Campaign Hat - History

History

The origins of the hat can be traced to the 1840s when army troops posted in the west took to wearing civilian hats which were far more practical than the shakos or kepis then in vogue with most western armies. The name started to be used after the 1872–1876 regulations which introduced a black felt hat — which could be drab after 1883 — for fatigue use derived from the types popularized during the American Civil War. Some were worn with campaign cords mainly a form of decoration.

At least as early as 1893, hats of this type were being re-creased into pointed tops, in order to keep off rain, by British South Africa Company Scouts in Africa (see photo of Maurice Gifford at left). Three years later in 1896, these scouts introduced the hat to British officer Sir Robert Baden-Powell, who in turn would introduce it to the South African Constabulary and the Boy Scouts (see below). The 1,200 Canadian troops serving under Baden-Powell were the first to wear the Campaign Hat as a part of their official uniform, and this very likely influened Baden-Powell's decision to order 10,000 of the hats for the British troops.

A few years later, during the Spanish–American War the standard central crease on the crown was again found to be impractical as it tended to hold the rainwater from the frequent tropical downpours. Many soldiers again reshaped the crown to form a pinched "Montana peak." The army officially adopted the peaked design 8, Sept.1911 as "1911 Hat, Service, M1911 (Campaign Hat.)"

Through the World War I era, the campaign hat worn by American soldiers was fairly soft. Those worn by the United States Army's General officers had a golden cord around it, whereas other Commissioned officers had a golden-and-black Campaign cord around their hat. Field Clerks, as well as their post-war successors the Warrant officers, had a silver-and-black cord, while other ranks had cords in their branch-of-service colors. The United States Marine Corps had the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor badge in black at the front of their campaign hats; its officers had an additional golden-and-scarlet cord around their hat, whereas its other ranks had none.

By the 1930s the felt was made very stiff with a permanently flat brim. Due to the frequent wearing of helmets in France in World War I, most troops received a copy of the French bonnet du police that became known as the overseas cap. In 1942 the campaign hat ceased to be issued generally, but it was still commonly found in the Pacific theatre for much of the war, and was the trademark of General Joseph Stilwell.