Original U.S. WWII USAAF Officer’s Crusher Visor Cap with Wraparound Chinstrap - Laundry Number Marked
In stock
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Original Item. Only One Available. One of the most iconic pieces of headgear to come out of WWII was the U.S. Crusher Cap, or “Fifty Mission Cap”. This visor cap, in winter OD green issue color, is not maker-marked. The sweatband is marked with a laundry number, B6481. The outward appearance is worn and faded from honest use, and decades of storage wear. It retains the original iconic "crush" shape.
This is a great example of a “True Crusher”, identifiable by the wrap-around chinstrap that covers the entire circumference of the cap. A cap made to be a crusher has a thin single layer leather visor (Bancroft Flighter being one of the most famous) and a body that was flexible so they could be stuffed into a pocket. Unfortunately, the hook that holds up the wraparound chinstrap is broken off, but this could easily be restitched.
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.
This is a very good crusher cap, ready for further research and display.
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