The peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as
law enforcement agencies and
fire department
A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
s. It derives its name from its short visor, or peak, which was historically made of polished leather but increasingly is made of a cheaper synthetic substitute.
The term
forage cap is also used though that also applies to "field service cap" or the
side cap
Side or Sides may refer to:
Geometry
* Edge (geometry) of a polygon (two-dimensional shape)
* Face (geometry) of a polyhedron (three-dimensional shape)
Places
* Side (Ainis), a town of Ainis, ancient Thessaly, Greece
* Side (Caria), a town of ...
.
Other principal components are the crown, band and insignia, typically a
cap badge
A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as w ...
and
embroidery in proportion to rank. Piping is also often found, typically in contrast to the crown colour, which is usually white for navy, blue for air force and green for army. The band is typically a dark, contrasting colour, often black, but may be patterned or striped.
In the British Army, each
regiment and
corps has a different badge. In the United States Armed Forces, the cap device is uniform throughout every service branch, though different variants are used by different rank classes.
History
The peaked cap originated in late 18th or early 19th-century Northern Europe, usually worn by
working-class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
men. In the later years of the
Napoleonic Wars, it began to appear in the senior ranks of the Russian and
Prussian armies, being popular because of its comfort and light weight, as opposed to the cumbersome
bicorns and
shakos that were standard duty issue. During the
Biedermeier
The ''Biedermeier'' period was an era in Central Europe between 1815 and 1848 during which the middle class grew in number and the arts appealed to common sensibilities. It began with the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in ...
period (1815–48), they became universal dress for German and Austrian civilian males of all classes, and for the entire 19th century, they were popular with the working classes all over Northern Europe, although in Britain the
flat cap was preferred by civilians towards the end of the century.
In 1846, the United States Army adopted the peaked cap during the
Mexican–American War due to the unsuitability of the shako in the hot Mexican climate. In 1879, a form of peaked cap was adopted by
chief petty officers of Britain's
Royal Navy, in imitation of an undress headdress worn by officers from as early as 1825. The British Army adopted peaked caps in 1902 for both the new khaki field dress and (in coloured form) as part of the "walking out" or off-duty wear for other ranks. A dark blue version was worn with dress blues by all ranks of the U.S. Army between 1902 and 1917.
During the 20th century, the combination or peaked cap became common in the armies, navies, air forces and police forces of the world, forgone in combat by common soldiers in favour of more protective
combat helmet
A combat helmet or battle helmet is a type of helmet. It is a piece of personal armor designed specifically to protect the head during combat. Modern combat helmets are mainly designed to protect from shrapnel and fragments, offer some protec ...
s.
During the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
and after
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
, uniforms copied from the Russian pattern were issued to the armies of various Asian, Eastern European, African
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
nations and
post-Soviet states (except
Baltic states
The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
,
Azerbaijan (similar design but closely aligned with the Turkish counterparts),
Georgia (after 2004) and
Ukraine (after 2016)). Particularly famous are the oversized caps worn by
North Korean army officers, unchanged since the 1950s.
Australia
Australian Defence Force
In the
Australian Army, the peaked cap is known as the service cap and is generally worn with the "Patrol Blues"
order of dress by all ranks with the cap colour being blue. A khaki service cap could be worn previously by
warrant officers,
commissioned officers and
officer/
staff cadets with any general duty order of dress and working/protective dress until September 2010.
In the Royal Australian Air Force, the peaked cap is the standard headdress for all ranks, usually worn with service dress, ceremonial dress and tropical dress among others.
In the Royal Australian Navy, the peaked cap is the standard headdress worn by personnel holding the rank of
petty officer and above when wearing ceremonial dress, regular day dress and informal evening dress among others.
Austria
Throughout the 19th century, the
Austro-Hungarian Army were issued with
shakos, originally in black leather and later in
pike grey
Cadet grey (sometimes spelled ''cadet gray'' in parts of the United States) is a somewhat blue-greyish shade of the color grey. The first recorded use of ''cadet grey'' as a color name in English was in 1912. Before 1912, the word ''cadet grey'' ...
wool. Gradually, the height of the shako decreased and the cardboard stiffening removed until, by 1908, it had evolved into the
ski cap. This was worn by Austrian officers and enlisted personnel during both World Wars, but when the postwar
Austrian Bundesheer was established in 1955 an
olive drab peaked cap and American style uniform were introduced.
