Side Cap - France

France

In France, the bonnet de police replaced the kepi because of its greater convenience, when the "Adrian" steel helmet was issued in 1915. The French bonnet de police had a different origin than that of the glengarry. The French headdress originated as a long, pointed bonnet with a pompon at the end of the trailing crown (resembling the English nightcap). The rim of the cap was folded upward. Originally the pompon hung down at the back between the soldier's shoulder blades; subsequently the cap became shorter and the tail hung near the soldier's ear. By the mid-nineteenth century the bonnet de police had become a true flat cap with no trailing crown. Instead the pompon dangled from a short cord sewn onto the rim in front of the bonnet de police, hanging above the soldier's right eye. This style of headdress with a trailing tassel was widely worn by both the Belgian Army and the Spanish Army during the first half of the 20th Century. It is still used by the Spanish Foreign Legion.

When reintroduced for undress or fatigue wear in the 1890s, the French army's bonnet de police had become a plain item of dress without decoration. The colour of this working cap matched that of the tunic with which it was worn (either dark blue, light blue or black prior to World War I; horizon blue from 1915 to 1930; and thereafter khaki). Between 1944 and 1962 however this headdress was worn by most branches of the French Army in a wide variety of colours, which normally matched those of the kepis historically worn by the particular branch or regiment. At the end of the Algerian War the bonnet de police, was replaced by the beret for most units.

In the modern French Army the bonnet de police is still worn by the 1st Regiment of Spahis in the historic bright red of this branch. The bonnet de police is also worn by anti-riot law enforcement units, such as the Gendarmerie Mobile of the French Gendarmerie (at least when in riot control gear) and the CRS of the French National Police. Members of these units may have to change quickly from an ordinary headdress to a helmet, and an easily foldable cap is therefore practical.