A.E. F. ‘Trench’ & Overseas Caps

[BEAST]

 

A close-up of the cloth button

 

 

And the interior

[Alex Boban]

Hi,

 

I just picked up the following cap. Any idea on it?

It is made of light tan felt with light brown trim and piping. It has a ribbon and knot on the back side, and a US Army / Pre-WWI era rimless button was affixed to the front.

 

It looks like a WWI or earlier era Scottish or Canadian glengarry cap.

 

 

Thank you

 

[world war I nerd]

Beast,

Very cool State Guard coat & cap. I've never seen a cap like yours before. The State Guard uniforms were often most singular, as the War Department allowed those organizations to use regulation Army uniforms but not Army insignia. Therefore, most devised their own unique systems of rank chevrons and they designed their own collas insignia. Thanks for adding them to this thread.

 

Alex,

Your cap is also unique. It's shape is reminiscent of the early French 1915 pattern caps, which were copied by early arrivals of the AEF. As far as I know, only Scottish & British Glengarries featured a ribbon on the back. The cap's early button, while not unheard of, is certainly interesting. My guess, and it really is just that, is that your cap was either commercially or tailor made and sold before the first pattern U.S. overseas caps became available in early 1918, or it might be a woman's cap intended for wear with one of the many female uniforms made during the war.

[world war I nerd]

Time for a long overdue update showing more insignia as worn worn on WW I Overseas caps ...

 

A 29th Division Overseas Cap worn by Sergeant Carl Horseman of the 115th Infantry Regiment.

Photo courtesy of Advance Guard Militaria.com

[world war I nerd]

A 32nd Division Overseas Cap

Photo courtesy of Bay State Militaria.com

[world war I nerd]

An unusually shaped French pattern artillery major's Overseas Cap.

Photo courtesy of Bay State Militaria.com

[world war I nerd]

A rare black & white piped Army Field Clerk's Overseas Cap bearing an officers U.S. collar device on one side & an officer's Field Clerk insignia on the other.

Photos courtesy of Colonel's Cache Militaria

[world war I nerd]

An unusual commercially made "winter" Overseas Cap with ear-flaps that folded up into the cap's crown.

 

[world war I nerd]

Interior & front views of the above commercially made "winter" Overseas Cap.

[world war I nerd]

Goggles & Overseas Caps as worn by AEF truck drivers (left) & a motorcyclist (right).

Photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

A pair of Advance Sector Service of Supply soldiers - one with a miniature Advance Sector SOS insignia on the cap's curtain and the other with a Cross of Lorraine emblem affixed to it. At the far right is a 1st Division Musician with an officers Musician collar device pinned onto the Overseas Cap.

 

Photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection.

[world war I nerd]

More Overseas Caps bearing French numerals ... from left to right: 85th Division - 639th Aero Squadron & 345th Infantry Regiment, 90th Division.

 

Photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Left, a U.S. National Army collar disc placed front & center.

 

Center, French Numerals proclaiming that this soldier is a member of the 34th Engineer Regiment ... Note the officer's Engineer collar devices pinned onto each side of the Overseas Cap.

 

Right, the numerals '5' & '6' suggestion a possible affiliation with the 56th Engineer Regiment.

 

Left & center photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection ... Right hand photo courtesy of Great War Images.com

[world war I nerd]

At left is a duo of Doughboys from the 78th Division's 307th Artillery Regiment. The cap worn by the artilleryman on the far left is adorned with french numerals, as well as an officers artillery & U.S. collar device. His pal's cap also appears to be decorated with an officer's artillery device and possibly French numerals on its right hand side. The cap's left hand side is festooned with two unidentified enamel pins. The right hand Doughboy's Overseas Cap displays the numerals '67' which represent Base Hospital No. 67. Next to the French numerals is a device or pin that I can't quite recognize.

 

Left & center photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection ... right hand photo courtesy of Great War Images.com

[world war I nerd]

And finally, three AEF soldiers wearing French pattern Overseas Caps from the 28th Engineer Regiment.

 

Photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

I knew i was forgetting something ... Three Overseas Caps bearing misc. branch of service insignia. Left, a trimmed Medical Department's PFC Chevron. Center, a member of an unknown Air Service photographic unit. Right, this Overseas cap looks to be a billboard for the 2nd Division's 12th Field Artillery Regiment - or at least that's what it looks like to me. What do you think?

 

Photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[Ronnie]

This is an outstanding look at the history of the WWI Ovseas Cap. You did yourself proud!

Thanks.

Ronnie

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thank you so much for this great information!

[cthomas]

Brian,

You amaze me. What more can be said other than, "thank you for putting this together."

 

Jag

My sentiments exactly...

 

Brian,

I have a nice aero squadron OS cap I can add to your wonderful thread once I'm back at the computer.

- Chuck

[everforward]

Time for a long overdue update showing more insignia as worn worn on WW I Overseas caps ...

 

A 29th Division Overseas Cap worn by Sergeant Carl Horseman of the 115th Infantry Regiment.

Photo courtesy of Advance Guard Militaria.com

Wow, what a beauty...!

[cthomas]

Here is that example I promised...

 

The 500th Aero Squadron (construction) arrived overseas at the tail end of the war, on November 9th to be exact. They were demobilized barely a few months later in March 1919.

 

For such a short lived unit, the 500th AS actually had some concept art of their squadron insignia submitted to Gorrell's before their disbandment, but I do not have access to my hard drive at the moment to upload that image.

[cthomas]

Here's another neat aviation example, this time of a 1st Aero Squadron enlisted guy wearing some bling on his OS cap.

 

[world war I nerd]

Chuck ... Thanks, some great additions.

 

Any idea what aviation outfit the guy in the middle of post no. 341 might have been with?

[cthomas]

Chuck ... Thanks, some great additions.

 

Any idea what aviation outfit the guy in the middle of post no. 341 might have been with?

We can rule out the 5th aero squadron since they did not make it overseas.

A district possibility could be this guy was in the '5th Co.' of an aviation mechanic regiment ( I believe only Rgts 1-4 were ever created...no 5th rgt). Note how he identifies himself as belonging to an aviation unit by wearing that winged prop insignia.

I've been studying AEF photo sections for a while now and those guys consistently wore the signal corps insignia on their caps-n-collars...both officers and enlisted men alike. So I'm sticking with post #341 being an aviation mechanic.

Before I forget, I believe the balloon sections also consistently wore signal corps collar/cap insignia...

[world war I nerd]

Chuck, thanks as always for sharing your WW I Air Service expertise with the rest of us no nothings. Of all the U.S. Army, branches of service mobilized during WW I, the Air Service is probably the one in which I am least knowledgeable. It's nice to have someone around who knows a thing or two about that particular branch of the Army ... Thanks again.