I knew it as that, pi$$cutter, and overseas cap. The “garrison” cap was the formal round, billed hat, not a less formal, or dressed down, cap like this. Interesting learning the history of this style of cap.
Brimless and visor-less military hats are to me the absolutely the most mystifying choice of uniform component ever to see widespread adoption, but thank you for this excellent historical summary and live demonstration.
The ice cream proprietor shown at 11:50 is Marv Garriet, owner of Marv's Classic Soda Shop, located in Black Diamond (now Diamond Valley) south of Calgary, Alberta. Marv's started as an ice cream / antiques and collectibles emporium and grew into a full 50's Diner with all the decor and menu of the time. Sadly, the Diner recently closed and with it another piece of classic history was lost.
Thanks for sharing. Isn't it a bit amazing to see that a total stranger would recognize an obscure picture in a YT video on such an out of the ordinary topic. Touche' my friend
@@dwh5512Marv also played a bank manager in the 1992 Clint Eastwood movie "Unforgiven", which was filmed in the area. Go down the YT rabbit hole far enough and all roads lead to cat videos. Thanks for the comment.
Growing up, I was surrounded by veterans of WW2 who had served in the African campaigns, I could strip a MP40 before I was 10 and an MG34 by the time I was 12. We had Lugers as paperweights in the house. But what sticks in my mind was the caps/hats worn around the place, they were Afrika Corps hats, eminently practical, protected the head, shaded the eyes, could be stuffed into a pocket if inconvenient, could be secured in a wind, could be unfolded to keep the ears warm, made in different materials for different climates.
I liked wearing the Garrison cap in the Army and was not a fan of the beret which replaced it. As a vet in the American Legion, I'm wearing the garrison cap again.
As a cadet for four years and an officer for 22, this is was the standard hat everyone wore in the USAF in the 70s-80s-90s. I saw the “bus driver” or “wheel” hat worn only on formal occasions, and then only by the senior officers in the ceremony and the Honor Guard. AFAIK that’s still the case. It’s something the movies often get wrong, they show Air Force guys running around in wheel hats, even indoors (!). Judging by photographs the wheel hat was a lot more common in the 50s and 60s USAF, but something changed in the 70s and the flight cap took over.
USAF has officially abandoned the bus-driver hat - everyone now wears the 'garrison' cap but no one called it that when i was in from 82-87 (hated the thing, much preferred the bus-driver hat)
In the 1960s the bus driver hat was required with dress combination 1 uniform. It was optional with the khaki uniform. During the 1970s wear off the bus driver hat was becoming less popular.
I'm retired US Army, and I had a love/hate relationship with this hat. I served most of my Army career in units associated with Airborne Infantry Regiments who were authorized to wear the coveted "Glider Patch" on their garrison caps. I was proud to wear the Glider Patch and I was amazed at the simplicity of the hat design. I once jokingly referred to it as wearing an envelope on my head. I just discovered your channel today and I'm falling down the rabbit hole! Great stuff! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
4;58 although I've always admired the style of these particular side caps, I had no idea the side could unfold like that. I learned something new today!
I loved that cover when I was in the Marine Corps. Soft and comfortable. Easy to drop in flight suit pockets indoors. With a 2 or 3-day old shaved head, it would stick to my head like velcro. Per USMC regs, you were allowed to wear it slightly canted. We called it the "piss cover" or "piss cover", but have no idea why.
My 98 year old dad, a Lt.Cmndr. in the US Merchant Marine gave me his garrison hat. It is black wool, no piping, with leather internal sweat band. On one side is the metal USMM symbol and on the other his Oak Leaf of rank. When my mother gave it to me as a child it was big on my head but when full grown it rides precariously. I will have to ask him where he bought it
This cap looked great for US Army, especially with the Airborne insignia. When the Army opted for the beret, a lot of history and class was suddenly lost. I don't understand why the Army won't keep better uniforms these days. The Marines kept their very sharp uniforms intact.
There are also Yugoslavian Titovka caps, vaguely related to the Sovet Pilotka, however having a different shape and stars typically being sewn into the cap, with physical stars only issued to the more elite units of the Yugoslav People's Army.
Wow, you found more history for this hat than I thought possible! I'm in the US Air Force and wear it for my service dress uniform, and I'm not particularly fond of it. I think they used to be bigger and fit better. Now they're small and don't stay on well. They can also lead to embarrassing situations when the wearer is looking into the sun. There's no visor, and I recall one time I was squinting into the sun trying to see if the silhouette I saw approaching me was an officer. I couldn't tell until she passed me, and then I realized too late that I was supposed to salute. Oh well.
I really wanted my dads boy scout side cap, which grandpa kept, he also had his cousins wool WW1 overseas cap, w/ leather sweatband, a little itchy for the boy i once was. Both long gone but a precious memory for having them to play with as a kid.
Navy uncovers indoors, so barracks cap would not be in our vernacular. We were shown an instructional film on saluting, that was made by the Army, which had inapplicable portions, as it showed personnel covered and saluting indoors.
As a 20-year member of the US Air Corps, Army Air Force and USAF, my Dad once called his side cap the derogatory female term that you quietly mentioned at the beginning of your video. When he passed in 1994, we included a similar "Pearl Harbor Survivor" side cap for him to carrying into Eternity. He, as well as my Mom, her 60-year-old mother and my 2-month-old sister were at their Hickam Field quarters on that fateful December 7th, 1941. I'm sure that he would appreciate your history of his flight cap(s)... Thanks again for another of your informative and entertaining videos. JJS
PS: Back in the sixth grade, I assumed that I looked pretty dashing in my brown Boy Scout's uniform, complete with a natty side cap with matching pants and a shirt festooned with a solitary "tenderfoot" badge, JJS
The paper version is also widely associated with 1950s frycooks, more so than the ice cream vendors & truck drivers- the garrisons i've found in white from the ice cream vendors are always made of a suiting wool with usually black piping but sometimes bright red or midnight blue.
