WW2 USAAF "Crusher Cap"?

[EvergreenState]

Hello there everyone,

 

I am from Canada and mainly collect British and Commonwealth ww2 uniforms etc. but I've recently been interested in getting some American stuff to add to the collection, I got a nice GI helmet locally from ww2-60s era a while back, and a few badges, but I really would like to find a nice USAAF pilot's "crusher cap". I like the Officer caps in general, but I personally think that a USAAF one for the collection would be great, but as I understand it, it's quite hard to differentiate between air force and army, as they wore the same pattern of cap, except sometimes the air force guys would wear crusher caps, remove stiffeners etc. I also understand that ones made by certain brands like Bancroft are specifically made for USAAF personnel?

 

I found this cap on eBay (I know eBay's reputation among other collector groups, I'm not sure about US militaria collecting, but I'm quite careful when searching on eBay due to fakes) and I was wondering what you guys, who have lots of experience, thought of this cap? It's a bit worn, but I don't want a perfect pristine cap, I'm looking for a "been there done that" one. It has a backstrap, while not an indicator of being a USAAF one, I heard backstraps are found on some flight caps. I quite like the look of the cap, although I'm not sure if it's just an army one, or if it's USAAF.

 

I'd be grateful for any assistance, and again, my apologies as this is not my area of expertise.

 

Best regards,

 

-Jamie

 

Images here:

 

 

 

 

[Wake1941]

Not a crush visor, Also I wouldnt consider USAAF since many army officers wore the exact same caps.

[MattS]

Search "crusher cap" on here, lots of discussions. Basically, a cap made to be a crusher has a thin single layer leather visor (Bancroft Flighter being one of the most famous) and a body that was flexible so they could be stuffed into a pocket. Service caps have a thick non-bending visor and a stiffer body. That being said, any cap worn at any time by an officer who flew either as a pilot, navigator, bombardier, or whatever that has been shaped (crushed) and/or had it's ring in the crown removed is called a "crusher", which leads to endless debates online.

[MattS]

Welcome to the forum!

Just a warning, trying to bend a non-crusher cap to prove it's really a crusher leads to broken visors. (see: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/303005-please-dont-try-to-bend-an-army-officers-cap-visor-to-prove-its-a-crusher/?hl=crusher). Welcome to the forum!

[EvergreenState]

Hello,

 

Thanks for the replies. Again, my apologies as I'm not experienced in this field. I see that Officer's cap above is not a "crusher".

 

I found one, also on eBay, by Bancroft Flighter. The thin leather visor looks crush-able, more so then the one above, although I can't see it in person. $225 USD on eBay. I guess that's a price you gotta give for a quality one, eh? If it's real that is...

 

[EvergreenState]

Also the material looks different on this Bancroft one, not like the fur material on the top one.

[Wake1941]

I believe the material of the second cap is referred to as gabardine. $225 is about going price maybe a little lower. Thats a nice solid example of a true crusher

[EdwardJReed]

I believe the material of the second cap is referred to as gabardine. $225 is about going price maybe a little lower. Thats a nice solid example of a true crusher

yes Gabardine wool is a diagonally tightly woven ribbed twill weave wool and is tougher than the felted wool in the first cap. The felted wool caps remined me of the felted wool army blankets.

[MattS]

Yes, it's a real Bancroft Flighter. The "Visor Pat. Pend" is wartime as the patent was granted in 1945. You can search on here for many threads on Flighters.

[EvergreenState]

Thank you all very much for your help with my search for a nice USAAF crusher. This forum is a great place and I'm happy to have joined as I will likely add some cool US caps to my collection now, as some US designs are really nice such as the USAAF crushers.

 

Thanks again!

 

-Jamie

[Nack]

The classic “crusher” is the Bancroft Flighter. The one in the pic is a little rough, imho. I’d wait for a better one.

 

Now, that being said, if you want an actual aviator’s cap, I’d look for one that is named to one. It may take a little time, but if you are goIn to have just one, get one with history.

[MattS]

A true identified crusher would be excellent but is probably one of the most expensive US caps. The good news is prices are much more reasonable for everything else, and post-WW2 caps are downright cheap.

[doyler]

One I sold out of my collection recently.Hhad his matching fur felt cap as well

 

 

 

[Gregory]

The Crusher mania or "Crusher Nazism" similar to "Khaki Nazism" of the US WWII collectors.

 

Must todayꞌs collector or reenactor have a Crusher to be happy? There are thousends of the USAAFers photographs available. How many of them have "Crushers” on their heads? Five percent? Seven? No more than 10. Vast majority of them has standard land forces visor caps.

