I Certainly Missed the Action On “That Thread !!

[thescot]

Dang I like having Todd around here. He comes up with more stuff!

[Lachlan09]

I believe the US Army wore peaked caps in the 1820's (a rather ugly pancake crown with cord decoration radiating from the centre button, decorative bands to the sides and a flat peak). It was superseded by the 1833 leather folding cap.

In 1839 or so, the US Army adopted a new peaked cap, far smarter with a vertical round peak. Infantry was pale blue with a folding neck-curtain, dragoons dark blue with a yellow band and artillery dark blue with a red band. It was worn during the US-Mexican War of 1846-48 and indeed through the 1850's until superseded by the 1858 pattern fatigue cap (aka bummers' cap)

[macwilkin]

I believe the US Army wore peaked caps in the 1820's (a rather ugly pancake crown with cord decoration radiating from the centre button, decorative bands to the sides and a flat peak). It was superseded by the 1833 leather folding cap.

In 1839 or so, the US Army adopted a new peaked cap, far smarter with a vertical round peak. Infantry was pale blue with a folding neck-curtain, dragoons dark blue with a yellow band and artillery dark blue with a red band. It was worn during the US-Mexican War of 1846-48 and indeed through the 1850's until superseded by the 1858 pattern fatigue cap (aka bummers' cap)

I really wouldn't call the 1827 and 1839 caps "peaked" per se...I suppose I'm being pedantic, but I certainly would say they were the forerunner of the modern peaked cap.

And the '39 was replaced by a shako in 1850s, followed by the M1858 "Army Hat", also known as the "Hardee", and based on the hats of the Austrian Jagers, complete with feather plume.

http://fortdouglas.org/virtualgaller...ry/c1shako.jpg

http://www.sharpsburg-arsenal.com/co.../prod_341.html

I've worn an 1833 "hog killer" for living history, btw -- probably the most worthless piece of military headgear ever designed.

T.

[creagdhubh]

Dang I like having Todd around here. He comes up with more stuff!

He's awesome isn't he?!

[berserkbishop]

In 1839 or so, the US Army adopted a new peaked cap, far smarter with a vertical round peak. Infantry was pale blue with a folding neck-curtain, dragoons dark blue with a yellow band and artillery dark blue with a red band. It was worn during the US-Mexican War of 1846-48 and indeed through the 1850's until superseded by the 1858 pattern fatigue cap (aka bummers' cap)

Wow, I know you are a endless spring of information, but geez. . . is there anything in history you arent schooled on. . .

Anyway, to the OP, thanks for bringing this back and on topic. I love military history and this has been most informative. I have tried the beret with kilt and cant pull it off!

Bishop

[Lachlan09]

Here is a selection of hats described in the above posts.

A basque beret worn during the (Spanish) Carlist (civil) War 1835-37. France’s Légion Étrangère worn a similar beret when their own Casquettes d’Afrique wore out during this war when the French government, keen to intervene on the Spanish Queen’s side but concerned about international opinion regards French troops in a European country, instead handed over its Legion (who were ostensibly foreign) to Spain. Indirect intervention, as it were:-



A late17th Century British grenadier in his adapted stocking cap – fur decoration was preferred at this time but was superseded by cloth decoration:-



A British grenadier’s mitre cap of the mid 18th Century. The front panel and rear turn-up are in the regiment’s facing colour, while the red panel on the front bears the White Horse of Hanover (Britain’s ruling dynasty) and the motto “Nec Aspera Terrent”:-



The archetypal grenadier cap. A grenadier of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard. The tall cap made tall men look even more intimidating on the battlefield. For battle, the removable decorations, such as the plume and cords, were usually removed and kept safe in the soldier’s kit. This fact is sometimes overlooked by some of today’s re-enactors who wear everything as they want to look their best:-



A German grenadiermütze of the late 19th/early 20th Century, worn with parade dress. Germans and Russians preferred metal plates rather than fur to decorate their grenadier mitre caps. The cap was worn until WW1:-





Bonnet de Police – early 19th Century, Napoleonic period. The flame is fully extended to demonstrate construction, but could be worn either hanging down or tucked into the turban (turn-up) with the tassel hanging over the notch:-



A Bonnet de Police, flame left hanging, worn by a Cuirassier in Napoleon’s army. Cuirassiers did not always wear their steel cuirasses, only for parade, certain duties and of course, battle. French cuirassiers still wore casque d’acier (Napoleonic style steel helmets) and steel cuirasses into battle in the early months of WW1, usually under brown or grayish cloth covers:-



The Casquette d’Afrique worn by French Chasseurs d’Afrique during the Crimean War. The officer (seated) wears a stylish Képi, the successor to the Casquette d’Afrique. The Casquette d’Afrique also inspired a new style of French shako in 1844, with forward sloping, tapered top which inspired a series of updates, becoming popular in Britain, US and Germany, to name a few:-

[Lachlan09]

