What Country Is This Visor Hat From?

[Bob Chatt]

Okay, this visor hat walked in today to my shop. One of my good customers found it, but doesn't have a clue what it is, and honestly neither do I.
My gut instinct is it is Belgian, but I have been wrong many times in the past.

So our questions are:
What country of origin is it from?
What time period?
Is there a specific unit that wore it?

There are no markings inside that I can find. The condition is great.
Thanks in advance for any information.

[Bob Chatt]

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[Bob Chatt]

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[uscob]

I would say it's a Blegian Gendarmerie for NCO's, used until 1954.

[byterock]

I would say that as well

[Kris]

Indeed, Belgian gendarmerie/rijkswacht (federal police), post war. Used till the early 70ies.

[uscob]

Indeed, Belgian gendarmerie/rijkswacht (federal police), post war. Used till the early 70ies.

Really? I allway's thought the ones after 54 looked a bit different.

[Kris]

Really? I allway's thought the ones after 54 looked a bit different.

AFAIK they changed the design slightly after ww2.
This model then stayed until the early 70ies when the low hat was intorduced but i'm no expert so you could be right.

Here's a blog from old-gendarmerie members. If you're interested you can scroll trough many pages of old pics etc : http://blog.seniorennet.be/rijkswacht/

[uscob]

Thanks for the link.
Went through the Pics and saw that type of Hat only on a 1963 Pic from the Police School. All the other Pics are older, mostly 1946, but I didn't saw all Pics.
So mabe the "normal" Police had the newer Hats and the Cadets the old style as seen often in several Military and Police Forces. I know the same from the Italians.

[Kris]

Here's some more Belgian gendarmerie headgear from my collection. This is not my main colelction focus but as i'm in this area of work i keep them

1st a 60ies era parade helmet :

[Kris]

2nd : same era, used till 80ies. Plastic 'low risk riot' and excercise helmet.
Has a nice chinstrap setup.

[Kris]

M1 helmet, or at least the shell. They used the plastic hemet pictured above as inner helmet. These are not so often encountered and specific made for the gendarmerie. Aah, from the times the still had the FAL rifles

[Kris]

.

[Kris]

Dome stamp, GD stands for gendarmerie.

[Kris]

NCO overseas cap