Canada
The cap was used in the early stages of the First World War as the primary headgear, but increased head injuries led to its replacement by the
Brodie helmet
The Brodie helmet is a steel combat helmet designed and patented in London in 1915 by Latvian inventor John Leopold Brodie ( lv, Leopolds Janno Braude). A modified form of it became the Helmet, Steel, Mark I in Britain and the M1917 Helmet in ...
as primary combat head protection.
Canadian Forces
In the Canadian Forces, the peaked cap (french: casquette de service, link=no) is the primary headgear for men's Royal Canadian Navy
service dress. It has been abandoned in the Royal Canadian Air Force in favour of the
wedge cap
A wedge is a triangular shaped tool, and is a portable inclined plane, and one of the six simple machines. It can be used to separate two objects or portions of an object, lift up an object, or hold an object in place. It functions by converti ...
. It has also been eliminated from the Canadian Army in favour of the
beret, with two exceptions. General officers wearing army uniform can wear either a beret or a peaked cap with service dress.
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps members of foot guards units such as the
Canadian Grenadier Guards wear the
bearskin cap with full dress but the peaked cap with undress and service dress.
On navy caps, the peak and chinstrap of the service cap are always black. The cap band is black with the exception of navy
military police, who wear a scarlet cap band, and members of
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, who wear a tan cap band.
On both navy and army caps, the chinstrap is affixed to the cap via two small buttons, one roughly over each ear; these buttons are miniature versions of the buttons on the service dress tunic, and as such bear an RCN or regimental device.
The peak of the cap of
non-commissioned members and
subordinate officer Subordinate officer is a term used in some armed forces for a grade of officer above a non-commissioned officer but still not actually commissioned, usually still in training. Such officers are treated for most intents and purposes as commissioned ...
s is left plain, and officers' caps are adorned with one or more bands of braid (depending on rank) at the forward edge of the peak. The peak of the
junior officer's cap has a gold band along the forward edge, that of the
senior officer has a row of gold
oak leaves across the forward edge, while that of the
flag officer has two rows of gold oak leaves, one along the forward edge and one near the cap band. The same oak leaves are worn by the
Governor General of Canada as
Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The service cap is theoretically unisex, although there is a service hat (french: chapeau de service, link=no) for women which does not have a crown top and has a stiff brim all around. The front of the brim is formed into a visor and the sides and back are folded upwards.
Other organisations
The
Canadian Coast Guard shares a similar cap and colours with the
Royal Canadian Navy.
Police forces across Canada also wear a peaked cap. The cap is basic black with colour cap band of either of red (municipal forces), blue (
Ontario Provincial Police, OPP) or yellow (
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP). The peaked cap of the is green with a green band and yellow piping.
Until recently the OPP's front line officers wore a black
campaign hat, but has since reverted to the peaked cap. The RCMP only use the campaign hat for formal dress uniform or by members of the
Musical Ride. Use of service cap by female officers are all but gone and replaced by peaked cap as unisex headwear. The only other headwear available is the turban for male Sikh police officers.
China
Members of the
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
also wear a peaked cap, with the design influences from the former
Soviet Union. However, since from 2007, PLA started to change to adapt the Type 07 Service Uniform, the new uniform retains peaked cap but the style is more like the US and Commonwealth peaked cap instead of the Soviet style caps.
Hong Kong and Macau
The peaked cap and peaked hat are worn as formal dress by members of the
Hong Kong Disciplined Services
Subjected to legal regulations, the Hong Kong Disciplined Services are made up of the following:-
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) reports directly to the Chief Executive. Although they are not typically uniformed, they ar ...
(police, fire, customs/excise, immigration, etc.) with influence from the British colonial services. All caps use black as base colour. The crown is flat and round in shape. Female police officers' caps have a coloured band, no crown top and front of the brim is flat with sides/back folded upwards. Only members of the
Hong Kong Police's
Tactical units,
Emergency unit
The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force (RHKPF) reverted to its former name after the t ...
, and motorcycle officers do not wear the peaked cap when on duty.
Members of the
Hong Kong Sea Cadet Corps
Hong Kong Sea Cadet Corps is a youth organization based in Hong Kong and formed in 1968 by former Royal Naval Reserve officers by the creation of Hong Kong Law (Hong Kong Sea Cadet Corps Ordinance)
The HKSCC was linked to British Armed Forces' ...