If I remember correctly the US Army used the garrison cap up to 2001 when it was switched out for the beret. Officers wore their rank insignia on the left and enlisted wore unit crests.
I just want to say that you are one of the best content creaters on UA-cam. I love hats, plus the beer you were drinking in another episode still has me laughing. My kind of humor right there. Thanks!
I am an Indonesian and we call this cap "topi pejuang", which literally means the fighter cap. During the 1945-1949 Indonesian War for Independence, the side cap was widespread and used by many members of the Indonesian army, navy (with additional chinstrap), air force, and some Indonesian armed groups.
This is my school's standard head dress for the Criminology Department, if ya'll don't know Criminology is a course in my country where it is a step to be a Policeman or a Soldier and often favors those who are graduates of said course. I proudly wore it knowing its history.
I never liked the side cap and I never wore one during my military service (1966-1975).Incidentally I nerve wore a beret either. I wore the SD cap and No1 dress cap. 12:12
I'm Portuguese. My father fought in Angola (1961-1963) in the colonial war. In his photos from the conflict, when not wearing a helmet, he and his comrades always wear the "bivaque" (side cap).
10:27 A muscle bound U.S. Marine recognizes a muscle bound Spanish Legionnaire, whose arms do not fit his service shirt’s rolled-up sleeves. Instead, he resorts to converting his shirt to short sleeves as to properly allow blood circulation to flow into his arms. The struggle is real. Keep pushing, my brother. 💪
Whenever I see a garrison cap, I also think of bow ties and ice cream cones. One of my grand fathers said that during WWII they were called " Go To He!! " hats, and that the men preferred the campaign hats that the garrison cap replaced....
Very nice, thank you! In Norway, we use it in the Air Force as Well as the Royal Guards (as you mentioned). "Gardelue" means (Guards-Cap), but it also goes under the name "Båtlue" which means "boat-cap" (due to it looking like a boat, turned upside down).
In Hungary it is also worn by different units of both military and police, based on the sowiet pilotka, and it is called "ködvágó" (literally fog cutter). 😄 The other common headwear is the "Bocskai csákó", which has a stiffed and soft version, stiffed is for formal wear, soft is for daily.
It was the standard headgear in the Greek army for the private's & conscript NCO's ceremonial uniform, and the uniforms No8, 8A, 8B, 8Γ for the career NCO & officer, from 1938 until 2001 when it was replaced by the beret. It remains the standard headgear for 8A, 8B & 8Γ uniforms in the Air Force
On the USS Chicago CG-11 our XO (CDR Reimann, later Rear Admiral Reimann) did not allow the wearing of the pisscutter by officers or CPOs. When he was relieved the new XO allowed the wearing of the pisscutter. I took mine out put it on and took a gander in the mirror, then immediately took it off and never wore it again. I thought it was a stupid-looking hat...for sailors anyway. JMHO. CWO4 USN Ret.
Still optional for all ranks of RAF, love my side cap although it’s frowned upon by some. Officers tend to wear it more as they can’t wear a beret in no2s (smart working dress)
Very interesting, well documented and well made episode (as usual, I should say). A few precisions though, if I may... it's true that the side cap adopted by the French army in 1891 was officially called "Serbian form" and was a fatigue cap mainly used for duties in the barracks, but it was also a cap that the men who had been punished had to wear too during thier punition, hence its name in French (bonnet de police). For that reason, it wasn't very popular among the troops, though some officers wore it, tailor-made of course. It gained popularity when the First world war begun as, no matter men could think about it, it was practical in the harsh environment of the trenches and even could be worn under the helmet when weather was cold, even covering the ears and the rear of the head with its flaps folded down. You said too the Gendarmerie introduced it recently, well... yes and no. For the gendarmerie, the side cap, though seeming new, is more a reintroduction that an introduction, as, though it's little known, the gendarmerie already used a side cap since the last years of the 19 century, similar to those of the army, but not made in old uniforms cloth (I have one in my collection, dated 1900 and very finely made). Last, about the British "beret", the cap you are talking about, introduced in 1943 and replacing the so elegant side cap, isn't really a beret. Made in three parts in the coarse British uniform cloth and named "General Service Cap", it was most often disliked by the troops who gave it the nickname "Cap, Ridiculous"... no need to say more, just look at period pics, and you'll understand why ! Anyway, I still wait for each new episode, and of course wait now for the French version of this one !
This cap is commonly refered to as a "båtlue", boat cap, also in Norwegian because of its shape. As the video mentions, His Majesty The Kings' Guards (HMKG) has a version specifically called "gardelue", or guards cap. The "paradehatt", or parade hat, is used on parade (resembling a plumed bowler hat, probably inspired by the Bersaglieri). No other army unit uses the båtlue, nor does the navy (I think, some apprentice positions did use, perhaps they still do). The Royal Norwegian Air Force do use a båtlue, probably inspired by the RAF to which RNoAF has historical connections.
In Indonesia, university students wear a Garison cap (side cap) as part of the university jacket uniform worn during ceremonies. The term for the hat in Indonesia is called "Bivak Muts or simply called Muts".
The history of the garrison cap in Spanish service (Called gorrillo or gorrillo isabelino) predates its use by the Legion. It was used by both sides during the civil war as it was part of the pre-war army uniform, and in hundreds of versions it was used by militiamen and soldiers on both sides. Later in the war the republican army adopted a more pilotka looking garrison cap, distancing themselves from the typical Spanish gorrillo. It was worn with or without tassle, with coloured piping, with the piping torn out, handmade, pre-war models, imported... As a hat lover I suggest you look into this conflict!
