Please show your Tropical caps

[Tim O'Keefe]

Here is a great old thread on tropical caps with lots of interesting info.

Can the Mods move this thread to the Cloth Cap Forum ?

[John Hodgin]

Nine years later I still maintain there are many bad Luftwaffe tropical caps illustrated on this thread.

Here are a few genuine examples.

[Bob Lyons]

Nine years later I still maintain there are many bad Luftwaffe tropical caps illustrated on this thread.

Here are a few genuine examples.

I never get tired of looking at these gems of yours John


Bob

[NZMark]

This one's for Bob
Regards,
Mark
NZ

[Tim O'Keefe]

Nine years later I still maintain there are many bad Luftwaffe tropical caps illustrated on this thread.

Here are a few genuine examples.

Hi John

Great looking caps. Are either Berolina's ? Your right, i brought this thread up again for the info on the Herr M40. Would like to here your thoughts (or anyone's) on a couple of LW related subjects...

Without being specific, how many of the three LW sidecaps & six LW visored tropical caps in this thread do you consider fakes ? Agree we don't need to discuss them as this thread is 10 years old. I see at least four good ones.

What is the concensus these days as to how many factory made visored LW tropical caps there were, as opposed to custom made % ?

& How many known makers are there as of now, of LW factory made tropical visored caps & sidecaps too ?

[Bob Lyons]

This one's for Bob
Regards,
Mark
NZ

You sure know how to hurt a guy mate.....


Bob

[Tim O'Keefe]

Oustanding cap Mark, Flak maybe ?

This thread also has Jim's Hans Brandt sidecap from '43 with the rbn# posted # 21-23. & also Ralph's CW M40 appears a few times too

[NZMark]

Oustanding cap Mark, Flak maybe ?

This thread also has Jim's Hans Brandt sidecap from '43 with the rbn# posted # 21-23. & also Ralph's CW M40 appears a few times too

Hi Tim,
I'd love to think FJ due to the examples in Edgar Elcidi's superb book "Fallschirmjager Brigade Ramcke". Check out page 96 for a comparison. We can live in hope
Bob - keep sending those emails - you're doing just fine
Regards,
Mark
NZ

[John Hodgin]

Hi Tim,
I'd love to think FJ due to the examples in Edgar Elcidi's superb book "Fallschirmjager Brigade Ramcke". Check out page 96 for a comparison. We can live in hope
Bob - keep sending those emails - you're doing just fine
Regards,
Mark
NZ

I slightly lean towards Fj too Tim, but Flak is certainly possible. Although the earliest Flak units wore straight Heer tropical uniforms and caps without adding Luft insignia, later units did add Luftwaffe eagles to Heer caps.

The posted side cap detail is a Berolina. Luftwaffe side caps were produced by many makers. Factory produced M41s are few, they were private purchase and the small number of German produced genuine examples I've seen were for officers. Here is the exception which was mass produced for officers and enlisted.

Will discuss suspect Luftwaffe caps within the thread after the weekend.

Regards,
John

[Tim O'Keefe]

Thanks John,

Another wonderful cap ! Great information as always. Without showing the interior, can you name the maker of this cap ? (understand completely if you don't) Did this maker also make the LW sidecaps ? Look forwards to your thoughts concerning the LW caps in this thread too.

By the way i have come around to you & other's way of thinking. As far as giving out too much info in public, especially makers marks etc. Have seen the fakers react in just hours to some of these threads.

& Mark, what is the date on you cap ? How's the interior ? Could be FJ, that would be something special.

with appreciation

[John Hodgin]

Thanks John,

Another wonderful cap ! Great information as always. Without showing the interior, can you name the maker of this cap ? (understand completely if you don't) Did this maker also make the LW sidecaps ? Look forwards to your thoughts concerning the LW caps in this thread too.

Hi Tim,

Thanks. There is no maker mark in the officer's M41 shown. Have seen at least a dozen M-41 caps constructed as this one and none had markings in them. As stated in my book, the thin leather sweatband and other details leads me to believe these particular caps are of Italian manufacture. Remember this is only a guess, still hoping someday we will discover more facts about them.

Many enlisted Luft. tropical billed field caps appear custom and field made which should add great caution when collecting them since they can be faked easily.

Just as with Mark/Ben's Heer M40, the Luftwaffe also used KM tropical billed field caps with added Luft. insignia.

Finally, regarding the Luftwaffe M41s already posted on this thread, I'd like to hear other opinions of them. Especially would like to hear from advanced Luft tropical collectors like Gustav43.

And even opinions from that Foley guy although he no longer collects Luft. tropical, at least this week he doesn't.

[John Hodgin]

And, would especially like to hear from OSS about the Luft. caps posted a decade ago on this thread. His word carries significant weight IMHO.

[John Hodgin]

Let's begin with this officer's side cap and work towards M41s.

[Steve in Florida]

Sorry I'm a crappy picture taker, but here's my factory unmarked M41.

[Steve in Florida]