,
Hong Kong Adventure Corps
The Hong Kong Adventure Corps is a voluntary uniformed group subsidised by the Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Jockey Club. It was created in 1995 with ties to the British Army's Army Cadet Force and Combined Cadet Force. Like the Hong ...
and
Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps (including the
Ceremonial Squadron
The Ceremonial Squadron ("C Sqn") is the HQ Unit of Training Group of the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps.
History
The Ceremonial Squadron was created December 1998 and officially established on 1 May 1999. The unit has gained recognition of high sta ...
) use the British-based cap.
The dress uniforms for the
Public Security Police Force of Macau and the
Corpo de Bombeiros de Macau utilises a peaked cap. However, most police officers in Macau wear berets or ball caps for patrol.
Denmark
In Denmark, the use of peaked cap has seen a gradual decline from official uniforms, but it is still used in the ceremonial uniforms the general corps of the
Army, officers of the
Airforce
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
, officers of the
Navy, the
police and fire department.
Germany
Peaked caps were first issued to German
Landwehr troops during the
Napoleonic Wars known as the Wachstuchmütze and made from oil cloth, since these were cheaper and easier to maintain than the heavy leather
shakos and elaborate
tailcoats worn by the British, French and Russian armies. The Prussian army was also the first to adopt the
frock coat, so officers would not soil their dress uniforms on campaign.
When the spiked helmet was introduced during the 1840s, enlisted German troops were issued with peakless
forage caps resembling the
sailor cap. Officers, however, continued to wear the German-style peaked cap () to set themselves apart from the French, who wore the
kepi peaked cap. Initially, German peaked caps were in the uniform color, e.g., Prussian blue, cornflower blue, green, etc., but before the First World War a
field grey hat was issued, with piping colour coded for infantry, artillery or cavalry. These caps, known as "crushers", could be worn beneath a helmet or stuffed into a pocket or knapsack.
In 1935, the Nazis introduced new uniforms designed for modern mechanised warfare. However, the basic design including the peaked cap remained the same as in the
Weimar Republic's ''
Reichsheer''. But the new national emblem featuring eagle clutching swastika, and black-red-white roundel in oak wreath were introduced on the caps. Enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers were issued with peaked caps with leather chincord. Officers received caps with metallic chincord. Both enlisted-NCOs' caps and officers' caps had specially colored piping around the cap according to their service branch (white for infantry, pink for panzer and so on).
Gestapo and SS men were issued with black featuring a silver
death's head. On campaign, Wehrmacht officers often removed the wire stiffening so the cap would resemble the older First World War–era crusher.
Modern German army
After the Second World War, both the
West German Bundeswehr and
East German National People's Army continued to be issued uniforms derived from the Second World War pattern. East German caps bore the DDR State Cockade with the Hammer and Compass design, while West German caps had a cockade in the German national colours, and a badge featuring a pair of crossed swords. After reunification, the remained part of the German army
dress uniform.
[Zentrale Dienstvorschrift 37/10 ''"Anzugordnung für die Soldaten der Bundeswehr"'' Chapter 4 Section I]
Indonesia
Members of the armed and uniformed services in
Indonesia wear the peaked cap during ceremonial and operational duties. It is widely worn by the
Indonesian National Police
''
, mottotranslated = (Serving the Nation)
, formed =
, preceding1 =
, dissolved =
, superseding =
, employees = 440,000 (2020)
, volunteers =
, budget =
, nongovernment ...
, the
Indonesian National Armed Forces
, founded = as the ('People's Security Forces')
, current_form =
, disbanded =
, branches =
, headquarters = Cilangkap, Jakarta
, website =
, commander-in-chief = Joko Widodo
, ...
and other uniformed institutions in the country.
Israel
In the
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
, combination caps are used only by
Israeli Air Force and
Navy officers in ceremonial dress;
Military Police soldiers while on duty;
Israel Defense Forces Orchestra
The Israel Defense Forces Orchestra ( he, תזמורת צה"ל; Tizmoret Tzahal) is the main musical ensemble of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It comprises musicians and singers who have passed the auditions before enlistment into the IDF, mos ...
soldiers; and some
regimental sergeants major of other service branches when in ceremonial dress.
Poland
The
rogatywka is a 4-cornered type of peaked cap, related to the
czapka and worn by members of the
Polish Land Forces
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stret ...
.
Naval
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
officers and
air force personnel, however, wear conventional peaked caps.
