Garrison cap

[Skyligter]

Just got this garrison cap with the mail. I've seen these patches before, but usually on a garrison cap with infantry or artillery piping.

This piping is red with yellow, which branch of service is this (sorry the GI collectors guide is at home!)? And is it possible for that branch to wear an early glider patch? Although there aren't any "red lights" for me about the patch, what do you guys think?

[Allan H.]

Airborne o/seas caps are a real minefield in and of themselves because any idiot with a cap, a patch and some thread can make them. Anyone who has been to a large militaria show in the last five years knows that a plain, infantry piped o/seas cap has become a very scarce item because so many guys have gotten into the "make an airborne cap" game.

 

All of that being said, the colors on your cap appear to be Ordnance, but depending on the shade of red, the piping could be transportation. Most guys aren't going to bother to fake a cap with this type of piping because eBay has shown them that they don't command near as high a price as an infantry or artillery piped cap.

 

Still, it is almost impossible to evaluate a good cap by photograph as most fakes are made with vintage parts. Your glider patch appears to be an original, and there is no doubt the cap itself is a vintage piece. How long they have been together is the question.

 

As for your cap patch being early, I don't believe that you can make that assertion as there really isn't any proof that the patch is early as opposed to late WWII manufacture. When you are talking "early" glider cap patches, you should be looking for an example like the one pictured in my avatar.

Allan

[cpatrick]

I agree with Allan on this - airborne caps are commonly "enhanced". I actually own one, and that came directly from the veteran. As for your patch - I don't see anything that indicates this as being "early". However, it does look like an unusual theater made patch. Either theater made, or fake. We really need to see that patch in more detail. Does the thread go all the way through to the other side of the cap??

 

Thanks -

 

Chris

[Skyligter]

My mistake for saying it's an early glider patch! I read it somewhere on the internet, so it's clear that's fault information!

 

I believe the thread goes all way down to the other side of the cap, but I'm not able to make pictures of that because the cap is at home and I'm not. Will see if I have some more pictures of the patch on my computer.

 

Thanks for your answers!

[Allan H.]

I don't see anything that indicates this as being "early". However, it does look like an unusual theater made patch. Either theater made, or fake.

 

I disagree. There is no doubt in my mind that the cap patch is of US manufacture and I don't see anything unusual about it. It looks like a standard glider cap patch worn during World War II. I believe I can state with great certainty that the patch is NOT a fake.

 

People usually refer to these being Artillery piped due to the red border, and you will on rare occassions, find other color borders, but after seeing some of these pieces coming directly from veterans, I would say that USUALLY, only the collectors cared what color borders the patches had!

 

Allan

[cpatrick]

Hi Allan,

 

Since my experience in the US field amounts to just a few years, I will take from your response and learn from it. I will post the example that I own, and you can see how it differs. Hopefully the addition of other caps to compare to this one can show the various varieties that are out there - check back later..

 

Thanks Allan

 

Chris