I always wore my "bus driver" hat whenever I could when I was enlisted, because the "side cap" doesn't have a bill or brim. I think USAF stopped issuing "bus driver" hats shortly after I enlisted in 1992, so I think I was one of the last folks to have one issued.
I don't remember calling it a "side cap" when I was in the USAF for 4 years. I seem to vaguely recall it might have been called a "flight cap," but I'm not sure about that.
Point of order, Mr Chair. The Torin did not derive from the Glengarry bonnet, which has no side flaps, but can be traced back to a model of fatigue cap with side flaps adopted by the Austrian army during circa 1812, known as Laagermutze. (British infantry had briefly adopted a less substantial version of the form in the early 1800s) This was worn until the adoption of the peaked Feldkappe in the 1860s. It may have influenced the Serbian version along the way. The form can be traced in British usage via the Field Service cap adopted by the Foot Guards in 1852. Also referred to as the 'Albert bonnet,' its practical ear flaps was seen as inelegant and unmilitary and famously mocked in a Punch cartoon- though it was still used for fatigues as late as the 1870s. Guards officers in the Crimea preferred to copy the French style of the period but circa 1880 we see the simpler Austrian pattern of the 'Torin' being adopted first by staff officers and subsequently by some regimental officers. It was favoured by officers in a few British regiments right through to the present day. The Duke of Lancaster's, are one example. Salud.
It should be noted that innumerable photos of British soldiers and airmen from the time of the second world war show the side cap cocked over to the right of the head - sometimes with the cap practically supported by the right ear.
The Dutch Horse Artillery (Gele Rijders) also wears a version with a yellow tassel. This led to some hilarity amongst my fellow conscripts when a captain pulled one out during an excercise when he was liason to our brigade staff as the rest of the army wears berets and they thought it looked rather silly. Had to warn them the horse artillery views itself as the elite of the artillery units and this captain for sure would not appreciate any jokes made about it .... still looks rather silly though :)
I hated this cap from the point I first joined the US Army in 1987 up until now. The one I was issued was stiff and impractical. I found the beret to be much more comfortable and practical. It also looks better than what the army designed side cap.
I thought the Austrian field cap was called the “Feldkappe” I believe “Bergsmutze” was the German name given for the Mountaineer troops in the German empire. Austrians spoke a different kind of German so I believe they would call the same hats differently from Germans.
Grenadier mitres evolved from the same cap. As grenadiers had to sling rifles over their shoulders and throw their grenades the wide brimmed or tricorne hats worn by line companies impeded their ability to do both. So they wore these caps with a raised front piece with a regimental on them in combat. This may be where that fashion spread to other troops. As time passed the front stiff raised portion grew taller until the 'sock' part with the tassel was able yo be attached to the top of it before being enclosed with a back plate, Hence you see mitres in later eras still with a tassel at the point. Especially true with Germans and Russians, The French, and British favoured Bearskins for Grenadiers from at least the 1770's though you can see traces of this evolution in those too.
This cap is so badass. It's very iconic in Russian and German military. But today, people would remember it as the Coffin dancers cap after the Coffin dancers from Ghana.
Never heard it called a Side Cap. In the US ARMY we called it a C word cap, and I was delighted when my 80 year old Dad confirmed they called it that, too. Never heard my Dad say that word until then. He also said they called it the piss cutter.
Very good idea, I agree ! This cap has a fascinating history, as it was not only used in Austria, but also in Hungary, in Germany and, a fact few people know, widely used by the chinese army during WW2 (due to the german influence). And it still exists today.
The WW I garrison cap (similar to the model you are wearing has a feature everyone has forgotten. If you turn down the sides of the cap, it will cover your ears. It was worn by British and American forces during WW I because in the trenches it would cover your ears and thus had winter protection. The utility of this feature has been lost over the years.
This uniform cap’s best features are only applicable when you AREN’T wearing it. You can put it in a flight suit leg pocket or tucked under your belt in Class Bs.
Got off the plane on the airfield and the wind blew off my saucer cap and it rolled down the runway like a frisbee! Finally caught up with it. Then had to run thru the O’Hare airport to make my plane to L.A. because my plane to Chicago was late. Got to L.A. but my duffel bag did not get loaded on the plane so waited 4 hours and it came on another flight. Next day flew to S. Korea where I spent the next 31 months always wearing the overseas cap when wearing dress uniform, but usually wore fatigues. That was 51 years ago!
I retired Navy, and they are still used with the Black and Tans. FYI the EGA is the Marines, not Navy. The Navy has the Eagle, Constitution(ship), and Anchor.
The US Army OD version with color piping lasted until 1958 when uniforms changed. The color was for their Army Branch, not their regiment. For example, Signal Corp was orange and infantry light blue. A Signal Corp soldier assigned to an infantry unit, working in a Signal Corps position would still have orange on his garrison cap. The color added a nice touch to an OD uniform uniform. Still have my father's last complete OD uniform. He served in WW2, Korean War (POW) and 2 tours in Vietnam. Of course the caps were worthless for any protection from weather! Rain and snow did a number on you glasses. Later berets are even worse!
Halfway through your videos, enjoying immensely! Can you make a video about night caps, please? I've always wondered what's up with them. Also, sauna caps. I'd also love to learn about something very, very unusual - if you look at ancient cultures, you'll notice how they use tall either conical or elongated egg-shaped hats. We still have it today in the shape of the Pope hat, bc Christians inherited many symbols from Mesopotamia. There are several stone-carved heads made by Hittites, they all wear conical hats. And we have many artifacts from at least 1000BC and well into 10th century, showing that conical hats were worn East of Ural mountains, e.g. there's a set of warrior's dress and it includes a super tall conical hat. Malta culture iirc also had the very same hat - extremely tall and conical.