Russia
Russia was the first country to adopt the peaked cap. The official act of adopting the cap for military use was made by
Alexander I of Russia in 1811. During the
Napoleonic Wars, various early versions of the peaked cap were in use in the Russian army. Imperial Russia abandoned the cap for a short period in the second half of the 19th century for a
forage cap similar to the one used by Americans during their
civil war, but the peaked cap soon returned. Early soldiers' peaked caps were, in fact, peakless, hence the nickname (soldier's flapjack) for the headgear; officers' caps had peaks from the start and looked like modern peaked caps. The peakless version remained in use in the Russian navy under the name of (literally "peakless one") and is still worn by Russian seamen. Also during the Imperial period, peaked caps were introduced as part of government officials' uniforms.
Serf
Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...
s and peasants adopted an almost identical hat into their fashion after the Napoleonic Wars, known as a .
In 1914, peakless caps were abolished everywhere in Russian armed forces except the Navy, and modern peaked caps were issued to all soldiers. However, after the
October Revolution of 1917, it was replaced in Red Army field uniforms by the
budenovka
A budenovka ( rus, будёновка, r=budyonovka, p=bʊˈdʲɵnəfkə) is a distinctive type of hat, an archetypal part of the Communist military uniforms of the Russian Civil War following the Russian revolution (1917–1922) and later co ...
, and later by the
garrison cap. The dress uniforms, on the other hand, retained this headgear, and various paramilitary Soviet agencies like the
NKVD or
VOKhR kept using it in all uniforms. Agencies like railway workers, firemen, pilots, mining supervisors, foresters, customs officers in the Soviet Union also were organised along military lines and wore uniforms with peaked caps of various designs.
In 1990s, the Russian peaked cap was redesigned and widely issued to the armed forces and police. Caps of this shape are most associated with Russia among foreigners, since they are large and high. In 2012, after
army general Sergey Shoygu
Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, ; tyv, Сергей Күжүгет оглу Шойгу, translit=Sergey Kyzhyget oglu Shoygu, . (russian: Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу; born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician who has served as ...
was appointed Minister of Defence, the design of the peaked cap was changed again to a lower and more proportional style.
United Kingdom
Armed forces
Royal Navy
Royal Navy officers were first issued peaked caps in 1825 as a less formal alternative to the
bicorne hat. From 1846, it was worn with a crown on the front, and later (from 1856), gold braid was added to the brim to ensure commissioned officers were instantly recognised by their subordinates.
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
s,
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
s and
commodores had one row of braid on their peaks, whereas flag officers had two. Before the Second World War, naval officers were required to possess two caps: one with a white cover for summer and one without for winter. However, flag officers often preferred the white-topped cap in order to stand out from their subordinates.
Male Royal Navy officers,
warrant officers,
chief petty officers and
petty officers today wear a framed cap with a white cover and a black band in nos 1, 2 and 3 dress; originally worn only in tropical climates, the white cover was adopted for all areas after the Second World War. Officers have the option of a cotton or plastic cover. Female personnel wear a
tricorne hat instead.
Royal Marines
All
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
personnel wear a cap with a white cover and a red band with 'blues' uniform. The
Royal Marines Band Service also wear this cap with the Lovat uniform and barrack dress.
British Army
British Army officers wore blue peaked caps as early as the
Crimean War to distinguish themselves from enlisted men who wore the
pillbox hat. The peaked caps were widely worn on campaign during the First and Second World Wars, until the more practical
beret was popularised by generals like Sir
Bernard Montgomery
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and t ...
. After the war, officers continued to wear
khaki caps as part of the
number 2 dress uniform
Service Dress is the style of khaki service dress uniform introduced by the British Army for use in the field from the early 1900s, following the experiences of a number of imperial wars and conflicts, including the Second Boer War. This variant ...
, but by the 1990s these had been phased out in favour of the dark blue and red caps previously worn with the
number 1 dress uniform
A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The original examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...
.
Peaked caps were first issued to enlisted men in 1908 to replace the
Glengarry caps and pillbox hats of the
Boer War era. The new caps were made of khaki wool and sometimes had a neck flap to protect against the cold. Nicknamed the "gor blimey", these caps are associated with the First World War '
Tommy Atkins' and continued to be issued to members of the
Household Cavalry,
Foot Guards,
Home Guard and
Territorial Army during the Second World War.
All personnel of most regiments and corps of the British Army wear a forage cap, as the peaked cap is formally called, in numbers 1 and 2
dress, the exceptions being:
* The
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as th ...
