became the "Ranger cap" worn by cadre and students at the Ranger School at Ft Benning and remains so today. With the advent of the beret, the Army needed a cap to wear in the field and the 1951 Field Cap was the first choice. Today there is a field cap in every camouflage pattern and the Army has firmly rejected commercial blocked versions. That said, the last time I was at Ft Benning some of the field caps I saw were not a rumppy as the rest and I did see a fimilar green plastic gizmo at ranger Joes, just outside the main gate.
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)
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.
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!
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!!
How ironic. Just two days ago I commented on this very topic. Good work.
I’m loving this hat stuff!!
The army version of the flight cap was officially a garrison cap, unofficially a c**t cap from its suggestive shape when viewed from below.