Also known as a piss cover which was a butchered version of piss cutter because it looked like, you guessed it, a vagina. As a boot at MCRD San Diego in '85, piss cover was the description I got. Kunt cap in the fleet.
I remember wearing a Garrison cap with my friend, being military fans. It was later replaced with a camo boogie hat which my father brought back from Vietnam.
I really enjoy Foyer's videos on hats. To me this was always the overseas cap and the four-letter word used. I was in the US army 1973-76 and the National Guard many years after. I didn't like the cap. I much preferred the visor (service/saucer cap) hat as it looks sharp and military, but the damned officers wouldn't let you wear it...THEY wanted to wear it and remind you were enlisted. The airborne units wore it, and the overseas caps were too stiff at the top and would fall off if you bent over. The Marines and Air Force didn't stiffen theirs, and were more comfortable. Also, this hat was very popular with German armored units and worn in place of the tankers helmet, and also with U-boat crews...far more practical in a cramped sub. Also, the WACs (women's army corps) wore a version that curved more down the back of the head and was called the banana hat. I was glad I was out of the military when they started wearing the stupid berets. It was always smart looking to take your overseas hat and stuff it in your shoulder epaulet if you took it off at least in WWII. The stiff overseas cap of my era couldn't fold. In Boy Scouts (1960s) we were the overseas caps. I think they looked better than the baseball caps, and too many kids had small heads that made baseball caps look huge. Again, great fun to watch.
love the video!! and love the series, it all so fascinating!! although hearing you pronouce the serbian šajkača really hurt, so heres the english approximate, shaay-kah-chah! thank you for your amazing content!!
8:47 (for pilots) Folded in a pocket or under your shoulder strap. (flap ? not sure of the proper name). 9:47 Elle a les yeux revolver 😍, et un mitraillette en main... 😬 Charmante !
I hated these things when I was in the Marines since they were always worn fairly high on the head and never felt very secure to me. I always felt that if i don't walk very carefully or there even so much as a light breeze when wearing it would fall or get blown off. To make matters worse, when indoors and not wearing it, we had to hold it the entire time. We weren't allowed out to tuck it in our belt, under an epaulette on our Alpha blouse and we certainly were not allowed to tuck it into a pocket. It was an all round pita to wear, luckily i almost never had to wear it and when I i did it was never for very long.
The American Legion and the VFW wears the side caps. The American Legion which had its start in Paris, France in 1919 May have been influenced by France.
In the Chinese military, only submariners were side caps. So, if you are military personal in China and you are wearing a side cap, everyone knows you belong to the elite force :)
Why are there two brass buttons on the front of British side hats?(I was a lance corporal of a JTC ( /CLB) company) (Navy blue with 3 red pin stipes, green material in the fold on top, brass badge of CLB coat of arms, ........and two brass buttons on the front.)
The fact this guy has all the hats of history is amazing but how he has jackets to match is mind blowing!
I was in the Army for almost two years before discovering it was indeed called Garrison and not the ***t cap.
It is still the c**t cap. That is all I have ever known it as. LOL.
I knew it as that,
pi$$cutter, and overseas cap. The “garrison” cap was the formal round, billed hat, not a less formal, or dressed down, cap like this.
Interesting learning the history of this style of cap.
Retired from the US Army 39.5 years of service- this is the first time I heard that name for this cap - it was always the C*** cap.
Flight cap in the Air Force (it was curved). We also referred to it as the ***t cap.
Marine. It's the pißcutter, piß-splitter, sea ewe next Tuesday cap/cover... Garrison cap must be some paperwork nonsense.
this is the channel I did not know I needed.
It’s high tier autism ( in a good way )
Brimless and visor-less military hats are to me the absolutely the most mystifying choice of uniform component ever to see widespread adoption, but thank you for this excellent historical summary and live demonstration.
The ice cream proprietor shown at 11:50 is Marv Garriet, owner of Marv's Classic Soda Shop, located in Black Diamond (now Diamond Valley) south of Calgary, Alberta. Marv's started as an ice cream / antiques and collectibles emporium and grew into a full 50's Diner with all the decor and menu of the time. Sadly, the Diner recently closed and with it another piece of classic history was lost.
Thanks for sharing. Isn't it a bit amazing to see that a total stranger would recognize an obscure picture in a YT video on such an out of the ordinary topic. Touche' my friend
@@dwh5512Marv also played a bank manager in the 1992 Clint Eastwood movie "Unforgiven", which was filmed in the area. Go down the YT rabbit hole far enough and all roads lead to cat videos. Thanks for the comment.
@@by_Wayne LOL "all lead to cat videos" for that oh so very clever remark I declare you today's winner of the internet.
We used to call them something else due to the shaping of the groove in the crown
My dad, a WWII Army vet, had two caps, one for winter and another for summer. He always referred to them as "Overseas Caps.".
My neighbor did the same. I guess it fit.easier in tje duffel bag than the campaign hat and the Service cap.
Growing up, I was surrounded by veterans of WW2 who had served in the African campaigns, I could strip a MP40 before I was 10 and an MG34 by the time I was 12. We had Lugers as paperweights in the house. But what sticks in my mind was the caps/hats worn around the place, they were Afrika Corps hats, eminently practical, protected the head, shaded the eyes, could be stuffed into a pocket if inconvenient, could be secured in a wind, could be unfolded to keep the ears warm, made in different materials for different climates.
thank you
I liked wearing the Garrison cap in the Army and was not a fan of the beret which replaced it. As a vet in the American Legion, I'm wearing the garrison cap again.
