Cap comforter
| Cap, Comforter | |
|---|---|
 British commandos wearing cap comforters in 1942 | |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 19th Century–Present |
| Used by | United Kingdom Australia Netherlands |
| Wars | First World War Second World War Afghanistan War |
A cap comforter is a form of woollen military headgear originating in the British Army.
It is a cylinder of knitted wool, similar to a short scarf, that is typically fitted over the head and fashioned into a hat. It can be worn comfortably underneath a Brodie helmet, and is often sewn shut at one or both ends. The cap comforter bears no insignia, and can be easily stowed without being creased.
Contents
History[edit]
Cap comforters were introduced in the late 19th century as informal working headdress for British soldiers performing manual labour at camp, and as a comfortable undress cap on active service.
First World War[edit]
Cap comforters were worn during the First World War as a warm alternative to the service dress cap, as the fabric could be pulled low over the ears in the cold winter trenches. Their casual and non-rigid silhouette made them an ideal item for night time trench raids.
Second World War[edit]
In the Second World War, soldiers from many British Army regiments wore cap comforters, particularly during training or when engaged in manual tasks.[1]
Commandos[edit]
The British commandos were an international force recruited from across various Allied units, many with distinctive hats. As a solution to this lack of uniformity, commando units adopted their own practical headgear. No. 1 Commando chose the green beret in imitation of the Royal Armoured Corps, whereas No. 2 and No. 9 adopted the Scottish tam o' shanter. Other units, including No. 4 Commando (and US Army Rangers attached during the Dieppe Raid), adopted the cap comforter as their headdress, because it had no prior affiliation with a nation or regiment.[2]
In autumn 1942, the War Office approved the green beret as the official commando headgear, though the cap comforter continued to be worn, already synonymous with the apparel of the commandos.[3][4]
Post-war[edit]
The British Army has stopped issuing cap comforters, replacing them instead with warmers - similar items based on Wehrmacht toques.[5] Warmers are not sewn at the ends, and so can be worn like balaclavas. However, cap comforters are still used by units with links to the original commandos; British Royal Marines and the Dutch Korps Commandotroepen wear the headgear until they pass a commando course, after which they are qualified to wear the prestigious green beret.[6]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to cap comforter. |
References[edit]
- ^ "Cap comforter, 1942 (c)". National Army Museum.
- ^ "Americas First European Raiders". Foxhole Fashion. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ Konstam, Angus (17 Nov 2016). British Commando 1940–45. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 23.
- ^ "Cap Comforter: British Army". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ "Cap Comforter". Hat Guide. p. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ Leo van Westerhoven (27 January 2003). "Earning the Green Beret". Dutch Defence Press. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
