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ARC VISOR CAP


BEAST
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Here is a local thrift store find. I have returned several times hoping to find the rest of the uniform, but have had no luck.

 

This is the visor cap for the blue-grey unifrom for the American Red Cross. The cap has an a Red Cross cut-out pin and also a self bow in the front.

 

post-203-1245378328.jpg

 

post-203-1245378334.jpg

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fortworthgal

Very cool find! Those are getting quite expensive so extra cool from a thrift store.

 

That doesn't appear to be one of the Brit-made, does it have a maker listed inside?

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Thanks for the kind words!

 

Fortworthgal, I can not access the cap until this weekend, but IIRC, there wasn't any label or markings inside. I will post an interior shot ASAP.

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fortworthgal

Great! The British made caps were gathered and sewn, so the front of the hat sat more "jauntily" for lack of a better word. It caused the hat to tilt to one side, but not so much as the 1948 pattern ARC hats.

 

I have seen ARC hats made by Debenbaum, and one of the sporting good companies (whose name I cannot remember, but that is who made my winter visored cap). Very interesting and I'm sure you got a great price on it!

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Here are a couple more photos of the cap.

 

First is an interior shot:

 

post-203-1246109183.jpg

 

It is lined with brown cotton (polished cotton?)

 

 

The other photo is another exterior shot that shows the angle of the crown of the cap. When I first saw this hat at the thrift store, it was hanging with the bill pointing down. From that angle, I thought I had found a variation of the German 1943 field cap.

 

post-203-1246109192.jpg

 

Fortworthgal, What does the 1948 model cap look like?

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fortworthgal

That's definitely a WWII-era hat. Nice find!!

 

The 1948 hats were the same basic visor cap shape, but the front of the hat (where the bow on the WWII era hats sits) had a different design. There was an extra piece of fabric that formed a "V" on the front, and the hats were sloped to one side very distinctly. I have some photos at home, but I'll try to find a shot line to show you for reference.

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  • 3 months later...
fraukriegbaum

On the upper left corner, it is the garrison cap...the only authorized uniform (as of Aug. 15, 1943) for ETO to be made in Great Britain for all ARC women personnel except the Red Cross nurses. This is made of R.A.F. Barathea only.

 

Note: at the bottom left corner is the sister of JFK who served in England.

 

I will continue later....

 

post-6179-1256672476.jpg

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The RAF blue wool uniforms were *only* made for the members of the ARC Clubmobile service (the ladies who traveled around in Dodge trucks providing donuts and coffee to troops). The uniform consisted of an Ike-style jacket and slacks. The regular ARC winter uniforms were either a medium blue-grey wool or a very dark grey (almost black) wool for members of the Military Welfare Service. MWS is what the Clubmobile ladies fell under.

 

Your cap appears to be the regular ARC blue-grey winter wool. (This is what my cap at home is.) That uniform would have been worn by any volunteers and paid staff of the ARC, other than members of the Military Welfare Service who had the darker uniform and distinctive design overseas cap.

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fraukriegbaum

I forgot to acknowledge where i got the info....

 

"..the only authorized uniform (as of Aug. 15, 1943) for ETO to be made in Great Britain for all ARC women personnel except the Red Cross nurses. This is made of R.A.F. Barathea only."

 

*1943 flyer referring to uniforms* according to Volunteer Historian of ARC Shirley Powers.

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316th FS 324th FG
I forgot to acknowledge where i got the info....

 

"..the only authorized uniform (as of Aug. 15, 1943) for ETO to be made in Great Britain for all ARC women personnel except the Red Cross nurses. This is made of R.A.F. Barathea only."

 

*1943 flyer referring to uniforms* according to Volunteer Historian of ARC Shirley Powers.

 

Mrs. Powers is amazing. A tremendous resource to anyone interested in ARC items and very willing to share her knowledge.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 11 years later...

Hi there. I know this thread is old but....

I have what seems to be the same visor cap. However it does not have a maker's label, but it does have the name of the person for whom it was made. I'd like to verify this is WWII and if possible get an idea of value. Thanks in advance! 

IMG_20210607_101019757~2.jpg

IMG_20210607_101034230~2.jpg

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