Product Code Database
A campaign hat, sometimes called campaign cover, is a broad-brimmed felt or straw hat, with a high crown, pinched symmetrically at the four corners. The campaign hat is occasionally referred to as a Stetson, derived from its origin in the company's Boss of the Plains model in the late 19th century.
The hat is most commonly worn as part of a uniform, by such organizations as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the New Zealand Army, United States Park Rangers, and Scouting. It should not be confused with the Stetson style cowboy hat, which is also based on the Boss of the Plains but has a different brim and crease, nor a slouch hat.
A version of the hat, with a crease along the top of the crown, was worn by some US Army troops during the Spanish–American War. The army officially adopted the "Montana peaked" design as a service hatParagraph 76 "Regulations and Notes for the Uniform of the Army of the United States" Washington Government Printing Office 1912 on 8 September 1911.
Through the World War I era, the campaign hat worn by American soldiers was fairly soft. Those worn by the United States Army's 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.National Geographic Magazine, October 1917
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 de police that became known as the overseas cap. From 1940 onwards, the campaign hat was replaced by the much cheaper American fiber helmet. 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 officer Joseph Stilwell.
The campaign hat is currently worn by several law enforcement organizations, including the Alberta Sheriffs Branch, as a part of their regular uniform. It was also used by members of the Ontario Provincial Police, but it was phased out in 2009 due to problems wearing them in police cruisers.
The hat was worn to a certain extent during World War II, although often replaced by more convenient or berets. After being in abeyance since 1960, the hat was reintroduced in 1977Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord, page 129 - Part One "New Zealand Army Distinguishing Patches 1911-1991, for ceremonial dress, where it was usually worn with a version of the khaki "no 2" service dress of the British Army. Officer cadets and the New Zealand Army Band wear this headdress with a scarlet and blue full dress uniform.
In 2012, it was announced that this form of campaign hat was to be replaced for general wear by the "Mounted Rifles Hat";Fairfax NZ News 3 May 2012 a headdress resembling that of the Australian Army slouch hat but without the turned-up side rim. The historic "Lemon Squeezer" has however been retained for use by honour guards and other limited categories on special formal occasions.
Male and female United States Marine Corps drill instructors and primary marksmanship instructors wear similar campaign hats with a matte black Eagle, Globe, and Anchor centered on the front; the same insignia is worn on their olive-drab combination hats. While US Marine Corps officers wear a scarlet-and-gold cord around the hats and generals wear a solid gold cord, enlisted Marines no longer wear cords around the hats. The US Marine Corps was brought into conformity with the US Army's drill instructor's traditional cover and campaign hats were introduced to the Corps on 20 July 1956 as a direct result of the Ribbon Creek incident.Keith Fleming (1990). 087249635X, University of South Carolina. 087249635X
Male United States Air Force military training instructors (MTIs) wear dark-blue hats with the Great Seal of the United States within a ring, in silver color, again centered on the front; this is the same insignia as worn on their service cap. Female MTIs wear an Australian-style dark-blue slouch hat. Air Force MTIs in the top ten percent of their career field wear a light-blue cord and are more likely to be referred to as "Blue Ropes" than MTIs.
Male United States Space Force military training instructors (MTIs) wear dark-blue hats with the USSF Delta, Globe, and Orbit with hexagram representing the six services, in silver color, again centered on the front; this is the same insignia as worn on their enlisted service cap. Female MTIs wear an Australian-style dark-blue slouch hat. Space Force MTIs that are considered experienced have a black-and-silver rope similar to the Army Warrant Officer rope. There are no other ropes used by USSF MTIs.
US Coast Guard recruit training company commanders (USCG-USN counterpart to drill instructors) wear a navy-blue version with a black cord; the insignia worn is the same as worn with the combination cover.
The United States Navy is the only US armed service that does not use the campaign hat. USN recruit division commanders wear normal prescribed covers for their uniforms, with a red aiguillette on their shoulder to show their status.
Following the national park ranger style, many states' fish and game wardens and state park police wear campaign hats. Rangers of many local parks departments also wear the campaign hat, such as the New York City Urban Park Rangers.
The animal logo-mascot of the US Forest Service, Smokey Bear, wears the campaign hat. Smokey's debut poster, released in 1944 and illustrated by Albert Staehle, depicts Smokey wearing jeans and a "forest ranger's hat" (a campaign hat), pouring a bucket of water on a campfire. The message underneath reads, "Smokey says – Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!"
The emblem of the National Park Foundation was, until December 2013, a stylized campaign hat.
Campaign hats are also worn by the US Border Patrol. Many other police agencies, including numerous county sheriffs' services, and tribal police departments use campaign hats. Some local police use it for particular duties or divisions; for example, officers of the Chicago Police Department's mounted unit employ the hat, as do deputy sheriffs assigned as cadre of the Cook County Sheriff's Boot Camp.
When Baden-Powell re-wrote his Army handbook Aids to Scouting into Scouting For Boys in 1908, he included sketches of wearing the campaign hat. He prescribed a campaign hat as part of the Scout uniform, which he stated was "very like the uniform worn by my men when I commanded the South African Constabulary". He continued; "...The broad brimmed khaki hat is a good protection from sun and rain." Scouting for Boys and the Scout Movement itself quickly spread through the British Empire and then to other countries, such as the United States and Russia where in both cases, Scouting started in 1909.Eduard Vallory World Scouting: Educating for Global Citizenship, Palgrave Macmillan, (p. 16) Baden-Powell's uniform was widely imitated by Scout associations in many countries, but eventually began to be discarded in favor of cheaper and more practical headgear; the British Scout Association introduced the uniform beret as an alternative to the hat after World War II and finally abolished its use altogether in 1967. The campaign hat remains an option for members of the Boy Scouts of America. (p. 8)
In Traditional Scouting organizations such as the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association, Scouts unitaires de France and British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association in the United Kingdom, Baden-Powell Service Association in Canada and the Baden-Powell Service Association in the United States, campaign hats are worn by both male and female Scouts and leaders. It is also used by Portuguese Boy Scouts.
|
|
