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Campaign hat cord colors reference


Garth Thompson
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Garth Thompson

Here is a little reference on the colors of hat cords used on the campaign style hats of WW1 through the 30's. It is from a small patriotic booklet published in the 20's.

Garth

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I have a large collection of Army service hat cords that I will photograph someday. In the meantime this is the research a former pack mule artilleryman shared with me.

 

-x- (irrelevant materiel ommited)

 

Circular 10, Headquarters of the Army Adjutant General’s Office, Wash. DC. Aug. 11, 1890

Uniform of enlisted Indian Scouts

Hat Cords - Of white worsted cord, one strand of scarlet, terminating in two tassels 1 ¼ inches in length, same color and material as the cord.

 

General Orders No. 3, Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant General’s Office Jan. 9, 1899.

Fatigue Hat.

11--All officers -x-. For general officers a cord to be of gold, and for all other officers, of gold and black silk intermixed, according to pattern in the office of the Quartermaster General.

 

Uniform regulations, 3rd Edition, May 1, 1899

37. -x-, of color for the several arms of the service as follows-

Infantry, light sky blue.

Cavalry, yellow.

Artillery, scarlet.

Engineers, scarlet piped with white.

Post quartermaster Sergeant, white piped with buff.

Ordnance, crimson piped with white.

Post Commissary Sergeant, white piped with cadet grey.

Electrician sergeant, scarlet.

Signal Corps, black piped with white.

Hospital Corps, emerald green.

 

General Order No. 128, Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant General’s Office, Wash. July 10, 1899.

Fatigue Hats

46. ALL ENLISTED MEN. - Of drab colored felt with worsted hat cords in color of arm of service, -x-.

 

General Order No. 168 Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant General’s Office, Wash., Sept. 10, 1899.

37. -x-, of color for the several arms of the service as follows-

Infantry, white.

Post Commissary Sergeant, cadet gray piped with white.

Post Quartermaster Sergeant, buff piped with white.

 

General Order 81, Uniform Regulations July 17, 1902.

100. Enlisted Scouts - Uniform and hat cords to be the same as that prescribed for enlisted men of corresponding arm of service.

62. Colors-

Cavalry, yellow.

Artillery, scarlet.

Infantry, light blue.

Engineers, scarlet piped with white.

Ordnance Sergeants and noncommissioned officers of Ord., black piped with scarlet

Post Quartermaster Sergeants, buff.

Post Commissary Sergeants, cadet gray.

Enlisted men of Hospital Corps, maroon piped with white.

Electrician Sergeants, scarlet.

Noncommissioned officers of the Army service detachment, USMA, buff.

 

GO 37, War Dept., Oct. 16, 1903, Amends GO 132 Dec. 31, 1902 from Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant General’s Office as follows-

74. Color of facings,

Infantry, white.

 

GO 169 Uniform Regulations, August 14, 1907.

80. Colors-

Cavalry, yellow.

Artillery, scarlet.

Infantry, light blue.

Engineers, scarlet piped with white.

Ordnance Sergeants and noncommissioned officers of Ord., black piped with scarlet

Post Quartermaster Sergeants, buff.

Post Commissary Sergeants, cadet gray.

Enlisted me of Hospital Corps, maroon piped with white.

Noncommissioned officers of the Army service detachment, USMA, buff.

 

GO 39. War Department, Wash., March 10, 1910.

IV 1. The color of authorized stripes, chevrons, facings, and cord edge braid of the dress uniform and the breast cord for service school will be green.

2. The color of authorized stripes, chevrons, and facings of the dress uniform for the Army service detachment, quartermaster’s Department, at the United States Military Academy will be green piped with white.

 

Specifications, Jan. 25, 1912.

23. Hat cords -

A. General Officers - To be a double cord of gold bullion ¼ inch in diameter, with an acorn of same material 1 ¾ inches long at each end. Keeper of same material, ¾ inch in diameter, with an inside diameter of ½ inch to hold both ends and one loop of cord.

B. Other officers - Same as “General Officers” (Para 23 a) except that the cord will be of gold bullion and black silk intermixed.

122. Color.

a. Army Service Detachment, USMA, Green piped with white.

b. Cavalry, yellow.

c. Engineers, scarlet piped with white.

d. Field and Coast Artillery, scarlet.

e. Hospital Corps, maroon piped with white.

f. Infantry, white.

g. Ordnance, black piped with scarlet.

h. Ordnance Sergeant, black piped with scarlet

i. Post Commissary Sergeant, gray.

j. Post Quartermaster Sergeant, buff.

k. Service School Detachment, green.

l. Signal Corps, orange piped with white.

