Author Topic: 1940's USN Baseball Cap  (Read 9069 times)

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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1940's USN Baseball Cap
« on: April 24, 2008, 09:58:00 AM »
I was wondering if any of the museums had an original USN baseball cap on display?  It would be a solid color (most likely navy blue) with a standard cut and bill and not have any lettering on it.  Thanks.

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Mark Sarsfield
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Offline Rick

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2008, 11:07:04 AM »
I have nothing like that here at the Batfish.  I do have several phots (black and white) showing some of the officers and crew wearing that style of cap cannot tell the color though....

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2008, 11:20:18 AM »
I'm pretty sure that it was navy blue.  The hat tends to be much darker than the khaki uniforms in the photos.  In the movie Mr. Roberts Henry Fonda wears a ball cap at one point during cargo operations that was navy in color.  The green caps tended to be worn by Army and AAF personnel.  I've been known to be wrong before, though.   :-[

I did contact www.ballcap.com for photos of the 40's era caps.  They seem to be the industry expert on making vintage baseball caps.  They can make one to look like the Navy issue one, but they are a little pricey.  I found a guy on eBay selling a similar item under $9 + shipping - item # 330229678483. 

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Lance Dean

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2008, 01:44:48 PM »
Interesting.  Were they fitted caps?

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2008, 01:49:37 PM »
Yes.  I got a reply back from the Ball Cap guy and he said that they make the midnight 1940's fitted cap all of the time.  So, apparently they were darker than navy blue.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2008, 11:44:48 AM »
All fashion-forward submariners in WWII wore the short-billed cap during casual strolls down the deck in fair and foul weather, with or without other Navy and Army-issue ensembles!   ::)

Our color movies of the COD crew wearig such caps seems to indicate that they were Army olive-drab (green). A few look black (dirty or a factor of the film exposure).

They sure wore a lot of them on COD... we have modern stand-ins... but I sure would love to have some of the WWII style made. I will look into it with out cap manufacturer (located in Cleveland!!!).

PF :coolsmiley:
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Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2008, 11:49:35 AM »
Thanks, Paul.  I wouldn't be surprised if they scrounged up any cap that they could find.  The army and air force used a variety of green caps and also the pilots liked the midnight blue caps.  I'm sure that in many instances they were personal purchases, rather than issued material.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Ctwilley

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2008, 09:10:24 PM »
Mark, I have an original one now. It's an OD Herring Bone Twill fitted soft cap. The bill isn't stiffened. It's marked with a USN on the inside. I talked to Capt. Woodward again and he confirmed that they were OD. I'll send you pictures if you want. If you look at the pictures in the national archives, it's EXACTLY what's pictured.

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2008, 11:58:18 AM »
Here is a COD 40mm gunner on Junk Duty wearing such a cap backwards where the short bill will not be able to shade his eyes!  This is the COD we're talking about!

Maybe this was the first hiphop gangsta rapper submariner?

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Offline Ctwilley

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2008, 01:16:14 PM »
That's exactly what I have.

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #10 on: September 30, 2008, 02:01:27 PM »
Cool!  I still plan on keeping my midnight blue replica cap as a "personal purchase".  ;)

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: 1940's USN Baseball Cap
« Reply #11 on: October 01, 2008, 01:11:18 AM »
Mark:
I've seen color photos of the blue caps as well... heck this BW pic might be a blue cap!

PF
Johnny Cash's third cousin, twice removed