RAF WWII Officer cap question

[Robert Shoaf]

Gentlemen,
I am looking for an authentic, WWII era RAF officer's dress cap. Should the peak underside be the same cloth material as above, or should it be another material? I know current caps have the same material top & bottom. Thanks.

Bob Shoaf

[dragnet]

Bob from the examples ive sen its the same material. Pete.

[nimsiemilitaria]

RAF/RCAF Officers Caps

Early caps had green vinyl undersides on the peak.

[BILL]

I agree. Vinyl undersides were standard up to the thirties. WW2 examples seem to be cloth on both sides right up to the present. The only evidence I have of this is an infantry officers visor cap from the thirties with the vinyl underside.

[Me109G]

Hi Bob,

You cannot determine a wartime peak cap (or "dress cap" as you refer to it) from the peak alone. This is because the underside of the peak varied according to the tailor that made the cap. I have seen examples of wartime caps with green on the underside of the peak as well as examples with the blue cloth on the underside of the peak - both types with provenance from veterans.

Having said that, it is more common to see the green on the underside of the peak on those caps made during the 1930s and during the early to mid-WW2 period. It seems that after that time the blue cloth underside of the peak appeared more frequently during the mid to latter stages of the war. But this is not a rule, as the construction of the peak was determined by the tailor who made the cap, as said above. This is why peak caps with a green underside can be found well into the 1950s and even the 1960s.

As time passed following the war, it became more common to find caps with the blue cloth on the underside as they became mass produced by government contractors.

The best thing to do is post pictures of the cap you would like to buy as there are so many factors other than the peak that help to determine what period it may have been made. For example, the size of the crown on wartime peak caps differed in most cases from modern caps in that wartime caps more often had a larger crown. Also, don't be fooled by a cap with a Kings crown badge as it could have easily replaced a modern Queens crown badge. So don't rely on the peak alone as it can be a tricky area.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
David

[Robert Shoaf]

Thanks for all yor replies. gentlemen. The caps I have seen for sale online, whether on Ebay or dealer's sites, all have the cloth under peak.
Another question, if I may? What is a faie price for a cap in good, not necessarily pristine condition? Too me , about $200 -250 should be about the max. Thanks again.

Bob Shoaf