,
Royal Regiment of Fusiliers,
Army Air Corps,
Parachute Regiment,
Special Air Service
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...
,
Intelligence Corps and
4/73 (Sphinx) Special Observation Post Battery RA
4/73 (Sphinx) Special Observation Post Battery Royal Artillery is a surveillance and target acquisition unit of the British Army. It is part of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery and is based at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.
Organisation
4 ...
, who wear
berets;
* The
Royal Regiment of Scotland, who wear a regimental
Glengarry
The Glengarry bonnet is a traditional Scots cap made of thick-milled woollen material, decorated with a toorie on top, frequently a rosette cockade on the left side, and ribbons hanging behind. It is normally worn as part of Scottish military ...
with cockfeathers taken from the former ceremonial uniform of the
Royal Scots;
* The
Royal Irish Regiment, who wear the
caubeen;
* The
Brigade of Gurkhas
The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective name which refers to all the units in the British Army that are composed of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers. The brigade draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army ...
, who wear a round Kilmarnock cap in no 1 dress and the
slouch hat in no 2 dress
* The
Queen's Royal Hussars, whose officers wear a
tent hat in no 2 dress.
It has a cap band which may be coloured (red for all royal regiments and corps), a crown (formerly khaki, now dark blue, except for the Royal Military Police, who have always worn red, and the Rifles, who wear rifle green), which may have coloured piping or a regimental/corps colour, and a patent leather peak and chinstrap. The chinstrap is usually secured above and across the peak and secured at each end by a small (20 line) button of the appropriate regimental or corps pattern.
Officers in some regiments are also required to wear a khaki version of the cap, often called the "service dress cap", with service dress (the officers' no 2 dress) or barrack dress; the design of this dates back to the cap worn in the field until replaced by the steel helmet during the First World War.
Female personnel wear a peaked cap of a different pattern. For uniformity, however, female musicians wear the same peaked cap as male personnel in formal dress.
Royal Air Force
All male personnel of the
Royal Air Force wear a cap with a blue-grey crown and a black band, worn with the appropriate badge, in no 1 dress, and sometimes in other uniforms as well. The peak is:
* Black and polished for
airmen
An airman is a member of an air force or air arm of a nation's armed forces. In certain air forces, it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank. An airman can also be referred as a soldier in other definitions.
In civilian aviation usage, t ...
,
non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and
warrant officers
* Blue-grey fabric for officers of the rank of
wing commander and below
* Black and polished with one row of gold oak leaves for officers of the rank of
group captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...
* Black and polished with two rows of gold oak leaves for officers of the rank of
air commodore and above
The caps of other ranks of the
RAF Police
The Royal Air Force Police (RAFP) is the service police branch of the Royal Air Force, headed by the provost marshal of the Royal Air Force. Its headquarters are at RAF Honington and it deploys throughout the world to support RAF and UK defence ...
have a white crown. Officer cadets wear the officers' cap with a white band instead of a black band.
Female officers and warrant officers wear a peaked cap of a different pattern. Female other ranks wear a round hat instead, although the female version of the peaked cap was worn by the
Women's Auxiliary Air Force and formerly by all female ranks of the RAF Police. For uniformity, however, female musicians wear the same peaked cap as male personnel in formal dress.
File:London_Pride_2011_(5922658143).jpg, White peaked cap of other ranks in the RAF police.
File:111111-F-FW394-055_Air_Commodore_Elaine_West,_Air_Officer_Assistant_Chief_of_Staff_and_Air_Officer_Commanding_Directly_Administered_Units,_Headquarters_Air_Command_speaks_during_a_ceremony_(cropped).jpg, The female form of the peaked cap worn by an RAF officer.
Other organisations
Police
Basic headgear for male police officers in the UK is a peaked cap. This includes a
cap badge
A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as w ...
and generally has a black and white diced band (called
Sillitoe tartan) around the hat. Caps worn by traffic police officers have white crowns or covers.
Caps are also part of the uniforms of male
police community support officers (PCSOs), who wear a plain light blue band.
Ministry of Defence Guard Service
The
Ministry of Defence Guard Service
The Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS) is part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation of the Ministry of Defence, it provides Defence establishments across the United Kingdom with guarding and patrol services and was established as a re ...
currently issues a peaked cap that is a dark shade of navy blue with a leather chin strap and MGS cap badge on the front to all of its male officers. Female officers are issued with a peaked cap of a different shape. Dog section officers traditionally wear a beret.