 

Specifications, Feb. 15, 1913.

120 Colors-

a. Army Service Detachment, USMA, Green piped with white.

b. Cavalry, yellow.

c. Engineers, scarlet piped with white.

d. Field and Coast Artillery, scarlet.

e. Hospital Corps, maroon piped with white.

f. Infantry, white.

g. Ordnance, black piped with scarlet.

h. Ordnance Sergeant, black piped with scarlet

i. Post Commissary Sergeant, gray.

j. Quartermaster Sergeant, buff.

k. Quartermaster Corps, buff.

l. Signal Corps, orange piped with white.

 

Change 21, Uniform Regulations, 1914. War Department July 25, 1917.

4 1/2 Army Field Clerks and Field Clerks Quartermaster Corps.

Service hat with hat cord of black and white strands, -x-.

 

Special Regulation 41, War Department, August 15, 1917.

58. Uniform, Citizen’s Training Camps - The uniform of members of the Citizens Training Camps consists of:

Service hat cord (red, white and blue strands).

 

Change 1, Service regulation 41, War Department, Dec. 29, 1917.

4. Army Field Clerks and Field Clerks Quartermaster Corps-

Cord for service hat to be of silver and black silk intermixed.

 

Change 7, Service Regulation 41, War Department, Feb. 8, 1919.

49 1/2. Student’s Army Training Corps.

-x- except that the hat cord will be olive drab in color -x-.

 

Special Regulation 42, War Department, August 15, 1917.

23. FACINGS.

a. General Officers, except Quartermaster General and Brigadier Generals of the Quartermaster Corps. - To be blue.

b. Quartermaster General and Brigadier Generals of the Quartermaster Corps. To be dark blue.

For officers holding permanent appointments in the-

c. Adjutant General’s Department, dark blue.

d. Inspector General’s Department, dark blue.

e. Judge Advocate General’s Department, dark blue.

f. Quartermaster Corps, buff.

g. Ordnance Department, black piped with scarlet.

h. Signal Corps, orange piped with white.

For officers of-

i. Medical Corps, maroon.

j. Corps of Engineers, scarlet piped with white.

k. Cavalry, yellow.

l. Artillery, scarlet.

m. Infantry, light blue.

n. Chaplains, black.

 

Change 1, Special Regulation 42, War Department, Dec. 29, 1917.

92. Cords, Hat - To be the color of the facings of the arm of service as issued.

The color for Corps of Interpreters and Intelligence Police to be green and white; for Tank service, gray; for Chemical Service, same as Engineer Corps.

 

 

Change 4, Special Regulation 42, War Department, May 7, 1918.-x- The color of Chemical Service, cobalt blue and golden yellow. For machine gun units the acorn and keeper will be red.

 

Change 5, Special Regulation 42, War Department, July 17, 1918.

23. FACINGS - Add the following:

o. Corps of Interpreters, green piped with white.

p. Tank Service, gray.

q. Chemical Service, cobalt blue piped with golden yellow.

r. Air Service, green piped with black.

 

Change 6, Special Regulation 42, War Department, Oct. 15, 1918.23 FACINGS - Add the following:

s. Motor Transport Corps, purple.

 

Change 7, Special Regulation 42, War Department, Jan. 25, 1919.

23 FACINGS- Add sub paragraphs (t) and (u) as follows:

t. Provost Martial General’s Department, yellow piped with green.

u. Transportation Corps, scarlet piped with green.

 

1920 Finance Corps, silver gray with acorns and keeper being golden yellow.

 

Circular No. 72, War Department, March 16, 1921.

13. HAT CORDS:

a. For Warrant Officers and Field Clerks, the cord to be silver and black silk intermixed, acorns and keeper of black silk.

b. For enlisted men: To be of the color prescribed for the branch of service. When two colors are given, the cord will be the first color, acorns and keeper in the color of the piping. For men of the Detached Enlisted Men’s List, green; for men in Tank units, gray; for men in Cavalry machine gun squadrons, the acorns and keeper scarlet.

 

AR 600-35 War Department, Wash. DC, October 11, 1921.

7d. HAT CORDS:

(1) General Officers, - To be a double cord of gold bullion ¼ inch in diameter, with an acorn of same material 1 ¾ inches in length, at each end. Keeper of same material, ¾ inch in length, and 3/4 inch in diameter to hold both ends and one loop of cord.

