River Patrol Posted October 13, 2014 Share #1 Posted October 13, 2014 I found this in my travels recently. Does anyone know this camp? Thanks, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted October 14, 2014 Share #2 Posted October 14, 2014 Camp Tophat, a virtual city of thousands of black 20-man tents on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium, also qualified (technically) as a Cigarette Camp since it was named after Belgian Tophat cigarettes "" Heres a link to a brief history http://www.skylighters.org/special/cigcamps/camptophat.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River Patrol Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted October 14, 2014 Thanks Beast.....I tried multiple searches but came up with nothing. Good info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted October 14, 2014 Share #4 Posted October 14, 2014 Living in Belgium, I have a particular interest in Top Hat Items... Here's front and back of a Camp Informational Leaflet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted October 14, 2014 Share #5 Posted October 14, 2014 Variation of the above... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted October 14, 2014 Share #6 Posted October 14, 2014 Pictures taken at the Camp and upon boarding a ship US bound... (Unit unknown...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted October 14, 2014 Share #7 Posted October 14, 2014 Making those bracelets seems to have been a popular pass-time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted October 14, 2014 Share #8 Posted October 14, 2014 1945 Belgian magazine featuring an article on the Camp... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted October 14, 2014 Share #9 Posted October 14, 2014 Let me know if I can help you with more info... Cheers, Johan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lerenfort Posted October 14, 2014 Share #10 Posted October 14, 2014 Interesting items. Thanks for sharing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted October 14, 2014 Share #11 Posted October 14, 2014 Camp Tophat also qualified (technically) as a Cigarette Camp since it was named after Belgian Tophat cigarettes "" I think the Camp may have come first and Cigarettes were named after it... In 1945 and 1946 the American forces set up a series of camps to bring their troops home after the end of World War II. The camps, most of which were located in France, were named after a brand of American cigarette, a desirable and valuable commodity (Camp Lucky Stripe, Camp Pall Mall, Camp Chesterfield, etc.). Tophat, a virtual city comprised of thousands of black 20-man tents was set up on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium in close proximity to its world-class harbor. Unlike the French "cigarette camps" it was named for the unit that built it, which had a tophat as their unit symbol. However, a Belgian cigarette company manufactured Tophat Cigarettes so it became unintentionally a "cigarette camp" after all. ( http://www.the-forum.com/ephemera/TOPHAT.HTM ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgawne Posted October 14, 2014 Share #12 Posted October 14, 2014 I note on the cover of the magazine with the holding his duffel bag that he is carrying a helmet liner (no pot). Now I suppose maybe they separated them with the pot in the bag, and the liner to use as a sun helmet on deck, but I do find this odd. I wonder if there was, even for a while, a thing about leaving the pots in Europe, possibly as they had so many unissued in the states and any in country could be issued to European Armies starting up. Curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted October 14, 2014 Share #13 Posted October 14, 2014 The liner also seems brandnew... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintageproductions Posted October 29, 2014 Share #14 Posted October 29, 2014 Steve- Here is the patch for the camp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River Patrol Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share #15 Posted October 30, 2014 Steve- Here is the patch for the camp Ohhh...don't tell me they had a patch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintageproductions Posted October 30, 2014 Share #16 Posted October 30, 2014 Yup. When I first saw this I thought it was a odd variant of the USN Top Hatters sqd patch, but it was sewn to a heavily damaged nurse's wool overcoat. Then Dave Johnson & Dave Kaufman sent me photos of a painted sign at Camp Tophat, and I realized quickly it wasn't a sqd patch..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted October 30, 2014 Share #17 Posted October 30, 2014 Great posting here ! Learned something new today. owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy Posted October 31, 2014 Share #18 Posted October 31, 2014 The Tophat cigarette packs in my collection. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m1ashooter Posted October 31, 2014 Share #19 Posted October 31, 2014 Great find. Thank you for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortaydc60 Posted November 9, 2014 Share #20 Posted November 9, 2014 Great information! Did not know that camp was named after cigarette brand. Very cool to see that the patch was copy of the logo. It is a rare patch and maybe could also be in shoulder patch section. Mort Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted November 9, 2014 Share #21 Posted November 9, 2014 Actually for this camp, it seems cigarettes were named after the Camp... As for the patch, it was commonly worn on the right shoulder of the uniform of the Camp's personnel, as shown on a picture of the Brass section of the Camp Top Hat Band.... Picture from the book: Camp Top Hat ISBN 90-5868-168-8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintageproductions Posted November 12, 2014 Share #22 Posted November 12, 2014 That's a great photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted November 12, 2014 Share #23 Posted November 12, 2014 Thanks Bob, Here's a surviving Top Hat IKE jacket, worn by Donald ZOBEL Picture from same book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timberwolf Posted November 15, 2014 Share #24 Posted November 15, 2014 That's an incredibly cool uniform! I wonder where it is now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenv Posted January 30, 2015 Share #25 Posted January 30, 2015 Thanks Bob, Here's a surviving Top Hat IKE jacket, worn by Donald ZOBEL Picture from same book Hello , Do you sell items from Top Hat ? Greets Kenny from Holland ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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