The cap badge consists of the Ministry of Defence emblem in the centre backed by silver with a navy blue border encircling the emblem that contains text that reads 'Ministry of Defence Guard Service', all below a crown.
His Majesty's Prison Service
In modern times
His Majesty's Prison Service
His Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) is a part of HM Prison and Probation Service (formerly the National Offender Management Service), which is the part of His Majesty's Government charged with managing most of the prisons within England and Wale ...
does not issue peaked caps to be worn on duty, although they formerly did so. However, peaked caps are still worn during ceremonial events along with a tunic, medals and black gloves if applicable.
United States
Armed forces
United States Marine Corps
In the
United States Marine Corps, these caps, bearing a cap badge of the Corps'
Eagle, Globe, and Anchor (EGA) device, are worn in two forms.
For
blue dress uniforms, the cap is white with a gloss black visor. The enlisted version features a black chin strap and is worn with an all-gold EGA device, while the officer version features a gold and scarlet chinstrap and a gold and silver EGA device. In addition, officers wear a lace cross on the top, called the
quatrefoil
A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil) is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional ...
, a traditional mark of distinction enabling sharpshooters aboard ships to identify friendly officers from foes.
For the
green service uniforms, an olive drab combination cap is available; the EGA device and the chin strap are black for all ranks. In both cases,
field grade officers (
majors
Jonathan Michael Majors (born September 7, 1989)Majors in is an American actor. He rose to prominence after starring in the independent feature film ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' (2019). In 2020, he garnered wider notice for portraying ...
,
lieutenant colonels
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and
colonels
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel wa ...
) have gold oak leaf motifs on the visor, similar to those worn by navy
commanders and
captains
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, while
general officer
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...
s' caps have a different, larger oak leaf motif on the visor. Additionally the blue dress cap of the Commandant of the Marine Corps (as well as the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: app ...
if it is also a Marine) adds an additional gold oak leaf motif to the front of the band. In the Marine Corps, the combination cap is commonly referred to as the "barracks cover", and the particular versions are referred as the dress cap or service cap in Marine Corps Orders.
United States Navy
In the United States Navy, midshipmen,
chief petty officers, and
commissioned officers wear combination covers, but there are differences between the three types. In general, the cap has a rigid framed crown with a cloth cover, a black hatband that extends to a semicircle on the grant to support a badge device, a glossy black visor, and a chinstrap secured by two gold colored buttons that match the buttons of the wearer's service dress uniform.
Midshipmen at the
United States Naval Academy,
United States Merchant Marine Academy or in
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.
Origins
A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 192 ...
units wear a gold
fouled anchor device and have a gold chinstrap. Chief petty officers wear a cap badge consisting of a gold fouled anchor with silver block letters "USN" superimposed on the shank of the anchor, with the addition of one, two, or three stars at the top of the anchor if the wearer is a
senior chief petty officer
Senior Chief Petty Officer ''(SCPO)'' is an enlisted rank in the navies of some countries.
United States
U.S. Coast Guardsenior chiefpetty officercollar device
U.S. Coast Guardsenior chiefpetty officerinsignia
Senior chiefpetty officer ...
, a
master chief petty officer
U.S. Coast Guardmaster chief petty officercollar device
U.S. Coast Guardmaster chief petty officersleeve rating insignia
United States Navymaster chief petty officer collar insignia
United States Navymaster chief petty officershoulderb ...
, or the
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, respectively, and have a black chinstrap. Commissioned officers wear an officer's crest badge consisting of a silver
federal shield
Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
Politics
General
*Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies
*Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
over two crossed gold
fouled anchors surmounted by a silver eagle and have a gold chinstrap. Additionally, officers of rank
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
and
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
have gold embroidered oak leaves and acorns on a black felt-covered visor, referred to as "
scrambled eggs", with additional embroidery for
flag officers.
The covering fabric is
khaki for use with the
service khaki uniform or in white for use with blue and white uniforms (the use of blue fabric for use with blue uniforms was discontinued in 1963). Since October 2018 the same cap style is used by both males and females.