As a cadet for four years and an officer for 22, this is was the standard hat everyone wore in the USAF in the 70s-80s-90s. I saw the “bus driver” or “wheel” hat worn only on formal occasions, and then only by the senior officers in the ceremony and the Honor Guard. AFAIK that’s still the case. It’s something the movies often get wrong, they show Air Force guys running around in wheel hats, even indoors (!).
Judging by photographs the wheel hat was a lot more common in the 50s and 60s USAF, but something changed in the 70s and the flight cap took over.
USAF has officially abandoned the bus-driver hat - everyone now wears the 'garrison' cap but no one called it that when i was in from 82-87 (hated the thing, much preferred the bus-driver hat)
In the 1960s the bus driver hat was required with
dress combination 1 uniform. It was optional with
the khaki uniform. During the 1970s wear off the
bus driver hat was becoming less popular.
I'm retired US Army, and I had a love/hate relationship with this hat. I served most of my Army career in units associated with Airborne Infantry Regiments who were authorized to wear the coveted "Glider Patch" on their garrison caps. I was proud to wear the Glider Patch and I was amazed at the simplicity of the hat design. I once jokingly referred to it as wearing an envelope on my head. I just discovered your channel today and I'm falling down the rabbit hole! Great stuff! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
4;58 although I've always admired the style of these particular side caps, I had no idea the side could unfold like that. I learned something new today!
Once again excellent
Informative great speaking voice
Thanks for taking the time to produce these posts 👍
I loved that cover when I was in the Marine Corps. Soft and comfortable. Easy to drop in flight suit pockets indoors. With a 2 or 3-day old shaved head, it would stick to my head like velcro. Per USMC regs, you were allowed to wear it slightly canted. We called it the "piss cover" or "piss cover", but have no idea why.
* Per USMC regs, you were allowed to wear it slightly canted.*
It's the only way to wear it! 👍🏿
My 98 year old dad, a Lt.Cmndr. in the US Merchant Marine gave me his garrison hat. It is black wool, no piping, with leather internal sweat band. On one side is the metal USMM symbol and on the other his Oak Leaf of rank. When my mother gave it to me as a child it was big on my head but when full grown it rides precariously. I will have to ask him where he bought it
Ask him soon!
This cap looked great for US Army, especially with the Airborne insignia. When the Army opted for the beret, a lot of history and class was suddenly lost. I don't understand why the Army won't keep better uniforms these days. The Marines kept their very sharp uniforms intact.
Politics and Pentagon leadership
If you adopt a new uniform every year, the contractors also get paid every year.
This is such a niche channel, but I love the concept!
There are also Yugoslavian Titovka caps, vaguely related to the Sovet Pilotka, however having a different shape and stars typically being sewn into the cap, with physical stars only issued to the more elite units of the Yugoslav People's Army.
Wow, you found more history for this hat than I thought possible! I'm in the US Air Force and wear it for my service dress uniform, and I'm not particularly fond of it. I think they used to be bigger and fit better. Now they're small and don't stay on well. They can also lead to embarrassing situations when the wearer is looking into the sun. There's no visor, and I recall one time I was squinting into the sun trying to see if the silhouette I saw approaching me was an officer. I couldn't tell until she passed me, and then I realized too late that I was supposed to salute. Oh well.
This explainer was exactly what I was looking for! Thanks for the detailed info!
I really wanted my dads boy scout side cap, which grandpa kept, he also had his cousins wool WW1 overseas cap, w/ leather sweatband, a little itchy for the boy i once was. Both long gone but a precious memory for having them to play with as a kid.
Paper and other cheap side caps were part of some of the fast food workers uniform, and gas station attendants.
loooooooooooooool
Navy uncovers indoors, so barracks cap would not be in our vernacular. We were shown an instructional film on saluting, that was made by the Army, which had inapplicable portions, as it showed personnel covered and saluting indoors.
That was great. Got to the point and packed full of information.
You crack me up. Good knowledge. Great uniforms.
Kudos to you for your . . . diplomatic . . . handling of the other common names for this cap. Well done!
As a 20-year member of the US Air Corps, Army Air Force and USAF, my Dad once called his side cap the derogatory female term that you quietly mentioned at the beginning of your video. When he passed in 1994, we included a similar "Pearl Harbor Survivor" side cap for him to carrying into Eternity. He, as well as my Mom, her 60-year-old mother and my 2-month-old sister were at their Hickam Field quarters on that fateful December 7th, 1941.
I'm sure that he would appreciate your history of his flight cap(s)... Thanks again for another of your informative and entertaining videos. JJS
PS: Back in the sixth grade, I assumed that I looked pretty dashing in my brown Boy Scout's uniform, complete with a natty side cap with matching pants and a shirt festooned with a solitary "tenderfoot" badge, JJS
Dick Winters & Robin Olds: great choices.
Below Winters is George Luz, also from Easy Company.
I was thinking of Winters and the 101st when I saw the subject, and lo and behold, there he is!
The paper version is also widely associated with 1950s frycooks, more so than the ice cream vendors & truck drivers- the garrisons i've found in white from the ice cream vendors are always made of a suiting wool with usually black piping but sometimes bright red or midnight blue.
If I remember correctly the US Army used the garrison cap up to 2001 when it was switched out for the beret. Officers wore their rank insignia on the left and enlisted wore unit crests.
Had it in basic\AIT but never worn it again.
Your depth of research and knowledge blows my mind. Well done sir!
I just want to say that you are one of the best content creaters on UA-cam. I love hats, plus the beer you were drinking in another episode still has me laughing. My kind of humor right there.
Thanks!