 

[MattS]

The Crusher mania or "Crusher Nazism" similar to "Khaki Nazism" of the US WWII collectors.

 

Must todayꞌs collector or reenactor have a Crusher to be happy? There are thousends of the USAAFers photographs available. How many of them have "Crushers” on their heads? Five percent? Seven? No more than 10. Vast majority of them has standard land forces visor caps.

 

 

Which is why I said it is probably one of the most expensive US caps to obtain, demand drives prices up. But you're right, it's not like every single USAAF officer had a crusher and no one else in the army did. Lots of non-flyers had them while lots of fliers (including navigators and bombardiers) wore standard caps. The amount of online arguing over these caps has reached ridiculous proportions in the last few years.

 

Long story short, if you find one you like and want opinions on it, please post it! I always enjoy looking at officer caps!

[Gregory]

Hi Matt,

 

For me, as an observer from the side, but also great fan of the USAAC/USAAF history and their militaria this situation is very interesting.

 

The crusher mythology is unusual. Who created it and for what? Who, because neither the US Army nor the AAF? Also neither WWII Service Caps manufacturers nor their subcontractors. Todayꞌs crusher lobby has nothing to do with history and logic.

 

Thatꞌs the same case study as (never existing) "M1943 Field Suspenders" or "M1942 Canteen made of CRS". All these terms live very well in the net, auctions, militaria shops etc. All of them are abstract -- as the crusher is -- but used by collectors as well as militaria sellers. Today anything of the US WWII Service Caps is a "crusher" to call for it $300, 400 and 500 or 3,000 if personalized.

 

Does WWII era "The Officerꞌs Guide" tell anything about the "crusher" as a Service Cap for the AAF? Nothing. The AAFers had to wear standard US Army Service Cap without one or two things depending on the owner (either without wire stiffener or riser, or both). And those caps were manufactured of what was on hand in the years of wartime textile crisis, not necessarily of elastique gabardine as it is promoted today not known by whom and why.

 

WWII era "The Officerꞌs Guide" tells about AAF Service Cap as follows:

 

"Cap, service. The prescribed material for wear with the winter uniform is wool, elastique, olive-drab (dark shade), 18-26 ounce. With the summer uniform, it may be of cotton khaki, 8.2 ounce; rayon, plain weave, khaki, 7-8 ounce; cotton warp, mohair filling, khaki; or worsted, tropical, khaki. It is authorized for wear by all officers and warrant officers when not in formation with troops. (Par. 2, AR 600-35, and Par. 29c, AR 600-40.)

Officers of the Army Air Forces wear a similar cap except front spring stiffening may be omitted and the grommet may be removed."

 

Full stop. Nothing more.

 

Is there any information that the AAF Service Cap must have its construction to crush it?; any information that the AAF Service Cap must have a single ply soft leather visor? Any term "crusher"? Any coercion that the AAF Service Cap must be made of gabardine (elastique) only because if not then it is not a "crusher" for the AAF as it is created today not known by whom and why?

 

It is very strange to read various "crusher definitions" and theories related to those caps visors. Does very thin and soft visor possible to roll and fold it mean anything? Nothing. For example, pre-WWII and early WWII Service Caps manufactured by The Hub Schneiderꞌs were so delicate and soft with so pliable wicker frame as well as with so thin and soft visor that it is very easy to crush such a cap. So, is it a crusher from logical point of view? Yes, it is, completely. It may be crushed without any problems. Is it a "crusher" for civilian, postwar, not related to caps manufacturers, abstract creators of "crusher definition"? No, it is not.

 

Is it normal situation?

 

Regards

 

Greg

[KurtA]

 

How many of them have "Crushers” on their heads? Five percent? Seven? No more than 10.

 

 

Much higher. The actual percentage is 42.8%

[MattS]

The crusher mystique, as I understand it, was born from the images of the daring American airmen who were the first to strike back at Germany in the air war over Europe. There was a considerable amount of advertising and commercialism from cap makers to provide specialized caps (crushers) to these heroes of the air as allowed by the regulation loophole you quoted above. Long story short, if you were a 21 year old pilot who was allowed to wear a cool cap to go with your silver wings, why not? It's probably a strictly American fad to flaunt a floppy crusher cap to show rookies, women, and the world that you're a seasoned combat veteran.

 

Here is a September, 1944 ad from Bancroft. Note the largest center photo (labeled A) is of a pilot wearing the Flighter, a Bancroft exclusive.