United States Army
In the United States Army, service caps are optional for wear with the
green service uniform. They consist of a dark olive drab top and hat band matching the uniform coat with a russet brown leather visor and chinstrap. The combination cap for the
blue service is midnight blue matching the uniform coat with a gloss black visor. The enlisted cap has a golden stripe on top of the cap band and a black chinstrap. The version for officers has a cap band with the
branch-of-service color between two golden stripes, and a gold-colored chinstrap.
Field-grade officers
A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...
have oak leaves, known unofficially as
"scrambled eggs", on the visor.
General officer
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...
s' caps are similar to those of field-grade officers, but the cap band is dark blue and embroidered with gold oak leaf motifs. For both the green and blue caps, enlisted soldiers wear a cap badge of a circular disk embossed with the
United States' coat of arms, while officers wear a larger badge of the coat of arms without any backing.
United States Air Force
In the United States Air Force, all personnel have the option to wear service caps, but only field-grade (
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
through
colonel) and
general officer
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...
s are required to own one. The service cap is issued without charge to enlisted airmen assigned to certain ceremonial units and details.
Air Force service caps are Air Force blue (shade 1620), matching the coat and trousers of the service dress uniform, with a gloss black visor and black chinstrap secured by silver-colored buttons bearing a version of the "Hap Arnold emblem" first designed by James T. Rawls for use by the Air Force's predecessor, the
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, in 1942. The cap badge consists of a relief of the
Great Seal of the United States rendered in silver-colored metal. For enlisted members, the arms are surrounded by a silver-colored metal circle. Commissioned officers' insignia is larger and lacks the encompassing circle. The
Air Force Band
A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...
and
Air Force Base Honor Guard each have their own distinctive cap insignia and other uniform devices.
Field-grade officers
A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...
' visors have two pairs of clouds and lightning bolts, patterned after the oak leaf motifs used by the other services. General officers' caps add an extra pair of clouds and bolts on the visor, while the cap of the
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The chief of staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is a statutory office () held by a general in the United States Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force on matter pertaining to th ...
adds clouds and bolts around the entire cap band. The clouds and bolts are jokingly referred to in
military slang as "
farts and darts", much as the other services' oak leaf motifs are known as "scrambled eggs".
The USAF service cap is also worn by the Air Force's civilian auxiliary, the
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
(CAP). Senior members (those over the age of 18 who are not cadets and everyone over 21) may wear the service cap with a CAP-specific badge.
United States Coast Guard
The
United States Coast Guard wears the combination cap, known as the combo cover, with the Service Dress Blue uniform (SDBs), the Tropical Blue uniform (Trops), and with all other formal dress uniforms. The cover is identical to that of the Navy with respect to the chinstrap and peak ornamentation. Its crown is white. The buttons securing the chin strap to the sides of the band are smaller versions of the buttons worn on the Coast Guard's uniform coats. The blue band around the cap includes blue fabric extending upward on the front of the crown to serve as a backing behind the device. In the case of enlisted personnel, this extension is a blue circle identical to that on the caps of naval officers and chief petty officers. In the case of commissioned officers, however, the extension is a more elaborate polygon to accommodate the officers' cap device.
Unlike their naval counterparts, coast guardsmen below the rank of chief petty officer wear combination covers; their cap device is a golden representation of the Coast Guard emblem. Coast Guard chief petty officers' cap devices match those of the Navy, albeit with a shield on the front of the fouled anchor; like Navy chiefs, their cap devices are enlarged renderings of the rank insignia worn on their collars. Coast Guard officers' cap device is an eagle with wings outstretched, above an anchor grasped horizontally in its talons.
Other organizations
Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and NOAA Commissioned Corps
The
United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps—the two small services, consisting only of officers, which are the two
uniformed services
Uniformed services is an abstract term that are generally bodies of people in employment of a State (polity), state who wear a distinct uniform that differentiates them from the public sector, public and private sector. Their purpose is to maintai ...
that are not
armed forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
—wear uniforms and rank insignia adopted from the Navy. The combination covers of the two services are identical to those of the Navy with respect to colors, and peak ornamentation. The chinstrap of the PHS is gold with a burgundy stripe. The buttons securing the chin strap to the sides of the band are smaller versions of the buttons worn on the services' uniform coats. The cap device of NOAACC officers is similar to that of Navy officers with a globe in place of the shield; the cap device of PHSCC officers is similar to that of Navy officers but has a
caduceus
The caduceus (☤; ; la, cādūceus, from grc-gre, κηρύκειον "herald's wand, or staff") is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology and consequently by Hermes Trismegistus in Greco-Egyptian mythology. The same staff was also ...
in place of one of the anchors.