I am an Indonesian and we call this cap "topi pejuang", which literally means the fighter cap. During the 1945-1949 Indonesian War for Independence, the side cap was widespread and used by many members of the Indonesian army, navy (with additional chinstrap), air force, and some Indonesian armed groups.
This is my school's standard head dress for the Criminology Department, if ya'll don't know Criminology is a course in my country where it is a step to be a Policeman or a Soldier and often favors those who are graduates of said course. I proudly wore it knowing its history.
I never liked the side cap and I never wore one during my military service (1966-1975).Incidentally I nerve wore a beret either. I wore the SD cap and No1 dress cap. 12:12
I'm Portuguese. My father fought in Angola (1961-1963) in the colonial war. In his photos from the conflict, when not wearing a helmet, he and his comrades always wear the "bivaque" (side cap).
10:27 A muscle bound U.S. Marine recognizes a muscle bound Spanish Legionnaire, whose arms do not fit his service shirt’s rolled-up sleeves. Instead, he resorts to converting his shirt to short sleeves as to properly allow blood circulation to flow into his arms. The struggle is real. Keep pushing, my brother. 💪
Whenever I see a garrison cap, I also think of bow ties and ice cream cones. One of my grand fathers said that during WWII they were called " Go To He!! " hats, and that the men preferred the campaign hats that the garrison cap replaced....
Very nice, thank you! In Norway, we use it in the Air Force as Well as the Royal Guards (as you mentioned). "Gardelue" means (Guards-Cap), but it also goes under the name "Båtlue" which means "boat-cap" (due to it looking like a boat, turned upside down).
This is the other hat I'll always remember my dad wearing when I was a kid, since he was in the US Air Force.
In Hungary it is also worn by different units of both military and police, based on the sowiet pilotka, and it is called "ködvágó" (literally fog cutter). 😄 The other common headwear is the "Bocskai csákó", which has a stiffed and soft version, stiffed is for formal wear, soft is for daily.
Like your stories a lot . Theyre rigt up my nerdally .Please keep this going !
I was in the Army in the 80s, and we issued garrison caps. We wore with our class A's and the class B uniform.
I wondered how he would handle the 'nickname' issue..... well done mon ami. well done.
It was the standard headgear in the Greek army for the private's & conscript NCO's ceremonial uniform, and the uniforms No8, 8A, 8B, 8Γ for the career NCO & officer, from 1938 until 2001 when it was replaced by the beret. It remains the standard headgear for 8A, 8B & 8Γ uniforms in the Air Force
On the USS Chicago CG-11 our XO (CDR Reimann, later Rear Admiral Reimann) did not allow the wearing of the pisscutter by officers or CPOs. When he was relieved the new XO allowed the wearing of the pisscutter. I took mine out put it on and took a gander in the mirror, then immediately took it off and never wore it again. I thought it was a stupid-looking hat...for sailors anyway. JMHO. CWO4 USN Ret.
Still optional for all ranks of RAF, love my side cap although it’s frowned upon by some. Officers tend to wear it more as they can’t wear a beret in no2s (smart working dress)
Not frowned upon in the US Armed Forces. It is worn more often than the round
service hat.
Very interesting, well documented and well made episode (as usual, I should say). A few precisions though, if I may... it's true that the side cap adopted by the French army in 1891 was officially called "Serbian form" and was a fatigue cap mainly used for duties in the barracks, but it was also a cap that the men who had been punished had to wear too during thier punition, hence its name in French (bonnet de police). For that reason, it wasn't very popular among the troops, though some officers wore it, tailor-made of course. It gained popularity when the First world war begun as, no matter men could think about it, it was practical in the harsh environment of the trenches and even could be worn under the helmet when weather was cold, even covering the ears and the rear of the head with its flaps folded down. You said too the Gendarmerie introduced it recently, well... yes and no. For the gendarmerie, the side cap, though seeming new, is more a reintroduction that an introduction, as, though it's little known, the gendarmerie already used a side cap since the last years of the 19 century, similar to those of the army, but not made in old uniforms cloth (I have one in my collection, dated 1900 and very finely made). Last, about the British "beret", the cap you are talking about, introduced in 1943 and replacing the so elegant side cap, isn't really a beret. Made in three parts in the coarse British uniform cloth and named "General Service Cap", it was most often disliked by the troops who gave it the nickname "Cap, Ridiculous"... no need to say more, just look at period pics, and you'll understand why !
Anyway, I still wait for each new episode, and of course wait now for the French version of this one !
This cap is commonly refered to as a "båtlue", boat cap, also in Norwegian because of its shape. As the video mentions, His Majesty The Kings' Guards (HMKG) has a version specifically called "gardelue", or guards cap. The "paradehatt", or parade hat, is used on parade (resembling a plumed bowler hat, probably inspired by the Bersaglieri). No other army unit uses the båtlue, nor does the navy (I think, some apprentice positions did use, perhaps they still do). The Royal Norwegian Air Force do use a båtlue, probably inspired by the RAF to which RNoAF has historical connections.
I hope I didn't mangle the pronunciation of "gardelue" too much...
My children called my flight (side) cap the “lemon hat” because when opened and looked at from below, the outline looked like a lemon.😊
@@hathistorianjc It was within acceptable parameters. ;-)
Båtmössa på svenska
I didn't know that I needed to know this.
Thank you.
In Indonesia, university students wear a Garison cap (side cap) as part of the university jacket uniform worn during ceremonies. The term for the hat in Indonesia is called "Bivak Muts or simply called Muts".
The history of the garrison cap in Spanish service (Called gorrillo or gorrillo isabelino) predates its use by the Legion. It was used by both sides during the civil war as it was part of the pre-war army uniform, and in hundreds of versions it was used by militiamen and soldiers on both sides. Later in the war the republican army adopted a more pilotka looking garrison cap, distancing themselves from the typical Spanish gorrillo. It was worn with or without tassle, with coloured piping, with the piping torn out, handmade, pre-war models, imported...