 

[MattS]

Your observations are definitely made from an outside point-of-view. For example, "And those caps were manufactured of what was on hand in the years of wartime textile crisis, not necessarily of elastique gabardine as it is promoted today not known by whom and why." The US did not have a textile crisis during the war, had enormous manufacturing capacity, and elastique wool was absolutely the requirement for officer's caps as per regulations. In fact you quoted it, caps were to be made of "wool, elastique, olive-drab (dark shade), 18-26 ounce".

 

Of course regulations are not going to mention a cap that is non-regulation. That's what made them so desirable then and still today, that American habit of thumbing your nose at regulations. But until the sweeping uniform regulation changes of 1947, the army didn't say they weren't authorized either. Hard concept for a foreigner to understand I suppose. We had a saying in the US Army, "The reason the American Army is so good at war is because was is chaos and we practice that every day."

[Wake1941]

I believe the interest for air Corp guys was the ability to put a cap in their luggage and flight suits without messing them up. A crush Cap is exactly as it sounds a cap that could be crushed and still retain its original form

[pararaftanr2]

Gregory,

It would appear it was born of necessity, not regulation. The removal of the grommet and spring stiffening allow for the wearing of a headset over the cap, nothing more. As the trend developed, it became a sort of "badge of honor" for pilots in the AAF, on par with jump boots for paratroopers, or an unbuttoned top tunic button for RAF fighter pilots, for example. No doubt the manufacturers of headwear picked up on this pretty quickly and made a version of the officer's cap that conformed to this modification. My late father trained as a bomber pilot. After winning his wings in 1944, among the officer's uniform items he purchased when commissioned was a Bancroft "Flighter" cap, which I still have. He went on to fly for the Air Transport Command in England, but retained the cap throughout his time in the service, as seen below after his return to the States in late 1945.

Regards, Paul

[EvergreenState]

Thank you everyone for your responses, I've learned so much in such a short amount of time on these caps. I really like this forum and I have way more interest in American ww2 militaria now then I did before. I think I'm going to look for a Bancroft made one in better condition but same overall look as the 2nd cap. The 2nd pictured cap, in my opinion, is too much money for the condition it is in (it has a small chunk I just noticed to the left side of the visor). I'm not looking for a perfect condition one, as long as it still looks nice. I like the historical ones, "been there done that". Does anyone by chance know any American militaria websites that might have (or have in the future) any Bancroft crushers? If not, though, I'll still keep an eye out on eBay for these caps as they genuinely interest me, and I hope to add a nice Bancroft brand one to my collection (unless of course another cap that happens to be another brand turns up too).

 

I really appreciate everyone's help thus far with these caps and I feel very welcomed to this forum!

 

Best regards,

 

-Jamie

[MattS]

You can check out several militaria sites (Google Griffin Militaria, Jessen's Relics, Stewarts Military Antiques) or look at the "for sale" section on this forum. They come up for sale pretty regularly.

 

Here's a thread on an identified Flighter I picked up a few years ago: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/244871-15th-air-force-b-17-navigator-grouping-part-2/?hl=glenn&do=findComment&comment=1955382

[MattS]

Gregory,

It would appear it was born of necessity, not regulation. The removal of the grommet and spring stiffening allow for the wearing of a headset over the cap, nothing more. As the trend developed, it became a sort of "badge of honor" for pilots in the AAF, on par with jump boots for paratroopers, or an unbuttoned top tunic button for RAF fighter pilots, for example. No doubt the manufacturers of headwear picked up on this pretty quickly and made a version of the officer's cap that conformed to this modification. My late father trained as a bomber pilot. After winning his wings in 1944, among the officer's uniform items he purchased when commissioned was a Bancroft "Flighter" cap, which I still have. He went on to fly for the Air Transport Command in England, but retained the cap throughout his time in the service, as seen below after his return to the States in late 1945.

Regards, Paul

 

Great photo, Paul! I think you hit the nail on the head, if there was money to be made in wartime by selling specialized caps to American officers, several companies would be happy to step up and fill that demand. Hence the birth of the crusher that we continue to discuss 70+ years later.

[EvergreenState]

You can check out several militaria sites (Google Griffin Militaria, Jessen's Relics, Stewarts Military Antiques) or look at the "for sale" section on this forum. They come up for sale pretty regularly.

 

Here's a thread on an identified Flighter I picked up a few years ago: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/244871-15th-air-force-b-17-navigator-grouping-part-2/?hl=glenn&do=findComment&comment=1955382

Thank you Matt, I will check out those sites and links you've provided, thank you very much.