United States Maritime Service
While the majority of American merchant mariners are employed by shipping businesses and accordingly wear either uniforms prescribed by their employers or civilian attire, some officers receive commissions in the
United States Maritime Service for federal government duty, such as the faculty of the
United States Merchant Marine Academy and the
Military Sealift Command
Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US m ...
's civilian officers manning non-commissioned
United States Naval Ship
United States Naval Ship (USNS) is the prefix designation given to non- commissioned ships that are property of the United States Navy (USN).
Definition
United States Naval Ships are unarmed auxiliary support vessels owned by the U.S. Navy ...
s. These officers wear uniforms and rank insignia adopted from the U.S. Navy, albeit with
United States Merchant Marine's own button design, cap device, awards, and decorations. The combination covers these officers are identical to those of naval officer with respect to colors, chinstrap and peak ornamentation. The buttons securing the chin strap to the sides of the band are smaller versions of the buttons worn on their coats. The USMS cap device is a rendering of the Merchant Marine device in gold- and silver-colored metal. Like the device worn by naval officers, it features a silver eagle, with wings outstretched, above a gold shield; the shield, however, is defaced with an anchor and surrounded by a wreath.
Civilian usage
Public safety officers, such as those from the police, fire department, ambulance service, and
customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...
, often wear peaked caps, especially on formal occasions. In the US, police forces use caps that have softer tops and are not round and rigid in form (notable are those worn in New York and San Francisco). British and Australian policemen have a
checkerboard pattern on the cap band, and
traffic wardens often have a reflective yellow strip.
A number of civilian professions—the most notable modern examples being
merchant marine and
civil aviation—also wear peaked caps. In such civilian old traditional usage, only
captains
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
aboard ships and
pilots in command (airline captains) in service aboard aircraft, have the golden oak leaf motifs ("
scrambled eggs") on the visor; this is in contrast to the naval tradition, where it is also worn by commanders (one rank below captain) as well as by commodores and flag officers.
The original civilian variant of the peaked cap was widely worn by sailors and workers from the mid 19th century onwards. These were made of wool or canvas, and sometimes waterproofed with tar. During the 1960s, blue denim
Greek fisherman's cap
A mariner's cap, variations of which are known as skipper cap, Greek fisherman's cap, fiddler cap or Breton cap, Lenin cap and Mao cap, is a soft, flat-topped cap with a small visor, usually made from black or navy blue wool felt, but also occas ...
s became an essential accessory for the
counterculture due to their use by
John Lennon of
the Beatles. A black leather version, sometimes embellished with chains or metal studs, was worn by bikers,
greasers imitating
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
in ''
The Wild One'', and members of the 1970s
Black Power movement.
Peaked caps are also commonly worn around the world by some railway, or airport staff (baggage porters, but often wearing kepi type cap), bus drivers and security guards. A peaked cap is a part of the
Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
uniform in most of the territories it operates in.
Student cap
In various European countries, student caps of different types are, or have been, worn either as a marker of a common identity, as is the case in the Nordic countries, or to identify the wearer as a member of a smaller body within the larger gr ...
s in Northern and Central European countries are frequently peaked caps. The student caps in
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...
are traditionally white (summer uniform) or black (winter uniform) but the colors of the bands,
lining
Lining may refer to:
* Lining (sewing), the process of inserting an inner layer of fabric, fur, or other material
* Lining of paintings, the process of restoration paintings by attaching a new canvas to the back of the existing one
* Brake linin ...
,
tassels and
cockades differ, depending on the school or the faculty. In German-speaking countries and in Poland, Estonia and Latvia, student caps come in a variety of colors, depending on the
colors of the
student organization or the school, and can be decorated with its
zirkel (a
monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...
).
"Crusher cap"
A typical peaked cap has a spring stiffening, often in the form of a wire grommet frame, to ensure the sides and rear of the fabric covering have the proper shape. A crusher cap removes the stiffener to allow headphones to be worn over the hat or use in confined spaces such as tanks and submarines, giving it a slouched and worn "crushed" appearance. Such modified caps were especially popular among US Army Air Forces combat pilots and German tank commanders and submariners in the Second World War.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peaked Cap
1790s fashion
19th-century fashion
20th-century fashion
21st-century fashion
Caps
Law enforcement uniforms
Military uniforms
Russian clothing
Russian inventions
Maritime culture