(2) Other officers - Same as for general officers, except the cord will be of gold bullion and black silk intermixed, the acorns and keeper to be of gold bullion.

(3) Warrant officers and field clerks, - Of same dimensions as for general officers, the cord to be silver and black silk intermixed, the acorns and keeper to be of black silk.

(4) Enlisted men, - To be of the color prescribed for the branch of service. When two colors are prescribed for a branch, the cord will be in the color of the first named, and the acorns and keeper will be in the color of the piping. Infantry machine gun units and tank units will wear the hat cord of the infantry after the supply of hat cords now on hand of special color for these units is exhausted. Cavalry machine gun squadrons will wear the hat cord for cavalry after the hat cords of special color for these units is exhausted.

45. COLORS AND BRANCHES; -

a. Adjutant General’s Department, dark blue.

b. Air service, ultra marine blue piped with golden yellow.

c. Bureau of Insular Affairs, dark blue.

d. Cavalry, yellow

e. Chaplains, black.

f. Chemical Warfare Service, cobalt blue piped with golden yellow.

g. Coast artillery Corps, scarlet.

h. Corps of Engineers, scarlet piped with white.

i. Detached Enlisted Men’s List, green.

j. Field Artillery, scarlet.

k. Finance Department, silver gray piped with golden yellow.

l. General Staff Corps, gold piped with black.

m. Inspector General’s Department, dark blue piped with white.

n. Infantry, light blue.

o. Judge Advocate General’s Department, dark blue piped with light blue.

p. Medical Department, maroon piped with white.

q. Militia Bureau, dark blue.

r. Ordnance Department, crimson piped with yellow.

s. Quartermaster Corps, buff.

t. Signal Corps, orange piped with white.

 

Change 2, AR 600-35 War Department, Wash., DC, January 6, 1922.

7. HEADGEAR:-

d. Cords, Hat:-

(1). General officers,- To be a double cord of gold bullion, 3/16 inch in diameter, with a acorn of same material, 1 ¼ inches in length, with cup 5/8 inch in diameter and kernel 3/8 inch in diameter, at each end. Keeper to be of same material, 5/8 inch in diameter, with an inside diameter of 3/8 inch, to hold both ends and one loop of cord.

 

Change 8, AR 600-35 War Department, Wash., DC, August 23, 1923.

45. Colors and Branches:-

q. Militia Bureau, dark blue piped with scarlet.

u. Military Police, yellow piped with green (added April 20, 1922 by Change 3).

 

Circular 70, War Department, October 28, 1936,

Colors of arms or services are changed as follows:

a. Adjutant General’s Department:- dark blue piped with scarlet.

n. Inspector General’s Department:- dark blue piped with light blue.

o. Judge Advocate general’s Department:- dark blue piped with white.

r. National Guard Bureau:- dark blue.

v. Warrant Officers:- brown.

 

AG 420 (11-21-36) War Department Nov. 21, 1936.

Permanent Professors of USMA:- Scarlet piped with silver gray.

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  • 1 month later...

The blue with red ends worn by Machine gunners, were these worn only in MG battalions, or in MG companies within Infantry regiments as well? What collar dogs are worn by MG companies within infantry regiments?

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  • 8 months later...
  • 1 year later...
craig_pickrall

Change 8, AR 600-35 War Department, Wash., DC, August 23, 1923.

45. Colors and Branches:-

q. Militia Bureau, dark blue piped with scarlet.

u. Military Police, yellow piped with green (added April 20, 1922 by Change 3).

 

This info is from the post above done by Canteen Guru.

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  • 8 years later...

I am hopeful that someone might be able to shed information on this Stetson and the tassels representation. The tassel look to me to be gold and brown.

 

If further photos are needed please reply and I will get them posted. post-5583-0-83635500-1488661029.jpgpost-5583-0-92607700-1488661030.jpgpost-5583-0-57075000-1488661032.jpg

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  • 10 months later...

This is an old thread, but has lots of good info on hat cord colors. I recently bought a 1913-1916 period hat without a cord and am deciding what branch to get a cord to look for it. If I read the info above correctly, from 1912 through late 1917, Infantry cords were white. Light blue before and after. Interesting.

Mikie

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  • 1 year later...

Hello. Can anyone help identify these old hat cords? I do not see them listed. One is red, white and blue but faded. The other appears to be black, brown and white.

 

Thanks,

Mike

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