1st pattern RAF cap, opinions

[LeeG]

inside

[aeroraider]

First Pattern RAF Cap

Cap looks fine to me. The liner and insignia conform to caps I have seen. It is without rank insignia so would be Second Lieutenant if I remember correctly.

[ccj]

Very nice. Looks good inside and out.

[ROBB]

Looks more ww2 than pre war ,in fact that cap could be anything .The whole band comes off with the badge attached .Is their any provenance or history ? Rob

[aeroraider]

First War Cap

The few examples I have seen have had the circular stitching in the interior. The band is removable, but as you can see the style of the cap is more along the lines of a naval cap rather than an army one. These early RAF caps really look like a khaki naval cap. Since these caps seem to be for the most part private purchase, from a wide variety of makers, I do not know if we will be able to get a concensus.

[LeeG]

Hey Rob,
No provenance for this one. All I know is that this style of cap was around for about a year or two at the formation of the RAF from the RFC and RNAS, so it couldn't be WW2. From what I know about this style it looks good--but I've never actually seen one of these in person only in photos.
My concerns are:
1. Is it repro?
I know that they make repro WW2 RAF caps--but I have never seen any repro khaki RAF caps.
2. Is it a 1918 cap with WW2 RAF or (worse) repro badge and mohair band?
-Lee

Looks more ww2 than pre war ,in fact that cap could be anything .The whole band comes off with the badge attached .Is their any provenance or history ? Rob

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Lee, personally I am not aware of any repros being made, but that does not mean that they are not being made of course

I do like the look of the cap myself. The interior, as already mentioned, looks like others I have seen which were period.

Cheers, Ade

[aeroraider]

RAF Hat

I sold an excellent Burberry example of the 1918 pattern RAF cap for around $600 a few years ago. This might help you make a decision on whether to purchase it.

[ROBB]

Ive just remembered I had an Ladies ww2 ATS cap with the same circular interior.I personally think that the badge and band are much later than WW1 ,I shall have a dig for some pics ,and report back ,rob

[LeeG]

My RNAS cap (which I've posted earlier) has a similar circular interior, which lends credit to the assertion that these were navy-style caps. I actually don't doubt the cap itself. I don't know about the insignia--I simply don't know the differences between early vs late KC RAF inignia. The bird looks a little different from my early-ww2 RAF cap, is all that I can say (the wings on this one are more "V" shaped than the WW2 insignia).

[LeeG]

For comparison, here is a shot of my WW2 RAF cap insignia. Note how the wings are flat compared to the 1918 I posted.

[LeeG]

Hi,
Are you a collector or dealer of RFC/RAF material? Any thoughts specifically regarding the bird insignia would be much appreciated
-Lee

I sold an excellent Burberry example of the 1918 pattern RAF cap for around $600 a few years ago. This might help you make a decision on whether to purchase it.

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

Hi Lee,

This is my opinion:

The cap you originally posted looks good to me except the insignia on it looks much later, typically WW2. That badge could have been sewn on fairly recently. But I can't say anything for sure.

I would say the badge is possibly a reproduction in the picture of the cap you posted above. I would have to see better pictures in order to judge the cap itself.

Many thanks from Jack.

[LeeG]

Hi Jack,
Is my RAF blue cap the one you believe to be a repro? If so, why exactly do you believe this? Do you have references or photos of known reproductions to justify your assertion?
I am convinced the cap is good (I can tell by the smell and uniform aging all around). It has the thin chin strap associated with WW2. The insignia too looks appropriate for the cap: the bullion is slightly oxidized, the KC is very nicely padded, nothing anywhere glows under UV, the material on the KC has small little snags that one would expect to see with age.
I respectfully maintain that this one is real , and I will continue to believe it is real until I see solid evidence to the contrary. Here is a close up of the bird and KC.
Regarding the 1918 cap--I still don't know--it looks good, but I don't know...I sure wish I could see it in person.
-Lee

[LeeG]

The cap is an 'extra quality' and is made by Tress and Co, London.