The Casquette d’Afrique was succeeded by the much more convenient képi in 1852 (except in the Chasseurs d’Afrique) and became an iconic item of 19th Century headgear, spanning much of the globe. French models commenced with the 1852 model, which was large with a large squarish leather peak and no chinstrap. By the end of the decade, a slightly smaller, neater revised model was issued, which had a chinstrap (before this, French soldiers often added their own). By 1872, a very petite rakish version was issued, this time with a small, steeply sloping rounded peak. The rounded peak was adopted as it did not droop when wet, unlike the squared peak. In 1884, a more comfortable version with air vents and a shallower, rounded peak was issued, which was worn up to the early part of WW1. After WW1, the turban grew in size, while the flamme receded and utimately, in 1939, the modern cylindrical kepi was introduced. The Légion Étrangère wore this new cylindrical dark blue (bleu minuit)/crimson (garance) model under a permanent tight white cover (note – no neck cloth !!!) for the first time publically on the Quattorze Juillet 1939 (Bastille Day) Parade in Paris. The Parisian spectators loved it !

Here is a Légionnaire in a képi during the 1870’s. He appears to be wearing the 1872 model képi. The red/green épaulettes were adopted in 1868:-



Below is the 1884 képi of the 97e Regiment d’Infanterie:-





A modern-day Légionnaire in Tenue de Parade, wearing the all-white képi, the Képi Blanc. It is made of white cloth, the white cloth over a blue/red képi was phased out in the 1960’s.



The colour guard of the 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie (1st Foreign Legion Cavalry – an armoured unit). Officers and senior NCO wear the dark blue/red képi (with silver braid for officers), while the junior nco wears the Képi Blanc:-



Lastly, from the Bonnet de Police of the 18th/19th Century, derived these examples of internationally adopted later models:-

French 1915 Bonnet de Police, in bleu horizon cloth, which replaced the kepi in front-line areas:-



US Garrison Cap, worn by a Paratroop captain of the 101st Airborne:-



A legionary of a tercio of the modern Spanish Foreign Legion (yes folks, they still exist !):-



A captain of the Queen’s Royal Hussars, in this British regiment’s unique tent hat, worn only by officers (Thunderbirds Are Go !!):-

[Lachlan09]

[/QUOTE]

I really wouldn't call the 1827 and 1839 caps "peaked" per se...I suppose I'm being pedantic, but I certainly would say they were the forerunner of the modern peaked cap.

And the '39 was replaced by a shako in 1850s, followed by the M1858 "Army Hat", also known as the "Hardee", and based on the hats of the Austrian Jagers, complete with feather plume.

http://fortdouglas.org/virtualgaller...ry/c1shako.jpg

http://www.sharpsburg-arsenal.com/co.../prod_341.html

I've worn an 1833 "hog killer" for living history, btw -- probably the most worthless piece of military headgear ever designed.

T.[/QUOTE]

The 1820's model was an undress cap (I have seen examples all with horizontal leather peak), the bell\topped shako being worn for more formal duties. The US/Mexican War version with steeply sloping peak (many illustrations and photos exist as well as examples in museums) was again undress, formal headgear being the shako of the 1833 uniform (which lasted until 1851 when a French-inspired shako was introduced).

The 1858 fatigue cap (not a proper kepi as in chasseur cap), was again for lesser duties. As you say, the 1858 pattern felt hat with turn-up brim and metal badge, arm of service badge and number, hat cords and ostrich feather was the formal headgear - except for mounted artillery who wore a shako. It was not only called a Hardee Hat, but also a Kossuth Hat.

[macwilkin]

The 1820's model was an undress cap (I have seen examples all with horizontal leather peak), the bell\topped shako being worn for more formal duties. The US/Mexican War version with steeply sloping peak (many illustrations and photos exist as well as examples in museums) was again undress, formal headgear being the shako of the 1833 uniform (which lasted until 1851 when a French-inspired shako was introduced).

The 1858 fatigue cap (not a proper kepi as in chasseur cap), was again for lesser duties. As you say, the 1858 pattern felt hat with turn-up brim and metal badge, arm of service badge and number, hat cords and ostrich feather was the formal headgear - except for mounted artillery who wore a shako. It was not only called a Hardee Hat, but also a Kossuth Hat.

Ah...now I see where you're coming from regarding the peak being the visor.

The US Army did switch to a more proper kepi a la the chasseur cap after the Civil War, which remained until 1893.

The Hardee hat was also referred to as the "Jeff Davis" hat, in reference to the US Secretary of War, Jefferson C. Davis, who took another office in 1861.

T.

[Lachlan09]

Yes - peak = visor Peak's a British word I think.

He certainly did ! In 4 years he got as far as Danville !

BTW just to back to the OP's question, here's a few berets through the years !

French Chasseur Alpins late 1880’s:-



British Para pathfinders, before D-Day 1944



Cap GS 1943 – ugliest hat in the British Army !



British Commandos – Falklands 1982:-



US Special Forces