Jump to content

I think I found a 'real' WW2 AAF CRUSHER! Am I right?


Keith
 Share

Recommended Posts

I picked this up from the Airman's Widow. She said he was a Navigator and enlisted in 1943 right out of high school. I also got his overseas cap with a Warrant Officer pin on it. She said he was in until near the end of 1945. It has all the features of a crusher having the very pliable bill. But, the color confuses me; it is a green color.

 

I do have another Aviators hat, enlisted that I know was in WW2 and that hat is close to the same color.

 

I understand that private purchase hats had a wide range of colors.

 

What do the viewers think about this one?

 

Thanks.

 

post-2830-0-43026000-1403403614.jpg

post-2830-0-59424700-1403403637.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a very nice "crushed" cap, and even better to have and ID and history to go with it! The color is fine and did indeed vary. Very nice cap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a great cap, the leather looks like it's in incredible shape. The color is well within the normal range of variation. Thanks for posting, I wouldn't mind seeing the overseas cap, too!

 

Justin B.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Dobbs crusher like that but with the very thin leather bill. Yours is nice but is in crushed shape not made as a crusher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice score Kieth and agree with Terry.

Yours has a nice two piece leather visor and is made into a chrusher by the removal of the bands in the top of the cover.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Dobbs crusher like that but with the very thin leather bill. Yours is nice but is in crushed shape not made as a crusher.

Darn, not a real "crusher". So I guess I still do not have one. Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a great cap, the leather looks like it's in incredible shape. The color is well within the normal range of variation. Thanks for posting, I wouldn't mind seeing the overseas cap, too!

 

Justin B.

Justin, here is a photo of the overseas cap with the Warrant Officer pin.

post-2830-0-90718100-1403445360.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When Terry and Doyler said it was not a true crusher since the bill was double ply I took a look at my enlisted hat. Maybe I do have a 'real' crusher after all because it has a single ply visor. Also, the color is very close to the other hat having the greenish tint. What do you all think about this one. Thanks, keith

post-2830-0-93250600-1403445969.jpg

post-2830-0-19964400-1403445995.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AAF_Collection

Not wishing to open the old can of worms, but they are both "crushers" if you are using WWII terms, the term "true crusher" is something collectors/dealers have come up with to describe variations. One could even argue a "true crusher" is not something manufactured as such, but is a hat which ended up like that through having it's stiffener removed and being used with a headset, ie the "50 mission crush".

 

I have a similar cap by Dobbs, some would argue it's "not a true crusher" because it has the double ply visor, the B-24 Navigator who wore it in the ETO might disagree....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Justin, here is a photo of the overseas cap with the Warrant Officer pin.

Thanks! Once again we see that flight officers wearing the "wrong" cap badges and garrison cap piping was more the rule than the exception.

 

Justin B.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with M.Rimmer's points, we are assigning labels retroactively to items that did not have such labels 70 years ago. I doubt that in WW2 any pilot ever told any other pilot his cap wasn't a crusher because it wasn't a Bancroft Flighter like his. To modern day collectors, a service cap without the inner stiffening, upper crown ring, and a single-ply thin visor is a 'true crusher' and was manufactured as such while others are merely 'crushed caps'. It is a can of worms that has been discussed far too many times on here!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This example from my collection is marked "The Tailor Shop, Kelly Field"...a WW2 AAF airfield in Texas. I defy anyone to tell me it's not a real "crusher". ;)

 

 

 

 

post-8022-0-44971200-1403530130.jpg

post-8022-0-15515700-1403530132.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks! Once again we see that flight officers wearing the "wrong" cap badges and garrison cap piping was more the rule than the exception.

 

Justin B.

Justin, can you expand on your comments? I do not know what you mean. What would be the 'correct' badges and piping? Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think he's referring to the fact that W/O's cap braid is supposed to be black/silver. Also, they had their own BOS hat emblem, but were commonly seen wearing a regular officers' type.

 

 

m6imyK-8HospkXeaNS4nzrQ.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of the things that always disturbed me was the dismissal of any hat with a double leather visor as "not a crusher". Here's one of the hats I used to own. Technically, not a "crusher" because it had a double leather visor, but given that the hat had no form of it's own and would literally "flop" in your hand (to include the visor)...I don't know what else to call it.

TanCrusher1.jpg

TanCrusher2.jpg

TanCrusher3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...