Item:
ONSV1188

Original U.S. WWII USAAF Officer OD Green Crush Cap by Simpsons of Piccadilly, London - size 7 1/8

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. This visor cap, in winter OD Green issue color, is in excellent condition with the iconic "crush" shape. The underside of the crown bears a label faintly marked Simpson / PICCADILLY, a large menswear store in London. The leather sweatband is supple and complete, with all the stitching still intact, something we don't see often. It also is marked Real Roan Leather, indicating that this is a very high quality cap. It is This peaked cap features a gold tone WWII Army Overseas insignia over a leather visor. This is definitely a very high quality cap, probably one of the best we've seen, and is marked with size 7 1/8.

This cap really is in excellent condition, with very minor wear, and no damage/moth nips that we can see, despite the wool construction. It is definitely substantially made, and of very high quality. Ready to display, or even wear!

This is the classic "bomber pilot" headgear, worn by USAAF pilots in Europe and the Pacific. Actually, this was the standard Army/AAF officer dress cap, worn by pilots and non-pilots alike, but pilots gave this cap their own unique twist. Normally, this cap had stiffeners -- a support piece behind the cap device and a wire around the inside top perimeter to maintain the cap's round shape. These kept the cap in its proper, regulation military shape and angle. However, since bomber pilots wore headsets over their caps during flights, they would remove the wire stiffener to make headset wear more comfortable, causing the sides of the caps to become crushed. Eventually, the caps retained their floppy "crushed" look, giving the pilot who wore it the look of a seasoned veteran.

The crush cap identified its wearer as an experienced pro, and was as much a part of his identity as his leather flight jacket. The crush cap look quickly became popular with ground army officers and general officers.

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