{"product_id":"original-u-s-wwii-usaaf-fly-weighter-officer-khaki-crush-cap-by-lewis-size-7","title":"Original U.S. WWII USAAF “Fly-Weighter” Officer Khaki Crush Cap By Lewis - Size 7¼","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item. Only One Available. This visor cap, in summer Khaki issue color, was made by Lewis. It is in worn but nice condition with the iconic \"crush\" shape. The sweatband is embossed with \u003cstrong\u003eThe Fly-Weighter by LEWIS\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the underside of the crown is marked \u003cstrong\u003eTailored by LEWIS\u003c\/strong\u003e. This peaked cap features a gold tone WWII Army Overseas insignia over a leather visor. The cap still has several original size tags: \u003cstrong\u003e7 1\/4\u003c\/strong\u003e. The sweatband is named on the underside on the back:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChas. P. Fehl\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCaptain\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eU.S.H.F.R.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are unsure what USHFR stands for, but from what we could find, Captain Charles P. Fehl enlisted in the AAF in 1942 and appears to have been stationed stateside. He was also a professional musician, having published a music textbook in 1945. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe visor is in good overall shape but has some crazing. The interior crown has heavy wear to the celluloid. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45018386038853,"sku":"ONJR25APLM122","price":395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/85DFA533-F2D3-4B42-B34A-F67E4B670F8E.jpg?v=1778872017","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-wwii-usaaf-fly-weighter-officer-khaki-crush-cap-by-lewis-size-7","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}