As a hat lover I suggest you look into this conflict!
I always wore my "bus driver" hat whenever I could when I was enlisted, because the "side cap" doesn't have a bill or brim. I think USAF stopped issuing "bus driver" hats shortly after I enlisted in 1992, so I think I was one of the last folks to have one issued.
I don't remember calling it a "side cap" when I was in the USAF for 4 years. I seem to vaguely recall it might have been called a "flight cap," but I'm not sure about that.
"Side cap" is European. USAF called it "flight cap."
Unless you used the slang "C*nt cap."
Point of order, Mr Chair. The Torin did not derive from the Glengarry bonnet, which has no side flaps, but can be traced back to a model of fatigue cap with side flaps adopted by the Austrian army during circa 1812, known as Laagermutze. (British infantry had briefly adopted a less substantial version of the form in the early 1800s) This was worn until the adoption of the peaked Feldkappe in the 1860s. It may have influenced the Serbian version along the way. The form can be traced in British usage via the Field Service cap adopted by the Foot Guards in 1852. Also referred to as the 'Albert bonnet,' its practical ear flaps was seen as inelegant and unmilitary and famously mocked in a Punch cartoon- though it was still used for fatigues as late as the 1870s. Guards officers in the Crimea preferred to copy the French style of the period but circa 1880 we see the simpler Austrian pattern of the 'Torin' being adopted first by staff officers and subsequently by some regimental officers. It was favoured by officers in a few British regiments right through to the present day. The Duke of Lancaster's, are one example. Salud.
It should be noted that innumerable photos of British soldiers and airmen from the time of the second world war show the side cap cocked over to the right of the head - sometimes with the cap practically supported by the right ear.
The Dutch Horse Artillery (Gele Rijders) also wears a version with a yellow tassel.
This led to some hilarity amongst my fellow conscripts when a captain pulled one out during an excercise when he was liason to our brigade staff as the rest of the army wears berets and they thought it looked rather silly.
Had to warn them the horse artillery views itself as the elite of the artillery units and this captain for sure would not appreciate any jokes made about it .... still looks rather silly though :)
makes me want to get one of these so i can wear something when out cycling
I hated this cap from the point I first joined the US Army in 1987 up until now. The one I was issued was stiff and impractical. I found the beret to be much more comfortable and practical. It also looks better than what the army designed side cap.
Babe a new hat historian video just dropped
Yes
Excellent presentation. But no mention of the iconic German feild caps M41/M42/M43 ?
These videos are terrific !
I thought the Austrian field cap was called the “Feldkappe”
I believe “Bergsmutze” was the German name given for the Mountaineer troops in the German empire. Austrians spoke a different kind of German so I believe they would call the same hats differently from Germans.
Grenadier mitres evolved from the same cap. As grenadiers had to sling rifles over their shoulders and throw their grenades the wide brimmed or tricorne hats worn by line companies impeded their ability to do both. So they wore these caps with a raised front piece with a regimental on them in combat. This may be where that fashion spread to other troops. As time passed the front stiff raised portion grew taller until the 'sock' part with the tassel was able yo be attached to the top of it before being enclosed with a back plate, Hence you see mitres in later eras still with a tassel at the point. Especially true with Germans and Russians, The French, and British favoured Bearskins for Grenadiers from at least the 1770's though you can see traces of this evolution in those too.
This cap is so badass. It's very iconic in Russian and German military. But today, people would remember it as the Coffin dancers cap after the Coffin dancers from Ghana.
Never heard it called a Side Cap. In the US ARMY we called it a C word cap, and I was delighted when my 80 year old Dad confirmed they called it that, too. Never heard my Dad say that word until then. He also said they called it the piss cutter.
Pretty good information about that cap.
An episode for the austro-hungarian feldkappe, please
Very good idea, I agree ! This cap has a fascinating history, as it was not only used in Austria, but also in Hungary, in Germany and, a fact few people know, widely used by the chinese army during WW2 (due to the german influence). And it still exists today.
Just a small correction - in serbian the boat is called "šajka", so that is maybe the origin of the name. And it does sort of look like the boat.
Thank you. Remember dad wearing one in the early days of his army career.
The WW I garrison cap (similar to the model you are wearing has a feature everyone has forgotten.
If you turn down the sides of the cap, it will cover your ears. It was worn by British and American forces during WW I because in the trenches it would cover your ears and thus had winter protection. The utility of this feature has been lost over the years.
It reminds me a lot of the classic "Robin Hood" hat. Only less pointy.
I love garrison caps.
Their history seems like it is all based on the original everyone's hat, the bycocket.
This uniform cap’s best features are only applicable when you AREN’T wearing it. You can put it in a flight suit leg pocket or tucked under your belt in Class Bs.
Really interesting
Got off the plane on the airfield and the wind blew off my saucer cap and it rolled down the runway like a frisbee! Finally caught up with it. Then had to run thru the O’Hare airport to make my plane to L.A. because my plane to Chicago was late. Got to L.A. but my duffel bag did not get loaded on the plane so waited 4 hours and it came on another flight. Next day flew to S. Korea where I spent the next 31 months always wearing the overseas cap when wearing dress uniform, but usually wore fatigues. That was 51 years ago!
You should do a video on the pakol hat
I retired Navy, and they are still used with the Black and Tans. FYI the EGA is the Marines, not Navy. The Navy has the Eagle, Constitution(ship), and Anchor.
The US Army OD version with color piping lasted until 1958 when uniforms changed. The color was for their Army Branch, not their regiment. For example, Signal Corp was orange and infantry light blue. A Signal Corp soldier assigned to an infantry unit, working in a Signal Corps position would still have orange on his garrison cap. The color added a nice touch to an OD uniform uniform. Still have my father's last complete OD uniform. He served in WW2, Korean War (POW) and 2 tours in Vietnam. Of course the caps were worthless for any protection from weather! Rain and snow did a number on you glasses. Later berets are even worse!
The US Army Garrison cap is flat. The US Air Force Flight cap is curved.
Most body-heat, is lost from the head, so any hat helps retain it, in cold, I believe?..
Halfway through your videos, enjoying immensely!
Can you make a video about night caps, please? I've always wondered what's up with them.
Also, sauna caps.
I'd also love to learn about something very, very unusual - if you look at ancient cultures, you'll notice how they use tall either conical or elongated egg-shaped hats. We still have it today in the shape of the Pope hat, bc Christians inherited many symbols from Mesopotamia.
There are several stone-carved heads made by Hittites, they all wear conical hats.
And we have many artifacts from at least 1000BC and well into 10th century, showing that conical hats were worn East of Ural mountains, e.g. there's a set of warrior's dress and it includes a super tall conical hat.
Malta culture iirc also had the very same hat - extremely tall and conical.
Thank you for your food service
Universally known as the Kunt cap. Never heard it referred to as a side cap. The official name in the USMC is garrison cap.
Also known as a piss cover which was a butchered version of piss cutter because it looked like, you guessed it, a vagina. As a boot at MCRD San Diego in '85, piss cover was the description I got.
Kunt cap in the fleet.
Please do a video about the Japanese Ryakubou. Thank you.
I remember wearing a Garrison cap with my friend, being military fans. It was later replaced with a camo boogie hat which my father brought back from Vietnam.
I really enjoy Foyer's videos on hats. To me this was always the overseas cap and the four-letter word used. I was in the US army 1973-76 and the National Guard many years after. I didn't like the cap. I much preferred the visor (service/saucer cap) hat as it looks sharp and military, but the damned officers wouldn't let you wear it...THEY wanted to wear it and remind you were enlisted. The airborne units wore it, and the overseas caps were too stiff at the top and would fall off if you bent over. The Marines and Air Force didn't stiffen theirs, and were more comfortable. Also, this hat was very popular with German armored units and worn in place of the tankers helmet, and also with U-boat crews...far more practical in a cramped sub. Also, the WACs (women's army corps) wore a version that curved more down the back of the head and was called the banana hat. I was glad I was out of the military when they started wearing the stupid berets. It was always smart looking to take your overseas hat and stuff it in your shoulder epaulet if you took it off at least in WWII. The stiff overseas cap of my era couldn't fold. In Boy Scouts (1960s) we were the overseas caps. I think they looked better than the baseball caps, and too many kids had small heads that made baseball caps look huge. Again, great fun to watch.
OMG - It's Fun with Hats
I know, right 😅
Did you have those old “fun with blank” books? Reddish orange with blue lettering?
When I was in the Boy Scouts, we wore the garrison cap with our uniforms when not wearing the campaign style hats.
Great work once again! BTW, Krispy Kreme Donuts has a paper giveaway version of this hat. 🙂
Like the Fedora its basically good looking and timeless.
love the video!! and love the series, it all so fascinating!! although hearing you pronouce the serbian šajkača really hurt, so heres the english approximate, shaay-kah-chah! thank you for your amazing content!!
Thank you and sorry for butchering the Serbian, I couldn't find a pronunciation guide so tried reading it based on the cyrillic
@@hathistorianjc no that’s very fair there aren’t a lot of good guide for Serbian pronunciation so it’s very understandable!!
It is The Uniform Hat of The American Legion
Called a 'Field Service' (FS) hat in Britain. (The normal peaked hat is called 'Service Dress' (SD) hat.
8:47 (for pilots) Folded in a pocket or under your shoulder strap. (flap ? not sure of the proper name).
9:47 Elle a les yeux revolver 😍, et un mitraillette en main... 😬 Charmante !
'Epaulette' for the shoulder strap on coats and some shirts.
@@petesheppard1709 Oh, it's simply the french name ! Thanks Pete !
@@Dr.K.Wette_BE You're welcome! It's fun when I can contribute, even a little bit. 🙂
@@petesheppard1709 I know the feeling !
I feel good when I can "spread my knowledge" as much as when I learn new things. 🙏
Your cam tell that he's reading text to the side to his right because he simply isn't looking directly at the camera.
Guilty. I just hope most won't notice :p
7.46 Richard Winters and George Luz! (Massive BoB fan).
Splendid outstanding and informative presentation.👍🫡🇺🇸
I hated these things when I was in the Marines since they were always worn fairly high on the head and never felt very secure to me. I always felt that if i don't walk very carefully or there even so much as a light breeze when wearing it would fall or get blown off. To make matters worse, when indoors and not wearing it, we had to hold it the entire time. We weren't allowed out to tuck it in our belt, under an epaulette on our Alpha blouse and we certainly were not allowed to tuck it into a pocket. It was an all round pita to wear, luckily i almost never had to wear it and when I i did it was never for very long.
I guess the idea was to get you to walk very carefully, showing jarhead discipline.
The American Legion and the VFW wears the side caps. The American Legion which had its start in Paris, France in 1919 May have been influenced by France.
In the Chinese military, only submariners were side caps. So, if you are military personal in China and you are wearing a side cap, everyone knows you belong to the elite force :)
Why are there two brass buttons on the front of British side hats?(I was a lance corporal of a JTC ( /CLB) company) (Navy blue with 3 red pin stipes, green material in the fold on top, brass badge of CLB coat of arms, ........and two brass buttons on the front.)